Is this V Gap acceptable?

[george325]

Hi all- I purchased a new pair of AE strands in size 10 E. I usually wear a 10.5 D however when I first tried 10.5 D in the Strands, the V Gap was too wide for my preferences. Now I’ve sized down and went wider as some recommend to 10E. I’m wondering whether I need to go to EE based on the current gap or if it’ll close over time. The first few eyelets look good in my opinion but start to spread toward the top.

 

[Ich_Dien]

Seems fine to me; don't worry about it too much. If it fully closes the shoes are usually too big for you.

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

Hi all- I purchased a new pair of AE strands in size 10 E. I usually wear a 10.5 D however when I first tried 10.5 D in the Strands, the V Gap was too wide for my preferences. Now I’ve sized down and went wider as some recommend to 10E. I’m wondering whether I need to go to EE based on the current gap or if it’ll close over time. The first few eyelets look good in my opinion but start to spread toward the top.

No expert on this stuff, but the V often has more to do with your instep than your size. Some people will have this V even in very well fitting shoes. The best way to tell if a shoe fits is to tell if its fits. It should start out fairly snug, but not uncomfortably so. I can be more specific if you like.

That being said, the V should close some with time, because most shoes stretch some over time.

 

[Thin White Duke]

Bar lacing would mitigate this appearance somewhat.

Bar lacing > every other kind of lacing. Always.

 

[classicalthunde]

I've found that mine get closer over time, I also use bar lacing on my oxfords as well

 

[OldMetairie]

Looks fine but more important at least imho is how they feel.

 

[sansimeon]

I thought this thread would be about cleavage

 

[vdubiv]

It looks perfectly fine, not sure if you posted it in the Allen Edmonds thread, but this is about the norm you will see there, as others have mentioned switch to bar lacing and this will look better, if they are new they should loosen a bit over time and it will close more, which will be about perfect, if it was any closer and the shoes stretched you would potentially be over lapping rather than a subtle V

 

[Phileas Fogg]

I thought this thread would be about cleavage

 

[mhip]

I thought this thread would be about cleavage

I thought it was about women's upper inner thighs in stretch pants...

 

[Nobilis Animus]

Wait, it's not about cleavage?

 

[dieworkwear]

Some say the V is supposed to close. Others like a bit of space. I once commissioned a pair of bespoke shoes from Nicholas Templeman. They were split toe derbies and he recommended that the shoes be made with a bit of space between the facings so they would look coherent with the rest of the design.

I think online, this has devolved into a rule ("the V should close") because no one can assess what's going on inside the shoes. As others have noted above, I think it's more important to pay attention to how the shoes feel.

Bar lacing is good for oxfords. I use criss-cross lacing for some derbies. Depends on the shoe.

If you're very finicky about it, I think oxfords look better when the facings fully close. I think it matches the style of the shoe. But this can be hard to achieve in ready to wear, and it's realistically not that big of a detail.

Before you decide to keep those shoes, for what it's worth, I think tan oxfords like that are hard to wear, and especially in Allen Edmonds walnut color. I would personally reconsider and get a darker color.