Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread - reviews, pictures, sizing, etc...

[losrockets]

Maybe this is just news to me but the Sanderson and Slaton (RL models) are back at RL.com and there appear to be new makeups?
http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=45090456 - Snuff and brown suede models of the Sanderson (I think it was previously only brown, walnut, and maybe black calf)
http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=45090426 - Don't remember a brown suede slaton, I have it in snuff and it might be my favorite AE shoe.

 

[tb43]

Hi everyone,

I need somebody to simply make a decision for me because I am being way too indecisive!

I'm down to walnut strands or walnut mcgregors.

I already have Black 5th Aves and Brown Strands for a business casual office. Please help me so I can finally order them and stop going on the website and going back and forth! Which are less flashy in your opinion? I know both are but I really want a walnut shoe.

 

[bbob2013]

I'm going to pull the trigger on a pair of Bleeker Streets while they are on sale.

What's the deal with the rubber sole? Is that replaceable like a topy?
If I ultimately want to topy, should I just pay he up-chage for full leather and then topy?

Any advice on which way to go here?

Thanks!

 

[linds_15]

what shoe cream do you all use on your walnut calfs? is the ae light brown the best match? local store only had dark brown but i could order light through them or just try and alternative

 

[facet]



what shoe cream do you all use on your walnut calfs? is the ae light brown the best match? local store only had dark brown but i could order light through them or just try and alternative

I use neutral shoe cream myself.

 

[doloflow]

Do you think that the Carlyle is too dressy/formal for business casual (chinos, slacks)? It's a very nice and sleek shoe I just wonder about it being too much for my work environment. Opinions would be appreciated.

 

[YRR92]

@jrs311 those look great.

@tb43 I lean towards the MacGregors, but I haven't seen them in person yet so I hesitate on that. The Strands are lovely in walnut, but you already have a pair, so shaking things up more could be nice. Especially for a more casual color.

TBH, there's a devil on one of my shoulders telling me to suggest a walnut Sanford, if you can get one.

@doloflow I've never been to your job, so I don't really know. If, like Dre, you rock your khakis with a cuff and a (sharp) crease, then I think balmorals are fine. With creased dress pants, I'm perfectly fine with them. Rumpled, unpressed chinos? I'm not crazy about it. The cuff isn't an essential, but IMHO it helps. And I'd avoid the dark brown -- go for one of the lighter shades.

I have a co-worker who wears a pair of snuff suede plain-toe bals with (cuffed) flannels or tweed trousers, and it looks killer. In theory, it's a dressier style, but plain-toe oxfords have always reminded me of monkstraps.

 

[nickatpsu]

I have a pair of leeds that I put the AE ortho insert in and they feel great. Took a loose shoe and makes it fit great. That may help by raising your foot a bit.

Maybe even a mid thickness sock will help. My wife thinks I am even more of a moron now that I have three different thickness of socks.

An AE fatigue fighter insert or similar might add to that gap.

And as Peppercorn78 said, they don't so much stretch as shape to your foot.

added:
I missed entirely Kahuna's post...which obviously I second.

I went through 3 different insoles in my shell Leeds until I got just the right gap. Insole thickness varies greatly, try a few in-person until you get the right snugness and lace gap.

 

[Mean Mr Mustard]



Question for you guys: I was showing my wife the Strands as my next shoe purchase and her opinion was that it was a shoe that will go out of style.

Is the Strand a "now style" or do you think it will last the test of time. I don't want to buy a shoe that will be out of style in a few years.

Personally, I think she doesn't like shoes with any perforations in general so she may be biased.

Have brogued shoes like the Strand gone out of fashion before? I don't just mean have they been un-trendy but, at any point in the last several decades, have they actually been considered odd or somehow inappropriate for business wear? I honestly don't know but, if so, it'll probably happen again. I'd guess, actually, that it hasn't happened, but maybe someone who's been paying attention a lot longer than I have will be able to shed some light.

 

[Mean Mr Mustard]



Bought a pair of these from the Shoebank, the reverse welt and Vibram sole makes it a good foul-weather shoe. Excited to give them a go! They're interesting in person, haven't fully warmed up to them but I'm sure I will.

Geez, that makes three of you that have managed to get your paws on some brown grain Kiowas. There's a pair in my size that's been listed on the ShoeBank for months, taunting me it seems, since they don't actually exist. AE must have been experimenting with that model and then decided not to introduce it, so there are just a few left knocking around. I agree, they'd be a good shoe for wet days, and also I imagine a nice shoe to take on holiday -- you can dress them up or down, they can handle rain, and they'd be comfortable, I'm guessing, for doing lots of walking.

 

[peppercorn78]

Sorry for the GMTO cross-over spam, but I'd love to see one of these two Makeups happen before the AE sale pricing ends tomorrow! We only need 3 more for the Dundee, and 8 more for the suede lexington. That's a lot, but the price should make it a no-brainer!

#1 Dundee in brown shell cordovan with independence lining and insole, light brown transparent or natural (TBD) edge trim, light brown or natural welt (again TBD by group), double sole with V-Tread or commando - $552

#2 Lexington in bitter chocolate suede, standard makeup, V-tread sole - $250

Who wants in?

 

[ridethecliche]



Question for you guys: I was showing my wife the Strands as my next shoe purchase and her opinion was that it was a shoe that will go out of style.

Is the Strand a "now style" or do you think it will last the test of time. I don't want to buy a shoe that will be out of style in a few years.

Personally, I think she doesn't like shoes with any perforations in general so she may be biased.

I can say this because I'm not you, but she has no idea what she's talking about. This style has been around for decades and is close to as timeless a style as is possible for shoes.
They might be trendy right now, but that's a different question altogether.

 

[coolarrow]

Getting this thread back to some good ol shoe parn:



Brown shell strands with a navy pinstripe suit.

 

[YoungSweet]



Hi everyone, 

I need somebody to simply make a decision for me because I am being way too indecisive!

I'm down to walnut strands or walnut mcgregors.

I already have Black 5th Aves and Brown Strands for a business casual office. Please help me so I can finally order them and stop going on the website and going back and forth! Which are less flashy in your opinion? I know both are but I really want a walnut shoe.

Since you already have the strands in brown, I'd recommend the McGregor in walnut. Plus, it is a long wing which is missing in your rotation right now.

 

[peppercorn78]



Getting this thread back to some good ol shoe parn:



Brown shell strands with a navy pinstripe suit.

I do believe I'll join you, actually.