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

[seer]

I asked this a few threads ago - does anyone have a line on the new low boot from A&E? Any pictures? Or does anyone know when the fall line is coming out? Thanks.

 

[Quadcammer]



Nice, but a little underpowered with the V4. 

sorry, I can't take car advice from a person who think their audi has a V4.

S-class for a daily, porsche for the weekends. Pretty much unbeatable combo. At the C/3/A4 level, they are all decent, but nothing earth-shattering.

 

[jjr4884]

Over time the Walnut polish will darken the shoes slightly. If you want to avoid that, you can use the Cognac polish. If you don't mind the slight darkening, then go with the Walnut polish, as the darker color will be able to better hide scuff marks (if you have any).

Never knew that... will definitely pick up some cognac polish as well... i love the color of the walnut strands, last thing I would want to do is darken them up

 

[New Shoes1]

Never knew that... will definitely pick up some cognac polish as well... i love the color of the walnut strands, last thing I would want to do is darken them up

Depends on what you like. I prefer the red/orange tint that develops with time. Below are pictures of Strands that are a year old and have always been polished with AE walnut polish.

 

[mingus2112]

Those look great! I guess I know what product to use on my strands!

-James

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[jjr4884]

sorry, I can't take car advice from a person who think their audi has a V4.
S-class for a daily, porsche for the weekends. Pretty much unbeatable combo. At the C/3/A4 level, they are all decent, but nothing earth-shattering.

Surprisingly enough, these "decent" entry level cars can come pretty well equipped, and they are quick too (335i moves....) Funny that 10-15 years later, the "luxury" offered in the higher end models, in my opinion, is now pretty much splitting hairs. All of the options like leather, power heated/air conditioned seats, navigation, xenon headlights, upgraded wheels, parking sensors, keyless entry/engine start... etc etc etc.. these are all available in the entry level models now. when you go big, i feel like cars like the 7 and S class need to split hairs now to "distinguish" themselves from their smaller and cheaper family members. 42 way powered seats, LED headlights, ceramic buttons ($600 option from BMW, very thoughtful), and so forth

Also... I can't deny that an S class is, and always will be an amazing, beautiful car that is the epitome of luxury. But different strokes for different folks. Smaller cars are perfect daily drivers. Better gas mileage, typically less problematic, etc. For me, a 3 will always be my daily driver. The porsche however... I can't disagree with you. It is the perfect car... so perfect that I would even consider it one day as a daily driver. They are amazing...

 

[jjr4884]

Depends on what you like. I prefer the red/orange tint that develops with time. Below are pictures of Strands that are a year old and have always been polished with AE walnut polish.

Yea those look great.. i am going to give mine a good condition/polish tonight. I just picked up some chili sole dressing as well, recommended by the manager at AE up in Boston. I'll try to snap a few shots of them.

 

[Quadcammer]



Surprisingly enough, these "decent" entry level cars can come pretty well equipped, and they are quick too (335i moves....)  Funny that 10-15 years later, the "luxury" offered in the higher end models, in my opinion, is now pretty much splitting hairs.  All of the options like leather, power heated/air conditioned seats, navigation, xenon headlights, upgraded wheels, parking sensors, keyless entry/engine start... etc etc etc.. these are all available in the entry level models now.  when you go big, i feel like cars like the 7 and S class need to split hairs now to "distinguish" themselves from their smaller and cheaper family members.  42 way powered seats, LED headlights, ceramic buttons ($600 option from BMW, very thoughtful), and so forth

Also... I can't deny that an S class is, and always will be an amazing, beautiful car that is the epitome of luxury.  But different strokes for different folks.  Smaller cars are perfect daily drivers.  Better gas mileage, typically less problematic, etc.  For me, a 3 will always be my daily driver.  The porsche however... I can't disagree with you.  It is the perfect car... so perfect that I would even consider it one day as a daily driver.  They are amazing...

Yeah, some of the smaller cars offer good performance and some of the same gadgets. The larger cars are divided more by style, interior design, and the ride comfort vs. handling tradeoff. The audi A8 and 7 series seem to be a bit more sport oriented (which I'm not a fan of in that size vehicle).

I've had an E36 325i and M3 and an E46 M3, and while I liked them a lot (e36 m3 was probably one of the best cars I've owned), I am addicted to the ride quality, comfort, interior quality, etc that the s-class provides. I don't think I can go back.

As for the porsche, I have a 993 Turbo, so its a bit much for a daily, but yeah, the 997 and 991 models are excellent every day cars.

 

[Cold Iron]

As long as it's okay with you, there is nothing to worry about. Enjoy!!

Absolutely this. Most or at least the better sartorial experts will say that whatever makes you feel good about what you’re wearing works, as long as you’re not self-consciences about. With that said for the first time a couple of weeks ago I wore my walnut shell Strands with a pair of Navy wool pants. Until then it would have been black or burgundy shell. I was self-consciences about it for the first hour or two but by the end of the day I started to wonder how light of a brown I could go before the shoes looked like an explosion instead of a slight pop. Decided I was likely at my limit as it was. Pushing outside your comfort zone once in a while can be a good thing. But only the individual can be the judge of that, well said 7foldtieguy.

Well my cobbler (who has been in the buisness for 70 years, yes 70) says that feet tend to flatten out over time and widen.

An observant man. There was a thread on AAAC awhile back about this. For those that posted many men had their feet grow a half size and expand a full width, usually around their early 40’s. At 42 my feet went from a 9.5C to a 10D. It was not overnight but gradually and around that time they hit the next size up and out which seems to be common. But it doesn’t happen to everyone.

Yeah, I don't have a camera (or cell phone) but maybe I can get my son to do it - he lives near by. But it will darken the leather - Horween recommends it for their CXL, and my cobbler (who has been in the buisness for 70 years, yes 70) swears by Neatsfoot oil. I mean if you use it on your Elgins it won't hurt them. I used two coats and got a shade darker with darker highlights. The more coats you use the darker they will get - to a point of course.

Thanks. Yeah I used Obenauf’s leather oil on my Black Hills and they really didn’t like it at all. Ended up starting over on them after cleaning a bunch of times with saddle soap and used Obenauf’s HDLP next which worked fine. I know some have used Neatsfoot Oil on the rough collection and tan Easport but never have seen the results. Like you said Neatsfoot will darken the leather, not sure how much though and over time think they will darken even more. Considered the HDLP for the McTavish but I already have enough shoes and boots with the same reddish brown hue because of it. But they are waterproof after treating with HDLP.

 

[HarleyBob]

I have a 2009 S class with 34,000 miles and I can't wait to get rid of it. The sun roof rattles, the driver door rattles, the Bluetooth microphone is a joke and the Sirius radio antenna has constantly had trouble with reception even after being replaced. To top it off, the driver's seat makes noises every time you turn the corner or go up a hill. For $100k, one should expect a much better car. The S class makes as many noises as my lifted Jeep Wrangler. I don't know what I will get next, but it definitely won't be an S class. In fact, after three Mercedes in a row, there is no way I will spend more money on a Mercedes. They have completely lost my business.

 

[jjr4884]

Yeah, some of the smaller cars offer good performance and some of the same gadgets. The larger cars are divided more by style, interior design, and the ride comfort vs. handling tradeoff. The audi A8 and 7 series seem to be a bit more sport oriented (which I'm not a fan of in that size vehicle).
I've had an E36 325i and M3 and an E46 M3, and while I liked them a lot (e36 m3 was probably one of the best cars I've owned), I am addicted to the ride quality, comfort, interior quality, etc that the s-class provides. I don't think I can go back.
As for the porsche, I have a 993 Turbo, so its a bit much for a daily, but yeah, the 997 and 991 models are excellent every day cars.

Please don't tell me that your car is Arena Red because I will hate you lol. You are a true enthusiast... you have the last "real" porsche and I envy you for that lol. 993 > anything following it. I agree that the ride quality is probably a world's difference, i guess for me the size would be the biggest hurdle going from a 3 to an 7/S/A8, however I'm sure it isn't too difficult to adjust to that. If and when I do want to step into something a little more comfortable, its either going to be a 5 or a 6. I'm a huge fan of 2 doors...

 

[Quadcammer]



I have a 2009 S class with 34,000 miles and I can't wait to get rid of it. The sun roof rattles, the driver door rattles, the Bluetooth microphone is a joke and the Sirius radio antenna has constantly had trouble with reception even after being replaced. To top it off, the driver's seat makes noises every time you turn the corner or go up a hill. For $100k, one should expect a much better car. The S class makes as many noises as my lifted Jeep Wrangler. I don't know what I will get next, but it definitely won't be an S class. In fact, after three Mercedes in a row, there is no way I will spend more money on a Mercedes. They have completely lost my business.

I'm sorry to hear that you've had issues with your s. The 221 is generally a solid car. The new A8 has a beautiful interior and may be worth a look.

Please don't tell me that your car is Arena Red because I will hate you lol.  You are a true enthusiast... you have the last "real" porsche and I envy you for that lol.  993 > anything following it.  I agree that the ride quality is probably a world's difference, i guess for me the size would be the biggest hurdle going from a 3 to an 7/S/A8, however I'm sure it isn't too difficult to adjust to that.  If and when I do want to step into something a little more comfortable, its either going to be a 5 or a 6.  I'm a huge fan of 2 doors...

nah, just black on black. the 993s certainly have some appeal but all 911s are great cars (save for maybe an early 996).

Living near manhattan, the size of the S can be a bit rough, but otherwise I love it. That said, I'm pretty sure I'll go to a CL or Bentley CGT for the next one.

 

[jjr4884]

I have a 2009 S class with 34,000 miles and I can't wait to get rid of it. The sun roof rattles, the driver door rattles, the Bluetooth microphone is a joke and the Sirius radio antenna has constantly had trouble with reception even after being replaced. To top it off, the driver's seat makes noises every time you turn the corner or go up a hill. For $100k, one should expect a much better car. The S class makes as many noises as my lifted Jeep Wrangler. I don't know what I will get next, but it definitely won't be an S class. In fact, after three Mercedes in a row, there is no way I will spend more money on a Mercedes. They have completely lost my business.

Hate to feed into it, but my brother is on his 3rd one and I have yet to be impressed. He had two C classes, while obviously the lower end... it had so many problems. I can't help but compare that to my 8 year old 330ci with 132k on the clock. I have spent less than $1000 in the last 5 years of preventative maintanence and I can't complain. I have no reason to upgrade just yet because this car surprisingly reliable.

He is now on an SL500... granted it is used, but the friggin baffles in the gas tank are busted so he can't drive anywhere without them clunking around. Really mercedes??? Its always something I guess. They just have issues with the most pointless, yet expensive things. And they can't make a window regulator to save their life.

 

[New Shoes1]

An observant man. There was a thread on AAAC awhile back about this. For those that posted many men had their feet grow a half size and expand a full width, usually around their early 40’s. At 42 my feet went from a 9.5C to a 10D. It was not overnight but gradually and around that time they hit the next size up and out which seems to be common. But it doesn’t happen to everyone.

Just turned 40 and finding that my width is going from a D to an E.

 

[Quadcammer]



Hate to feed into it, but my brother is on his 3rd one and I have yet to be impressed.  He had two C classes, while obviously the lower end... it had so many problems.  I can't help but compare that to my 8 year old 330ci with 132k on the clock.  I have spent less than $1000 in the last 5 years of preventative maintanence and I can't complain.  I have no reason to upgrade just yet because this car surprisingly reliable. 

He is now on an SL500... granted it is used, but the friggin baffles in the gas tank are busted so he can't drive anywhere without them clunking around.  Really mercedes??? Its always something I guess.  They just have issues with the most pointless, yet expensive things.  And they can't make a window regulator to save their life.

Interesting that you guys have had so many issues.

I've owned a 210 e-class (96-02) and my current designo S500 4matic. In my family there have been a clk550, sl55, and cl550.

Do they have the occasional issue...yeah, but none of us have yet to experience anything that would stop the car from driving. Its mostly piddly electronic stuff.

You are right about the window regulators though...they blow.