Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread 2016 - News, Pictures, Sizing, Accessories, Clothing, etc

[jet-stream]



Thanks man!
I did the stripping, dyeing, and conditioning last weekend. That took both days just due to the need to let them dry between processes. I did the polish and waxing today over about 4 hours or so. 3 layers of Oxblood polish, one layer of black polish on the cap-toes. The wax was the longer process ("spit" shine) with two layers of neutral wax and one of black on the cap-toes.

Beautiful work!

 

[smfdoc]

Burgundy Beauties.....I am amazed since I can't find anything wrong with them. LOL.

If you haven't found an obvious issue yet, stop looking. Why look until you find some issue to diminish your pleasure?

 

[bluesuedeshoes]

Better pic:

Acquired these over the weekend and sporting them with dark denims and a grey sportcoat. Anyone wants to guess which AE models these are?

 

[polojock615]

Better pic:


Acquired these over the weekend and sporting them with dark denims and a grey sportcoat. Anyone wants to guess which AE models these are?

Troy?

 

[TexasTexter]

If you haven't found an obvious issue yet, stop looking. Why look until you find some issue to diminish your pleasure?

LOL! Good point. These are a refreshing change from the horrible 2nds Cambridge and the CM McNeils I had to wrestle through.....looks like who ever made these should make them all! LOL.

 

[jet-stream]

Any of you weasels with suede Strands care to share your thoughts on them?

When I was still trying to dial in my 65 size, I took a guess on a pair of Rush Streets. I really like the shoe, but after a dozen wears of trying to make them work, I've finally accepted that they will not and I'm looking for a substitute. I have a good price available on a pair of suede Strands, and it seems they might fill the halfway-between-dressy-and-casual void soon to be left by the Rush Streets. Thoughts? Thanks FBWs!

 

[jet-stream]



I believe that's a function of the grain being stretched tight over the last. The embossed pattern gets flattened.

You did great for $138.  Don't sweat the small stuff.

The look really good and for the $ great deal even with the few - they are keepers.

It's nice to see a PSA that someone enjoyed and got the good deal.

I also took advantage of the Lord & Taylor Dundee clearance, also my first pair of chukkas.  Mine have the same issue where the grain is smooth at the toe, but I kind of like it that way, and think it might allow for more of a shine where it's smooth whereas the rest of the boot has more of a matte finish where it's grainy.  I have to say, these might be my favorite shoes, just wish I had more opportunities to wear them (suit and tie at the office).  I think I will enjoy them more once they are worn in a little as I will tend to wear them with jeans and chinos, and new they are a little on the dressy side.

Thanks to all the gentleweasels who weighed in; I'm not too concerned cosmetically (like @GerryD, I'm planning on more casual wear with these). I just didn't know if the smoother grain implied an issue beyond cosmetic. The stretching totally makes sense; in fact, upon very close inspection, the grain in the left toe is a bit lower than the rest of the shoe (though less dramatically so than the right shoe). I'm pleased with the purchase and am keeping them; will of course post on the maiden voyage.
And thanks again to @007Bond for the PSA!

 

[jet-stream]



Naspratt is correct. The grain pattern will inevitably get stretched when being lasted. You'll likely get the same on all first quality grain shoes to varying degrees. This is also not just for AEs.

Missed one - thanks!

 

[jet-stream]



In my experience, a dent in the toe box is permanent. I would certainly give it a whirl at repair and I hope you have better luck than I did. Glad you are good with it because it likely will not change a great deal. Let us know how it works out.

As I said, it's very exaggerated in the second photo; with no intervention at all it would be noticeable mostly just to me. More wondering if some enterprising weasel had cracked this nut - was thinking about something like glue or whatever you call papier-mâché adhesive (mache?), nonstick paper, and a full toe shoe tree. Since they are brogued, there's also the mesh beneath the holes. I'll hold a seance with McGuyver and report back ...

 

[mreams99]



Any of you weasels with suede Strands care to share your thoughts on them?

When I was still trying to dial in my 65 size, I took a guess on a pair of Rush Streets. I really like the shoe, but after a dozen wears of trying to make them work, I've finally accepted that they will not and I'm looking for a substitute. I have a good price available on a pair of suede Strands, and it seems they might fill the halfway-between-dressy-and-casual void soon to be left by the Rush Streets. Thoughts? Thanks FBWs!

I have both shoes. (They fit the same.)
The Strand feels a little less casual to me.

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Any of you weasels with suede Strands care to share your thoughts on them?

When I was still trying to dial in my 65 size, I took a guess on a pair of Rush Streets. I really like the shoe, but after a dozen wears of trying to make them work, I've finally accepted that they will not and I'm looking for a substitute. I have a good price available on a pair of suede Strands, and it seems they might fill the halfway-between-dressy-and-casual void soon to be left by the Rush Streets. Thoughts? Thanks FBWs!

I don't own the suede Strands, but I do own a suede shoe on the same last. I found a pair of the navy Park Aves suede at NR a few months ago. Although I love that I found them, I became aware over time that they are not the easiest shoe to pair with my clothes. I think navy suede is a little harder to work in my wardrobe than brown or olive would be. As far as fit, they are slightly more snug at the arch than my other Park Aves, but otherwise fit consistent. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret getting them, but they made me aware that I'm probably not going to ever buy another navy suede shoe again.

 

[jet-stream]

How to make cheap shoe trees better (OT)

I've seen recent discussion of shoe tree sales (such as JAB trees) and thought I would share my modifications to such trees. While I strongly prefer Woodlore Epic trees, they are relatively expensive and I have plenty of JAB tres. To me, the big shortcoming of the JAB and basic woodlore models is the lack of a good handhold. To solve this, I simply added brass knobs to the cheap trees, which magnifies their utility substantially (especially for boots!). If you have a few basic tools, there's not much to get.

As pictured below, for each pair, you will need:
- 2x Cabinet knobs (I like brass to match the nicer shoe trees)
- 2x 8/32 screws, preferably brass, 1/2" in length (5/8 could potentially work but will be hard to get into place)
- A tiny Phillips screwdriver (#0 or so) to remove the nameplate
- An 11/64 drill bit and a driver (you probably could go up to 3/16 if absolutely necessary)
- (Optional) small needlenose pliers


How to:
1. Remove the existing nameplates.

2. Drill a hole on or near the screw hole closest to the front. Take care not to move too far back or you'll get into the area where the shoe tree curves, which means your screw won't be long enough.


3. Feed the screw through the hole from below. Pliers are not essential but will help, especially for those of us with robust fingers.


4. Hold the screw head in place with a finger and thread the knob on top.


5. Place trees in shoes.


That's it. It is pretty quick - I could probably do this for a dozen pairs in the time it will take me to write this post.

Of note, some of you may be tempted to buy a longer screw (2") and attach the knob near the back of a tree. I do not recommend this, for several reasons:
- it's more complicated. You will have to drill a countersink and do some sanding. It's even worse if you want to avoid the wood on the bottom splintering.
- it may get into the heel of the shoe (see below)
- unless you go really far back on the tree, the spring mechanism is in the way

Trust me on this. If you don't believe me, post your skepticism and I'll take a photo of why this is a bad idea. The method outlined above puts the knob in a really handy place (especially for boots), and looks fine aesthetically:


That's it. Hope this is useful to all of the barn weasels - enjoy!

Four notes on the above post:
1. I did include some AE shoes for relevance. That's how I roll.
2. If I can figure out how one does it, I'll cross-post in the shoe care thread. Any others I should target?
3. Brass screws in this size are readily available at any hardware store or big-box home improvement store, typically about $1.20 for 6 pcs.
3. If you don't want to shop for just the right knob, I used the cheapest brass knobs I could find on amazon (<$1 each). The specific ones I used are now like $5 each, but this would be pretty much the same thing: http://www.amazon.com/Amerock-BP191..._UL160_SR131,160_&refRID=0EZ3DF9N9FVFF59KRC1E - note this is an add-on item if you want free shipping (assumes amazon prime). If you get the knobs for this price, the total cost of modifying a pair of trees is <$2.50.

 

[Buster Brown]

Cross post from the boot thread. Cooler temps in SoCal allowed for six days of boots

 

[TexasTexter]

Any of you weasels with suede Strands care to share your thoughts on them?

When I was still trying to dial in my 65 size, I took a guess on a pair of Rush Streets. I really like the shoe, but after a dozen wears of trying to make them work, I've finally accepted that they will not and I'm looking for a substitute. I have a good price available on a pair of suede Strands, and it seems they might fill the halfway-between-dressy-and-casual void soon to be left by the Rush Streets. Thoughts? Thanks FBWs!

My Navy suede strands are the same as my PA in size.

 

[007Bond]

Has anyone see the Massdrop for Saphir Cream Polishes and Conditioner (2-Pack)

Thoughs???