I bought 2 pair of Allen Edmonds in the late 1980s. I still wear them. AE will refurbish them for a price, though this used to be free. I have taken care of them. They have never gone out of style and still look great.

What do you think they'll do for a customer who's had them a couple of days, has worn them for about ten minutes, and has a seam coming up?

Fix it or give you a new pair.

Like any other product, I'm sure if it's a defect, you can probably return them within 30 days.

And something else I think should be mentioned, don't get brogues. It's a fad, and one I'm happy to see going away slowly. I only own black and brown oxfords, and one cap toe in each color. The simpler the better. You won't have to buy shoes every couple of years to keep up with trends.

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What do you think they'll do for a customer who's had them a couple of days, has worn them for about ten minutes, and has a seam coming up?

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Based on my expreience with AE customer service, they will not think twice about walking to the back room and getting you a brand new pair of shoes at no cost.

hodgesco said:

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What do you think they'll do for a customer who's had them a couple of days, has worn them for about ten minutes, and has a seam coming up?

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Based on my expreience with AE customer service, they will not think twice about walking to the back room and getting you a brand new pair of shoes at no cost.

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That's what they did

I'm a big fan of Alan Edmonds shoes so I highly recommend those. I'll share with you what I've learned over the years as far as belts. You can go cheap and replace every year, or you can bite the bullet and get a nice belt that will last you a good long while. I've spent up to $80 on belts that did not last very long and looked like crap as they slowly started to fall apart. I now get my belts from Alan Edmonds and have purchased 4 different belts from them. They're expensive ~$125, but they've been worth it and they last and look nice, too.

Duncan Idaho said:

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one thing to keep in mind with the AE shoes is that a big part of the reason they are so comfortable is because they come in so many different sizes/widths and are built on so many different lasts.

Like running shoes, you should buy your first pair in a store, so you can try on a bunch and see what actually fits your foot.

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I'd agree with this comment wholeheartedly. I have a pair of bourbon Larchmonts that do not fit me as comfortably as the Weybridge and McCallisters I own. AE uses several different lasts so you should go to the AE store (I know we have on in The Woodlands) and try them on, or order several different pairs and ship back the ones that don't fit you well.

Psych said:

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What do you think they'll do for a customer who's had them a couple of days, has worn them for about ten minutes, and has a seam coming up?

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They have pretty good customer service. I believe they'll take care of you, particularly because your shoe was not obviously falling apart when you took them out of the box, and if the noticeable flaw was not evident until you wore them around for a spell, they'll likely not hold to their policy of not scuffing the bottoms before they'll accept a return.

Just saw this thread. I have 4 pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes (2 black and 2 different shades of brown). Two of them fit excellent and I have had both since 2007 wearing one of those pairs (black) probably 50% of the workdays. I have probably had that pair rebuilt 3 times if I had to guess.

That being said, 1 pair fits just so-so and the last pair I bought I incorrectly convinced myself I would eventually wear them in to where I liked the fit as much as I liked the style. So that being said, if you don't love the fit in the store, you won't all the sudden love the fit a month later.

One thing I will add, use a shoe spoon! Don't ruin your shoes because you aren't willing to spend $5 on a nice metal shoe spoon. I have about 5 shoe spoons that I keep in various places (1 in my computer bag, 1 in my bedroom, 1 in my closet, 1 in my toiletry bag, etc) so that regardless of where I am I have one that I can use to avoid messing up my shoes.

I prefer shoe horns.

Diggity said:

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I prefer shoe horns.

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Whatever floats your boat, just don't mess up a $400 pair of shoes because you want to save $5

26.2 said:

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From experience, skip the Cole Haan's and buy the Allan Edmonds. My $200 CH's lasted about a year before wearing out. AE's look almost exactly like the day I got them 2 years ago

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Your username is apropos, as you must be running marathons in them. I have a pair of CH's that I have worn almost daily for several years. Kept them polished, and had to re-sole them once. I have a pair of AE's and they aren't near as comfortable.

OP, skip all this advice and grab a pair of Johnston and Murphy's. They are great shoes, and once they wear out, you'll have plenty of money left over to go buy a new pair, or upgrade.

I say skip the AEs and go for a pair of comfortable Eccos. I have Eccos that are over 10 years old -- though admittedly I don't wear them often. The ones I do wear are almost 5 years old -- and had others that lasted almost that long. A pair that weren't waterproof still held up well on rainy days and in deep puddles. I have a pair of black Eccos that I wear for dress shoes now. They look almost as good as Johnston and Murphys I had before and are much more comfortable. Leather soles have gone the way of the dodo bird.