We want to thank Allen Edmonds for loaning us their entire collection of Park Avenue Dress Shoes to review and hope that you enjoy our first installment of a new series on in-depth shoe reviews on our channel. Do you have a pair of Allen Edmonds in Cordovan? Let us know. In this review series, we seek to review brands we admire and and that we think are good at various price points for our viewers and then explain what we think is good about them. We will not select a brand to review if we think it is no good in the first place (many approach us). They have merely loaned us the shoes, which we appreciate and return after the video is filmed, and have no financial relationship, or affiliate partnership, whatsoever. If you are looking for a review that trashes brands, this series is not for you. This series is for us to recommend what we think are great shoes all taken within the obvious context of the price point. There are many shoe brands that we are not able to recommend, and you will, subsequently, never find them on this channel. We are in the business of selling shoe polish, hangers, accessories for the well-dressed, which is how we fund our channel, not selling reviews.
Looking forward to it. I'd like to see several reviews on both the classics, as well as newer models, highlighting differences in the lasts, construction, style, etc.
Can I ask if there is any sort of quid pro quo happening here? Your review didn't mention any negatives or make any comparisons to other brands... Which, of course, they're excellent shoes, and you do tend to focus on the positives but given your relationship with the brand, I just wanted to clarify whether this is really a totally neutral review, or sponsored content.
As I said in another post, I give him a pass here on that. The Park Avenues are amazing shoes that have been around forever. Are there negatives? Sure. Are they universal? No, most are relative to other shoes or a function of alleged quality decline from AE in general. It's easy to give a good review to a timeless classic that has withstood the test of time. It would be nice to have more information about the 65 last and fit, and maybe say who that may be good or bad for, though. Let's see how the review of the Tate Chelsea boot goes.
I ordered some Allen Edmonds Shell Cordovan Dalton boots. They arrived about 1 month later and were quickly returned. Excess leather on the wingtips (made them look cheaply cut) and very very crooked heels which led to poor fit.
Daniel Hakimi Absolutely no quid pro quo relationship here, other than them sending us the shoes we’ve requested. We are not in the business of negative review. Every brand, every shoe has its virtues. But definitely not sponsored content. I’m in the business of selling hangers, shoe polish, and enjoying quality with those like-minded.
I really enjoy this channel, this sounds more like a sales pitch than a review. If everything is great i cant appreciate what is truly great. Listening to this, why would anyone buy bespoke? It cant be perfect.
Mr. Kirby, I am wearing my first pair of Allen Edmonds. I made the jump into a pair of beautiful Park Avenue'a in black. There is a discernible feeling that comes from wearing such a shoe. I want to thank you for your insight and practical approach to fine footwear. You were instrumental in helping make the decision.
I like Kiby for a few reasons, 1 his reviews on quality menswear, 2, his how to`s, 3, His bespoke videos, 4, Being able to buy from him things that I can not get here were I live.
Thanks Kirby for doing everything from Allen Edmonds to Edward Green to Cleverley and what is in between. Doing very high end items exclusively can be surreal for most except a select few men, it’s cool but we can’t all live like 007 everyday of the week. I have AE, EG and in between. I like to hear about all of them.
Excited to hear about the new partnership reviewing AE shoes! In August I got my first pair (calfskin McCallister wingtips in bourbon), and I'm an AE convert for life. Next on my list are strands in walnut, fifth avenues in dark chili, and park aves in oxblood (although now the burgundy cordovan park aves might be where I go...or maybe cordovan Dalton wingtip boots!).
Kirby, thanks for yet another amazing video. I would just like to add one piece of information: Horween is not the only Cordovan tannery in the western hemisphere, there is a tannery called Lis Royal, in Argentina, that is also producing this incredibly special leather.
to be exact, Horween is the only tannery that spends extensive time and work on finishing their shell before shipping out. Lis Royal, Shell Cordovan, Shinki-Hikaku just don't spend the same effort as Horween does.
This man could have saved me many a shoe misadventure ...Bostonian, Johnston& Murphy, etc ...but...he probably was 3 years old when I started my career :) Allen Edmonds, Alden...and Carmina ...all excellent shoes, and a great value...at $400 to $600 or so
Really looking forward to your reviews. I really hope that you discuss last styles if you do more AEs. I love AE for their B width. I have 3 pairs now. My first pair of quality dress shoes was a gift from my dad- Johnston and Murphy black captoes, the same kind he has worn to work for 30+ years. I know their 270 degree welt is now as high quality as AE, but I have a special place for them. I gave his old shoes a Presidential polish; he was so happy to see the vamp creases go away with the Dubbin conditioner.
Hello Kirby. Great video as usual. I would like to ask for some cream polish advice for a pair of Allen Edmonds oxbloods that I just purchased. Their new oxblood color is a lighter, somewhat washed out color (seen at 9:34, third shoe from the right), which I don't like as much. I would love to have them look closer to a dark burgundy (like the pair shown at 8:07). Do you think this could be achieved using the Bordeaux saphir cream polish? How about if I used black cream polish? Thank you so much for your time!
Kirby, from a business owner and video creator, the fact that Allen Edmonds has given you access to their full catalogue is telling of the quality of your content. They seem to have a high level of brand integrity and they've trusted you with it. I've been tying my shoes with Berluti Knots ever since I saw your video on it. From one creator to another congratulations on your channel growth and best wishes going forward!
Wonderful Kirby, the light brown version is stunning, I would love to see you do one of your wonderful high shine cap toe demonstrations on those, I have a feeling they will look stunning.
Bought 2 pairs of the Park Avenues in burgundy and black 3 years ago in calf skin and like the 65 last the shoes are built on. Latest is the 5th Avenues in burgundy. Have the Thomas Jefferson and Hamilton in the Independence Collection in the double tanned French calf skin and double oak soles, wonderful shoes. All are polished with the Saphir cream and high polish from Kirby's company. Will spring next year for the No.8 Cordovan Parks to complete the shoe collection from AE.
Awesome representation Kirby! As someone who previously worked at Allen Edmonds, you did a great job describing the craftsmanship of a pair of Park Avenue’s. Just FYI for anyone who never tried on a pair... PLEASE GO TO THE STORE TO GET PROPERLY FITTED! Almost half of online customers who are also first time come in with the incorrect shoe size. Save time... learn more about your foot and their footwear in-store!
I own a pair of AE black park ave cordovan. Love these shoes! Kirby thanks for your positive reviews and staying professional! Not here for negativity. Keep up good work!
I see Allen Edmonds now describes the Park Avenues and others models as having a trademark CustomCork midsole and a "Bench Welt". In the past, Park Avenues were described as being made of "custom calf" as well. What is the meaning of all these marketing buzzwords and why use them versus using verbose descriptions of those components and their virtues?
As a marketing tool, I agree with you. I would much rather learn about the actual craftsmanship and materials rather than be "sold to". That being said, I don't disagree with the company trying to reach buyers from different market segments. Sometimes you have to educate them up to a new level of product. Buzzwords often get someone to explore deeper. With AE, that often explains if not justifies the price point difference from lesser quality shoes the potential customer may be used to.
I would like to see a Bartlett vs Strand review. The "Independence Collection" is supposedly a higher quality line, and I would be interested in seeing them side by side.
Extremely interesting video, thank you Kirby! A pair of Park Avenues in Shell#8 to go with my Madison Park cap toes in oxblood and my Madison Park brogues in light tan would be perfect. I have black cap toes grom beckett simonin which are ‘ok’ but Allen Edmonds is another level. I appreciate you pointing out the JR soles that come with the shell cordovan versions of the Park Aves. I find, in practice (in NY City) oxblood color is much more versatile, and interesting, than black. Thank you for your extremely interesting and relaxing videos.
Still standard single layered Redenbach sole? Or double layered? I know can customize for double sole, extra $100. But is it needed if it’s double layered standard? Currently $850. Added a 4th color for Cordovan, chili.
Kirby, at around the $700 price point, what would you suggest for the best value. Would you choose the Allen Edmonds Cordovans, or is there another line or company that you would recommend for quality and craftsmanship? (within a couple hundred dollars in either direction)
Great video. I am an Allen Edmonds wearer and love the brand entirely. This video was very informative and a great start for the series. As I own various models spanning decades, I look forward to the whole series. Great job, Kirby.!
I have 3 pairs of Aldens is shell and recently acquired a pair of Allen Edmonds MacNeils and will say they were super comfortable and I was pretty lucky with no quality issues even though i heard some stories online. Kirby in your opinion why would someone choose a pair of Alden shell compared to AE?
Very detailed review, but it comes off like an advertisement for Allen Edmonds. How much were you paid by AE? At least you're honest about AE giving you access to their full range of shoes.
Just bought my first pair of AE cordovan in brown 2nds. There was a weird crease near the ankle when I first bought them which came out, and maybe there was a little mottling in the color but a bit of saphir polish took care of that. They're beautiful Edit: got a used pair on ebay for 130$. Needed some tlc with a saphir insole and saphir polish
Loving the new video quality on the full shots! Though you may want to look into the film grains on the close ups of the shoes. Either way, great video! Can't wait for you to cover the Strand!
I walk a lot at work in my Dress shoes for about 10 hours per day, let’s call it about 6 hours of walking. I really like the look of shell cordovan, but do you think it will hope up to heavy use?
Thanks for yet another fantastic video. I would subscribe more than once if possible! In regards to the overly positive reviews, in balance I have yet to see a negative from Kirby. Personally, I own at least 10 pairs of Allen Edmonds and I own several pairs of Magnannis as well as Crockett and Jones. None of them are perfect. TBH, the perfect looking brands almost look like plastic (think Edward Green). I may like the inconsistencies from shoe pair to shoe pair because I feel they are more mine than a mass produced feel. That being said, some of Allen Edmonds shoe coloring (on calf skin) can be too inconsistent on a pair and should be reviewed as well as the welt/sole/heel sanding and shape. Allen Edmonds, if you are listening, please consider having a tighter QA process. This is where the old guy sits in the back room fixing all the QA fails by hand using his experience. If not economically feasible, use a local cobbler. To the rest of the viewers who may worry that the video is biased, you can turn down the commentary and view the shoe in HD so you can get an idea if you wish to purchase a pair or not. Pause and rewind as necessary.
Excellent review of AllenEdmonds, particularly regarding Cordovan. As a matter of fact, my very first pair of Cordovan shoes were of the burgundy color. That was many years ago, and I do not recall the manufacturer. But I wonder why the burgundy color came to be the premier color for Cordovan in the beginning.
Hi, Kirby. I have two questions about the Allen Edmonds shell cordovan shoes. First, is the color they list as "brown" for the Park Avenue different than the Strand? Second, I'm debating between between those two for a dark brown dress shoe that will mostly be worn with suits -- do you feel the Park Avenue would pair better? My initial inclination was that the Strand's broguing made it more casual, but seeing it in person I am not as sure. Would love your opinion. Thank you.
What’s the difference between saphir mirror gloss and amiral gloss? And is it a must to use saphir wax polish before using mirror gloss / amiral gloss?
Thank you for the reply. I do have a question. In my haste to get some conditioner and polish on my new shoes, I used Cadillac conditioner, followed by Lincoln wax. Needless to say the finish is not coming along as I would like. I’m planning on ordering products from the Hanger Project, how to I proceed now that the shoes have been contaminated?
Doubt he’ll respond, since this video is probably being done in partnership (read: ad) with AE. It really is a shame that AE’s new owners are letting the QC go to pot. Quick glance at Reddit shows a *lot* of unhappy customers. Hell, I bought a pair of shoe trees from them (woodlore) during their summer sale and they actually forgot to send them to me.
David Jacob - I agree with Stephen Full. This "review" is more like a paid advertisement for Allen Edmonds shoes. I bought a pair of AEs a few years ago, and within one year they were already falling apart. The quality of the leather they use (not including the cordovan described in this video) is substandard. Basically, they pass of $100 shoes for $350 dollar shoes. A waste of money, in my opinion.
I bought my first pair of Allen Edmonds in 2011. It was a style they called Bel Air on a last they don’t use anymore. They are Walnut calfskin, wingtip derbies. They were on sale at the time, and I had to buy them. I recently took them to the Allen Edmonds store here in Miami which just opened up for a complete re-crafting. It was $125, and in three weeks they came back looking like new, again. Recently I’ve been looking into their chelsea boot, the Liverpool in black. I’d love to see how the Liverpool stacks up against some other high end chelsea boots you see online for almost double the price.
the1samuellee Thanks for the heads up. I regret not buying a pair during the Rediscover America sale. I think they had a factory seconds pair going for $254. I will definitely get them the next sale Allen Edmonds has.
@@the1samuellee BTW, I finally got the Liverpools. Factory Seconds, that were way discounted. Shoes look great. Barely anything "wrong" with them. They took a while to put on my feet fresh outta the box, and they feel tight, but I understand this is normal with this kind of boot. And eventually they will stretch and conform to my feet. So stoked. These things are amazing.
BTW, Update on those Liverpool Chelsea boots from Allen Edmonds. I bought a black calfskin Factory Seconds for $275 back in November 2018. Love them. NOW I see the same Factory Seconds are currently going for $225! Same ones I bought only 4 months ago. This is why I don't think anyone should say they "can't afford" Goodyear Welted shoes. If you look often enough, you'll find great deals on AE under $300, and sometimes even under $200 with clearance sales, and when they are about to discontinue a line.
On the far right pair, the shell appears to be light brown, but I couldn't find this on their website. Did they send you a special coffee color that is unavailable to regular customers?
Love the videos! They are very informative and have helped me immensely. I recently bought a pair of AE Carlyle in Dark Chili to wear with a Gray suit for my wedding. I was wondering if you could give your thoughts or review the Carlyle. Thank you.
Nice video. I've been yearning for some cordovan shoes for a while. Currently have a couple of loake shoes as we have a store in Edinburgh, but I'm wary of buying from a distance due to variations in size and fit. Any suggestions for those of us outside of the US? Thanks as always! :D
I"mma let you finish but... I had to pick up 2 pair of AceMarks cap toe Oxfords out of a set of 6 pair that I have coming... the Italian cut and fit just does it more for me than the more robust shape of the Allen Edmonds. Who knows I may pick up a pair (those shell cordovan's look like they are worth it!) just to have it in my collection. ;)
I have a shoe polishing question. Let's say I have four pairs of shoes, a black pair, a brown pair and a navy and oxford pair. Would I require a separate horse hair brush for every color? Or could I get away with having just two brushes, one for the black pair and one for the remaining pair?
I use my black shoe brush for my dark brown shoes. I have another brush for my oxblood shoes (I assume that's what you mean by Oxford), but I've used my black brush on it without trouble.
I saw you mentioned polishing in this video. If you do one on a weave design could you demonstrate the polishing? I always have trouble with my AEs that have a weave in them.
Your office looks different, Kirby. I looks cleaner (not like it was dirty before, but now looks sleeker, I guess) now, but I think the old office had its charm.
Well the PAs are great classics. I'd expect the review to be largely advertising. Just wait until he gets to the Tate Chelsea boot to judge for honesty!
If Kirby would not have done this I would not have got the chance to see all the other colors of the Park Avenues next to one another so I could compare to the ones I already own. Now I want to get another pair of Park Avenues!
I know what you meant. I brought up that the PA is a classic for the other readers here who think maybe this sounded like a lot of AE cheerleading in the video. It can sound like it, but I think it's perfectly acceptable to say all kinds of good things about the main-line shoes AE makes and not even bring up many faults. It could have been a bit more well rounded, though, if more information were given about perhaps the type of fit, last, etc.
The Artist formally known as Dick Dastardly well AE is going to let him present their shoes for free if he just points out all their faults and shortcomings, which tbh it doesn't seem like they have much if any
Thanks for the content Kirby. I’m want to purchase my first pair of Allen Edmonds Cordovan. What is your recommended style for my first pair? I wear mostly semi-formal business and prefer slimmer styles. Thanks
Great video and a great concept. Am idea for a future review would be the Christian Louboutin Greggo (cap toe oxford) or the Gucci horsebit loafer. I don't feel like it would be a typical shoe you would get but it be interesting to see your take on them. /Lass
I was hoping you would do a review on the florsheim kenmoor long wing. It's a shoe that I think fills the gap between 99 dollar shows and 300-500 dollar shoes
Dear Kirby, Would you consider doing an in-depth review of J Fitzpatrick shoes? It looks like an affordable yet quality brand and I'm curious of your opinion about them.
Just so everyone knows, AE did not pay at all for the video. They just sent the shoes and Kirby gracefully accepts to do the reviews to be able to bring fantastic, in depth content for anyone interested.
I have to wait 3 years to justify an expenditure like this. Maybe at that time they'll have some 100 year celebration sale, and hopefully will make cordovan wholecuts.
Kirby I am just curious, when they send you these shoes for review, can you keep them for yourself or you need to send them back? If you can keep it then it might be a good idea to have channel like that just to get free shoes :). Awesome video
I do not mean to offend anybody, But the Allen Edmond Cap toe style shoe reminds me of my old army boots. The Alden cap toe is a much nicer looking shoe.
Have you noticed a drop in quality since Allen Edmonds has: 1. Been bought out by another company. 2. Started making the majority of their shoes in the Dominican Republic. 3. Started making some of their sneakers cemented. 4. Rebranded the entire company. 5. Upped the prices on almost all of their shoes. As a long time Allen Edmonds customer, and owner of 8 pairs of their shoes, I've been concerned that they will drop off and become just like the other companies and make crappy shoes. Let me know!
I wear Allen Edmonds for my go to dress shoe for work. Enjoyed the video. I never had shell cordovan shoes before. Could they be used as a regular shoes to the office? Or do they take too much care.
In many ways, they require less care. You don't generally need to polish them--just brush. There are some products to keep it, but it is very low maintenance. I don't actually like it though myself and prefer calf. Calf wrinkles, but cordovan creases in a way that shows a ton--especially if you don't have a shoe tree in it constantly.
Ethan Baker Shoe trees are essential and regular boning with a deer bone can push out the creases. Cordovan is a totally different material than calfskin, for sure. It’s a tank. Can take a beating. Holds its color really well. Doesn’t require much care and generally always holds a nice shine. Great shoes. I need to consider another pair in cordovan.
