The 2023 Allen Edmonds (AE) Appreciation Thread

[Shoenut]

Blind under the table shot of the Patriots. I believe winter ends with the New Year.

 

[Shoenut]

Interestingly biased.
Is he wrong about AE?

 

[manowar]

Interestingly biased.
Is he wrong about AE?

Not this article again...

Clearly biased against the establishment. Sensationalistic reporting... err, opining.


Trying to wear out this Dainite but not succeeding very much. What is succeeding is some deep rolls.

Dropped a music stand on the right boot literally the first day wearing, hence the odd toe roll.

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Says Alden are D tier? . He also said Grant Stone are C tier, but he has never tried on one. I don't know how you can rate a shoe without trying them.

 

[JFWR]

Interestingly biased.
Is he wrong about AE?

Yes.

Allen Edmonds does produce a lot of crap, but their classic shoe and boots remain beautiful

AE is probably the best bang for your buck on sale in the us.

Very good quality.
Great sizes.
Classic designs that are very handsome.
Very good to great customer support.
Good trunk shows.

The only downside is spotty qc.

I'd say AE is the best brand in the 300 range, especially if you have big feet.

Plus, they're at least assembled in the USA.

 

[JFWR]

Says Alden are D tier? . He also said Grant Stone are C tier, but he has never tried on one. I don't know how you can rate a shoe without trying them.

Alden shoes are kind of over priced besides their classics.

Where they shine is as a miusa boot company.

Frankly wouldn't buy their calf or suede, but would buy their cordovan all day.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

There isn't a huge difference in quality between Alden and AE, but there is a difference. Aldens are a lot more substantial. (Literally, not figuratively -- Aldens are heavier.) Alden's fit and finish is a little better. Alden's prices are a lot higher, because AE's often go on sale and Aldens never go on sale.

To me, the Alden price premium is worth it because I am really into shoes, but AE's are excellent shoes and are great for any occasion. And AE and Alden are much, much nicer than the typical shoes most people wear to church, the office, court, etc. So by wearing AE's you're already a 10 on the dapper scale, and if you want to get to 10.3 you can wear Aldens but... it certainly isn't necessary.

The other thing about Aldens is that their sizing is ALL OVER the map. A lot of people complain about the fit of AE's but I have a very wide foot and a very high instep and all of AE's lasts work OK for me, I'm a 7.5 EEE in every model. Some AE lasts fit a little better than others but they all fit well enough in 7.5 EEE. I can make EE work, too, but it's a little tight. The only AE last that really doesn't work that well for me is the last used for the Dalton boots, not sure what it is called. Alden is a completely different story, Their sizes vary wildly from last to last, I have Aldens in 7 EEE, 7.5 EEE, 7.5 EE, 8 EE, and 8E.

I really love my Aldens and have switched most of my rotation from AE to Alden, but AE's are excellent shoes and there is not a huge difference between the two. The one pair of Aldens I honestly regret buying are the unlined suede chukkas. The Aldens are great shoes but, I mean, they're unlined chukkas, a big piece of suede plus a leather sole, it's not like Alden's fit and finish can really make itself known on a simple, no-frills design like that. Before that I had a pair of the AE Massdrop unlined suede chukkas and... they were literally 99% as nice for a price that was 66% lower. That's not usually the case, normally Aldens are like 10-15% nicer (maybe 20%, in the case of things like shell cordovan longwings, the AE MacNeil was a geat shoe but the Alden shell LWB is a spectacular shoe) and in return for a slightly nicer shoe you pay 33-50% more. But the unlined chukkas... the quality difference was minuscule and the price difference was huge. Usual

 

[bicycleradical]

A lot of people complain about the fit of AE's but I have a very wide foot and a very high instep and all of AE's lasts work OK for me, I'm a 7.5 EEE in every model. Some AE lasts fit a little better than others but they all fit well enough in 7.5 EEE.

You and I share the same experience. AE is one of the few vendors that sells shoes in wider fits and I can be confident that a pair sized in 8.5 EEE will fit. I have 10 pairs in rotation, all in the same size.

I'd like to explore other brands but since those require me to travel to a store for fittings, it is more challenging to find a good fit.

 

[smfdoc]

Interestingly biased.
Is he wrong about AE?

In many ways, the answer would be "Yes and No." Hear me out. He clearly find AE "boring and ugly" and describes them with his usual list of smells and bodily fluids. Juvenile, but he clearly trashes anything that does not fall into his personal taste. But after the trashing he then correctly points out:

1. The fact that they are so accessible in the USA make it easy for people to get a decent shoe.
2. Don’t forget that they are pretty much the only brand offering widths from A to EEEE.
3. And due to their frequent 50% sales you can buy them for 200-250$ which is not terrible.
4. The main problem with Allen Edmonds is the declining quality but what do you expect for a brand that produces a million shoes a year? (An issue that we repeatedly discuss here on the forum.)

At the end, while still being objective, he states AE "will serve you well."

 

[Shoenut]

Going with an Italian job from AE today.

 

[dpgaloot]

Dainite soles wear like iron.
At what point do they need to be replaced?

I’ve worn this pair of Higgins Mill boots a lot. Even with all of that wear, I’m not sure if the soles will ever wear out completely.

View attachment 1874828 View attachment 1874829

You can go further. I've posted these before, my brother is a UPS driver. He resoled when they became to slippery on wet concrete.

He did go heavier on his resole.

If those were PA's he'd be in the sh!t with some... 🤣

There were a few comments recently regarding AE's as "fashion" boots when compared to real work boots. I don't disagree at all, but this use case is an interesting middle ground. My brother switched to several pair of AE HMs (one waterproof) after burning through $100 Hi-tec and Columbia hiking boots every 2-3 months for a few years. He says the AE's are significantly more comfortable, and last a lot longer. The dainite lasted 6 months, and the Vibram is lasting a year. His local resoles are about $100, so he is saving money. Given the improved comfort and the cost reduction, he is happy with the switch. And while he works his a$$ off, he doesn't need steel toe or anything like that. The only downside is that the 20-something drivers accuse him of wearing "old man boots".

Certainly not appropriate for construction or heavy equipment. I'm sure not going to be the one to tell him they aren't "work boots".

 

[dpgaloot]

First wear for another Trunk Show purchase today. I can tell already that these are going to be winners.

Green Freeports.

 

[manowar]

You can go further. I've posted these before, my brother is a UPS driver. He resoled when they became to slippery on wet concrete.

View attachment 1875014

He did go heavier on his resole.

View attachment 1875017

If those were PA's he'd be in the sh!t with some... 🤣

There were a few comments recently regarding AE's as "fashion" boots when compared to real work boots. I don't disagree at all, but this use case is an interesting middle ground. My brother switched to several pair of AE HMs (one waterproof) after burning through $100 Hi-tec and Columbia hiking boots every 2-3 months for a few years. He says the AE's are significantly more comfortable, and last a lot longer. The dainite lasted 6 months, and the Vibram is lasting a year. His local resoles are about $100, so he is saving money. Given the improved comfort and the cost reduction, he is happy with the switch. And while he works his a$$ off, he doesn't need steel toe or anything like that. The only downside is that the 20-something drivers accuse him of wearing "old man boots".

Certainly not appropriate for construction or heavy equipment. I'm sure not going to be the one to tell him they aren't "work boots".

Such a great story. Your brother's HM's and the brown CXL pair from @mreams99 have been my inspiration to beat up my latest pair of HM's. The Dainite really is insanely tough (though lacks in traction).

 

[Shoenut]

In many ways, the answer would be "Yes and No." Hear me out. He clearly find AE "boring and ugly" and describes them with his usual list of smells and bodily fluids. Juvenile, but he clearly trashes anything that does not fall into his personal taste. But after the trashing he then correctly points out:

1. The fact that they are so accessible in the USA make it easy for people to get a decent shoe.
2. Don’t forget that they are pretty much the only brand offering widths from A to EEEE.
3. And due to their frequent 50% sales you can buy them for 200-250$ which is not terrible.
4. The main problem with Allen Edmonds is the declining quality but what do you expect for a brand that produces a million shoes a year? (An issue that we repeatedly discuss here on the forum.)

At the end, while still being objective, he states AE "will serve you well."

The thing that puts me off with him is the personal tastes that he has. He also is in love with shoe shapes that would never work for my feet.

 

[Neo1]

The thing that puts me off with him is the personal tastes that he has. He also is in love with shoe shapes that would never work for my feet.

C'mon....you're trying to tell me you've never tried on a Corthay? I found one at off fifth once....damn those were narrow. I think you & I are probably the only people that would even attempt it lol.