Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread 2019 - News, Pictures, Clothing, Accessories, etc.

[bl@ster]

As @ecworks said, it is the 7 last. Back then they called it the MacNeil last, and then it went to the numbering system. Same last as was used till just recently.

What changed recently? Have the Macneils been discontinued? If so, why?

 

[EZB]

Me, too. No telling how many they would have sold if E had been available. I have the Dundee in burg shell and would have gotten an MD chukka if it had been offered in E.

I'd absolutely consider a suede version of a Dundee in a trunk show if it were Stead or equivalent quality suede. Price would be a consideration. For the price of an AE Williamsburg chukka ($445 MSRP), you can get a C&J Chiltern direct from authorized dealers in the UK shipped to the US. So it will be interesting to see what AE rolls out for a suede trunk show and how long it will be before they release details.

Can you get the Chiltern in 6 colors of suede?

 

[EZB]

What changed recently? Have the Macneils been discontinued? If so, why?

That was old news about 50 pages back.

 

[M2511]

What changed recently? Have the Macneils been discontinued? If so, why?

Discontinued. As for why, not sure but I’d wager it isn’t selling great amongst non-enthusiasts.

 

[Rithrin]

Last day of the year and I'm taking out the Tupelo's from the recent seconds sale. Guess these are officially 2019 shoes now. Not bad for $98. You can totally tell they are F2s from a foot away or so, but I just call them customized.

Btw, is there any difference between a Strand and a Tupelo beyond the default outsoles? As far as I can tell, both 65 last, same medallion, same stitching and broging pattern. I'm thinking a resole down the line and they could even be Strandmoks.



In other news, figured my PTO over the holidays could be best used trying to learn how to do a mirror shine. Here's my first two attempts:




I'd call it "success adjacent". Got something reminiscent of a mirror, but this is the best it got after literally an entire workday worth of effort. Nothing like some of the other shines that get posted here (like @armedferret and his post above), which is my goal.



Had to restart several times as I kept getting these rough patchy areas. Once they started showing up, I had to hit it with a heat gun and smooth it out, then apply more layers with buffing. Any experts here have some insight as to what I'm doing wrong here?



And to everyone, have a Happy New Years! See you all in the 2020 thread, I want to know what pairs you're kicking off the new year with!

 

[ecworks]

That's why I picked up some MacNeils this year on ebay, hard to find Midnight Navy, a Walnut pair, and Oxblood. All new in box. They fit me almost as well as the Barrie last.

 

[armedferret]

Last day of the year and I'm taking out the Tupelo's from the recent seconds sale. Guess these are officially 2019 shoes now. Not bad for $98. You can totally tell they are F2s from a foot away or so, but I just call them customized.

Btw, is there any difference between a Strand and a Tupelo beyond the default outsoles? As far as I can tell, both 65 last, same medallion, same stitching and broging pattern. I'm thinking a resole down the line and they could even be Strandmoks.

View attachment 1307814

In other news, figured my PTO over the holidays could be best used trying to learn how to do a mirror shine. Here's my first two attempts:

View attachment 1307817
View attachment 1307816

I'd call it "success adjacent". Got something reminiscent of a mirror, but this is the best it got after literally an entire workday worth of effort. Nothing like some of the other shines that get posted here (like @armedferret and his post above), which is my goal.

View attachment 1307818

Had to restart several times as I kept getting these rough patchy areas. Once they started showing up, I had to hit it with a heat gun and smooth it out, then apply more layers with buffing. Any experts here have some insight as to what I'm doing wrong here?

View attachment 1307813

And to everyone, have a Happy New Years! See you all in the 2020 thread, I want to know what pairs you're kicking off the new year with!

Brother if you only knew how much frustration i ran into lol.

What wax are you using? Harder wax tends to be a personal preference for me. Also i've often found a plateau of how shiny something gets before it just doesnt seem to go any further. I'll let it set a day or two and suddenly it all falls into place.

Cold water is also a new favorite. Seems to bring up a better shine than room temp. All credit to Preston (Elegant Oxford on YT) for that one.

 

[savvysartorial]

A little holiday green with some olive suede Acheson.

 

[Rithrin]

Brother if you only knew how much frustration i ran into lol.

What wax are you using? Harder wax tends to be a personal preference for me. Also i've often found a plateau of how shiny something gets before it just doesnt seem to go any further. I'll let it set a day or two and suddenly it all falls into place.

Cold water is also a new favorite. Seems to bring up a better shine than room temp. All credit to Preston (Elegant Oxford on YT) for that one.

I picked up the Saphir neutral mirror gloss and MDO Pate de Lux neutral wax polish.

On the green pair, I used a base of the pate, with many layers of mirror gloss. I dropped some cold-ish water (not ice water) between every three layers or so.

On the blue pair, I alternated between the pate and mirror gloss. Every three layers of mirror, I did one of the pate, but with water drops on every layer. This got me to the shine MUCH faster, but still after about an hour on each shoe.

I've got a few theories between my using too much cream polish and possibly needing a new cotton rag. I've seen some YouTube videos if people keeping their rag completely damp from the start, might give that a shot, too.

How long did you spend on yours??

 

[armedferret]

I picked up the Saphir neutral mirror gloss and MDO Pate de Lux neutral wax polish.

On the green pair, I used a base of the pate, with many layers of mirror gloss. I dropped some cold-ish water (not ice water) between every three layers or so.

On the blue pair, I alternated between the pate and mirror gloss. Every three layers of mirror, I did one of the pate, but with water drops on every layer. This got me to the shine MUCH faster, but still after about an hour on each shoe.

I've got a few theories between my using too much cream polish and possibly needing a new cotton rag. I've seen some YouTube videos if people keeping their rag completely damp from the start, might give that a shot, too.

How long did you spend on yours??

I probably have easily 2-3 hours per shoe in the initial buildup and polish. But the tradeoff is that by keeping them bagged and treed, I really only need a quick rub with a small ampunt of renovateur and a brush on the non waxed portions, and maybe a quick layer of wax and buff on the toes. 10 minutes or so at a time.

I also dont wear AEs very frequently so i dont have as much wear on them, meaning less care over the course of a year.

But yeah the initial buildup can take a good while.....and then it just happens randomly lol.

Go grab a cheap 3-pack of t shirts at walmart. Most economical polish cloth out there.

 

[Rithrin]

I probably have easily 2-3 hours per shoe in the initial buildup and polish. But the tradeoff is that by keeping them bagged and treed, I really only need a quick rub with a small ampunt of renovateur and a brush on the non waxed portions, and maybe a quick layer of wax and buff on the toes. 10 minutes or so at a time.

I also dont wear AEs very frequently so i dont have as much wear on them, meaning less care over the course of a year.

But yeah the initial buildup can take a good while.....and then it just happens randomly lol.

Go grab a cheap 3-pack of t shirts at walmart. Most economical polish cloth out there.

OK, that actually gives me some hope that I'm on the right track. I'm certainly not planning on mirror shining every shoe, but it would be nice to have it on a few pairs. Makes sense that the initial buildup would take longer - and explain why some YouTubers get a "mirror shine in 15 minutes" or whatever, they did the heavy lifting already before the video!

 

[Shoenut]

Last day of the year and I'm taking out the Tupelo's from the recent seconds sale. Guess these are officially 2019 shoes now. Not bad for $98. You can totally tell they are F2s from a foot away or so, but I just call them customized.

Btw, is there any difference between a Strand and a Tupelo beyond the default outsoles? As far as I can tell, both 65 last, same medallion, same stitching and broging pattern. I'm thinking a resole down the line and they could even be Strandmoks.

View attachment 1307814

In other news, figured my PTO over the holidays could be best used trying to learn how to do a mirror shine. Here's my first two attempts:

View attachment 1307817
View attachment 1307816

I'd call it "success adjacent". Got something reminiscent of a mirror, but this is the best it got after literally an entire workday worth of effort. Nothing like some of the other shines that get posted here (like @armedferret and his post above), which is my goal.

View attachment 1307818

Had to restart several times as I kept getting these rough patchy areas. Once they started showing up, I had to hit it with a heat gun and smooth it out, then apply more layers with buffing. Any experts here have some insight as to what I'm doing wrong here?

View attachment 1307813

And to everyone, have a Happy New Years! See you all in the 2020 thread, I want to know what pairs you're kicking off the new year with!

If you are getting rough patchy areas, you are applying too much pressure. Also make sure your cloth is taught and flat. If it is bunched up you will pull wax off. I gotta hand it to you though attempting a mirror shine on the Cornwallis is advanced shinery. Cap toes are always easier for me because the pattern lets you know how far to go.

 

[munchau]

Going full Alabama tonight: Higgins Mill matched with grey sweat trousers.

 

[Shoenut]

OK, that actually gives me some hope that I'm on the right track. I'm certainly not planning on mirror shining every shoe, but it would be nice to have it on a few pairs. Makes sense that the initial buildup would take longer - and explain why some YouTubers get a "mirror shine in 15 minutes" or whatever, they did the heavy lifting already before the video!

You will also find that every pair is different. I have a pair of walnut strands that look like a mirror shine after just a couple of coats. Not a mirror shine but acceptable.

 

[EZB]

Last day of the year and I'm taking out the Tupelo's from the recent seconds sale. Guess these are officially 2019 shoes now. Not bad for $98. You can totally tell they are F2s from a foot away or so, but I just call them customized.

Btw, is there any difference between a Strand and a Tupelo beyond the default outsoles? As far as I can tell, both 65 last, same medallion, same stitching and broging pattern. I'm thinking a resole down the line and they could even be Strandmoks.

View attachment 1307814

In other news, figured my PTO over the holidays could be best used trying to learn how to do a mirror shine. Here's my first two attempts:

View attachment 1307817
View attachment 1307816

I'd call it "success adjacent". Got something reminiscent of a mirror, but this is the best it got after literally an entire workday worth of effort. Nothing like some of the other shines that get posted here (like @armedferret and his post above), which is my goal.

View attachment 1307818

Had to restart several times as I kept getting these rough patchy areas. Once they started showing up, I had to hit it with a heat gun and smooth it out, then apply more layers with buffing. Any experts here have some insight as to what I'm doing wrong here?

View attachment 1307813

And to everyone, have a Happy New Years! See you all in the 2020 thread, I want to know what pairs you're kicking off the new year with!

my best guess is that the shoes are too wet at the bottom layer from too much water or not waiting enough time after cream/conditioner. Then you may also be using too much wax. It really takes almost none... it feels weird to do it, but tap the hard wax with the wet chamois—nothing more...don’t scrape the wax to get it on the chamois... barely anything on each layer