Allen Edmonds Park Avenue Cap Toe Oxford: Is It Worth It? - Iconic American Dress Shoe

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Gentleman's Gazette

#allenedmonds #parkavenueoxfords #notsponsored

SHOP THE VIDEO:

Today, Allen Edmonds pride themselves on their history and status as an iconic American shoe company. Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush are just some of the many American presidents who have worn Allen Edmonds shoes and Park Avenues, in particular.

Allen Edmonds also differentiates itself from many other shoe companies by offering a recrafting service whereby customers can send in old or worn pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes to be largely rebuilt for a fee.

THE PARK AVENUE

This is a lace-up cap toe Oxford dress shoe. Allen Edmonds refers to it on their website as a cap toe balmoral. While Balmoral is a term often used, especially in America, to refer to Oxfords, it most technically refers only to a kind of boot.

The shoes feature a single oak sole with rubber top lifts on the heel, lined calfskin leather uppers made from premium horween leather, and six pairs of eyelets for the laces. They are welted on the 65 last which is Allen Edmonds' most popular shape and also used for many other models including the closely-related fifth avenue. This particular last is known for being slightly longer than the typical American dress shoe last adding some sleekness to the overall shape.

In addition to this, the toe cap is a good deal shorter than many other brands. For today's video, we purchased a new pair of shoes online directly from Allen Edmonds for a retail price of $395. We decided to go with black which is perhaps the most signature and conservative shade. In addition to this new pair, we're also featuring a pair in brown that I've personally owned for about a year now. My pair are factory seconds meaning that I purchased them at a discount with the understanding that they didn't necessarily meet the quality control standards to be sold at full price.

Also, here's a brief word on the overall quality control issues we alluded to earlier, while we didn't experience any major defects with the pair we purchased for today's video and I also didn't experience anything major with my factory second pair, it's becoming an increasingly shared opinion in online menswear spaces that Allen Edmonds has begun to cut back on quality control to some degree.

So you may have to be a bit more cautious when buying from Allen Edmonds today but we're not going to go so far as to suggest that the overall quality of their product has dramatically decreased.

I will say that they did have a bit of a break-in period, perhaps two or three wears, where I did find them to be slightly uncomfortable, particularly in the heels where I experienced some irritation and mild blistering. After this initial break-in period though, I've had no further issues and I now find my shoes to be quite comfortable.

Now, for our main question of the video then, is a pair of Park Avenues from Allen Edmonds worth your money or not?

Ultimately, it's likely going to depend on your budget as well as your taste. As we said before, Allen Edmonds currently sells Park Avenues on their website for a retail price of $395 though they do often run sales so you should be able to find them for less. The shoes are well made with no major flaws and a durable construction.

Even so, their overall look is definitely conservative and not quite as elegant as some other British or Italian models that you might find today. If you're looking for a more flattering silhouette at a similar price point, you might want to consider spending your money elsewhere.

16:25 Outfit Rundown

[tonymaiettasr.]

A few years ago I bought two pairs of Park Avenues. Black for my daughters wedding and dark chili just because. Loved the fit, finish, and comfortable. So looked at more casual shoes and now I have McAllister, Strand weave, Southside, a brown suede sneaker and a walnut weave sneaker, and a pair of oxblood Bond. Nice shoes and I received military discount on all. So I guess you could say I'm an Allen Edmonds guy. I'm a little older so I don't go into the less conservative styles. Love your channel. Nice video.

[TheElegantOxford]

Thanks for the shoutout, guys! Love your channel. Been a fan since before I even learned to shine a shoe.

[Danlikescheesteaks]

I bought a pair of Allen Edmonds Hopkinson oxfords a few years ago and love them. I went with them because they seemed like a subtle but noticeable upgrade from the Park Avenues without losing the classic styling. My next pair of AE shoes will hopefully be some Park Aves in shell cordovan

[ElPedicabAvenger]

I am curious if you Gentlemen have heard of Abitto suits, and if you think they are worth it for the Linen or Tweed suits?!

[jeffsanders]

I have a pair of AE dress shoes that my father bought for me 30 years ago. I have had them re-soled 3 times. Just as comfortable and classy today as ever.

[babygerald]

One recommendation that I learned re: Allen Edmonds and most new dress shoes, is to polish and wax them before wearing the first time. Many GG viewers might already know this, but apparently most new dress shoes come from the factory without the protection that a wax provides, so it's wise to apply it straight away.

I picked up my first pair of AEs on factory seconds last year and love them. Not wanting the full-on formal Park Ave, instead got the Boulevard darby in dark brown. Like Preston, it took a couple of wearings to break them in but now they feel great.

[ahanuban]

Friendly suggestion: those factory seconds look like they're due for some fresh edge dressing :)

[yungobaba]

Just bought a pair at my Goodwill yesterday for $12, hardly worn, cannot believe my luck

[BobbyReed]

I got my AE Park Avenues for $12 at Council Thrift here in Los Angeles. Near new, like walking on a dressy dream. Sometimes thrifting pays off big time. The hunt is the fun part.

[krunoslavkovacec]

Will we ever get Fort Belvedere shoes?

[ha]

It would be cool to see a "Is it worth" it about Borsalino hats

Any chance to see that any time soon ? :)

[ZoomZoom-ngsn]

Minor imperfections in shoes don't really concern or bother me at all. Just as long as the shoe will hold up and not fall apart, I'm happy.

[marcogonzalez]

You can’t expect a perfect shoe If you buy a factory second.

[jamesthacoolcat]

I am starting to upgrade my shoes to allen edmonds. If the product is made in US, I will always go for it. I tend to pass on the sketchy made in china stuff.

[brinniejean]

If Gucci can sell a pair of plain black sandals for $790, then these shoes are well worth their high quality craftsmanship.

[rollin_rome]

I’ve been a long supporter of Allen Edmonds however, that changed in the past week. I purchased a dark chilly Park Avenue last weekend. The shoes had some defects and obvious scuff marks. I returned them immediately and the store was kind enough to overnight it for free. I received the second pair today and they look used. The leather was flimsy I love to have tried on several times. I called the store to let them know that this is a very inconvenient process for this is the second time I’m coming back to the store where I traveled close to an hour a sales person told me that on issue, because when they order the shoes typically comes from another store instead of straight from the factory, that stores will ship, shoes that are not their best. I am literally driving to the store, making this comment.

[herculepoirot]

Do a video on Is it worth it?: Francesco Maglia umbrellas.

[hydroaegis]

DO NOT RECRAFT YOUR SHOES
What I really mean is if your sole is worn, you should get a cobbler to resole it. Replacing the welt is basically like remanufacturing the shoe. This is why it can only be done 2-3 times until the upper has so many holes from welts being stitched into it, that it can't be stitched again. A normal resole keeps the welt which means you can resole 3-4 times on each welt. This means if you resole in between each recraft you can have new soles done up to 12-15 times on a shoe.

At 1-2 years per resole, that's at least a decade of wear.

[mattsitton]

It was a touch of class for you to mention other channels and great videos. The ones mentioned are some of my favorites and the I have already seen those videos, but it was nice to see the information being spread. Thank you Gentlemen's Gazette, you will never know how much you improved my appearance.

[christopherramones]

Tip for anyone wanting to buy Allen Edmonds for a lower price: Buy used, whether it is at a thrift shop, or eBay, but make sure it is not on its last leg. Then, have it recrafted, and there you have it. It looks like new!