Allen Edmonds Bayfield boot- any experiences?

[Svenn]

looks good enarchy, looks like you've worn them quite a bit

yours also look much better with jeans than mine.... i think black leather shoes with jeans is a kinda 1990's thing, I wonder if I should get darker jeans to match them better and avoid that retro look.

 

[Geoff Gander]

Originally Posted by Svenn

how is the executive rubber sole different? could i add it later? The chunkiness stems I think from the stiff, heavy heel, which is only mitigated partially by the thin layer of rubber on the bottom of it. I don't know what a 270 welt is, could someone explain it to me and is it an alteration i can make?

The executive rubber sole is a rubber sole with the same thickness as a regular AE leather sole. Looked at from any angle except underneath, you wouldn't know it was a rubber sole. Look at any shoe in AE's Executive Collection and you'll see what I mean. Ideally, you'd need to have the sole added at the ordering stage (as a special order), but you could probably have it put on when you recraft the boots.

The difference between a 360 welt (which is what's on most AE shoes) and a 270 welt is usually only apparent when looking at the shoe in profile. Basically the heel portion of the sole doesn't stick out - most people here agree that it produces a more elegant look. Again, the Executive Collection has this feature, but the Boston monk shoe does, as well. I don't know if AE would make a shoe on a 270 welt to order, and I don't think this is an alteration you could have done by a cobbler (even a master cobbler).

 

[enarchay]

Originally Posted by Svenn

looks good enarchy, looks like you've worn them quite a bit

Actually, I had only worn them around the house when I took those pictures. But I wore them outside today and they were nice.

yours also look much better with jeans than mine.... i think black leather shoes with jeans is a kinda 1990's thing, I wonder if I should get darker jeans to match them better and avoid that retro look.

Yes, I'm not sure how new you are to SF, but dark denim seems to be preferred in general. Raw denim also seems to be a bare minimum requirement. In general, I would say brown boots will look better with jeans than black, but I've seen some posts on here that show otherwise. The jeans will be important to the look.

 

[enarchay]

To be honest, I'm not sure the special order would be worth it, especially are you already bought them regular.

 

[Svenn]

^will do on the dark jeans; the look is still gonna be a bit lame i think since I got black, but at least I'll have some use for these shoes outside of suits.

Wore them around all day today and honestly I'm starting to have some issues- there's a little sore on my outside pinkie toe from these "E"s squishing my feet together, despite all the size charts saying I'm actually a C or D. If I lace them all the way up I get severe tension on my shin, doesn't feel natural at all, and I can't even walk properly. They're clunky and seem somewhat feminine. No way in hell I'd walk long distance in these things until they break in better, which I sincerely hope they do. On top of that the sole has Tamil or Burmese script on it or something. In other words, if some of you guys are on the fence, I'd say only buy these when they're on sale... and even then I'm not sure they're worth it. I was hoping they'd be a lot more ergonomic as they were advertised.

 

[enarchay]

Part of me wonders if you bought the wrong size. I feel a little pressure on my shins, but nothing significant, and I think this will go away as they break in. However, I went through a lot of **** to figure out what size I needed with AE, so now I just order the same size (with minor adjustments depending on the last).

Sorry to hear you're unsatisfied with your purchase. Hopefully they'll break in! Otherwise, you could consider selling them on ebay or on here.

 

[enarchay]

Sven or any other buyers: just wondering, but how are you liking the boots now that you have worn them a bit? Mine are slightly more comfortable now that they have broken in a little, and I still think I made the right choice for the price.

 

[Kurt N]

Originally Posted by Svenn

... They're clunky and seem somewhat feminine. ...

Several posters tried to tell you they were chunky/non-sleek, but you were skeptical!

How do clunky boots manage to seem somewhat feminine? Maybe in black they're reminiscent of those Doc Martens girls used to wear with short dresses. I always thought that was a weird look, and thank goodness it seems to be out or on the way, but in the meantime it casts a girly pall over perfectly good boots.

I think they'd actually make good motorcycle boots. In black they wouldn't show marks such as from the shift lever.

 

[BeaconHillBoston]

Originally Posted by Viral

+ 100000000

too bad though, would have been nice to see a stylish boot from America for a change.

This.

I really wanted to like the bayfields. Just can't do it.

 

[BeaconHillBoston]

Originally Posted by enarchay

Well, that's not really a problem for me. I was planning to buy the Red Wing GT until I discovered they don't make them in wides. I was worried that the Bayfield would look too "dressy" and that the Wolverine would be a better bet. I'll find out today.

I just bought the Redwing Beckman for J Crew and I love them.

 

[Marcellionheart]

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, for us UK small timers, Loake has released a new dress boot which, imo blows the Bayfield out of the water.

 

[nmprisons]

I have one of the old bayfields with double leather souls. They are amazing. I will post pictures soon.

 

[Wideknot]

Originally Posted by Marcellionheart

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, for us UK small timers, Loake has released a new dress boot which, imo blows the Bayfield out of the water.

Oh, yeah! Now we're talkin'!

 

[Christopher Essex]

Originally Posted by Marcellionheart

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, for us UK small timers, Loake has released a new dress boot which, imo blows the Bayfield out of the water.

Is that the Burford? I'm trying to decide between that and the Barker Harrison.

I'm leaning towards the Barker...I think it looks a bit more sleek.

 

[bananananana]

Originally Posted by Marcellionheart

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, for us UK small timers, Loake has released a new dress boot which, imo blows the Bayfield out of the water.

That boot is a disaster. The burnishing is way over done, the broguing looks big clumsy, and the toe has the Tricker Stow-esque shape that's too flat and wide and just looks like a pancake. Also, get rid of the dad jeans.