This video deserves more love! I am amazed at how logical, thorough, eloquent and well researched this video is. You noticed the little breathing holes in vintage AE. I have a pair of older merlot grayson’s with those and the last number on the inside is 3 my guess is they were made in 2003. Where can i find what years AE did the breathing holes and what years they offered the grayson in merlot?
Great video. It should be noted though that the new outsoles have channeled stitching, where they carve out a channel for the stitch to sit in, as you showed at 2:20 , while the older ones from the 80s don't. It's a little improvement since channeled stitching is more water proof and won't allow the stitch on the outsole to wear out so quickly. Looking forward to your new videos, cheers.
The most tragic part of this situation is that Alden also have a ton of issues, the heel counters are crap, and fiberboard is used in a lot of places. Getting european shoes like carmina or TLB or similar is much better value.
I had the "luck" of having an AE store in my office building in Minneapolis. I ran into the CEO a few times in that store. What happened is really a progression of owners. In 2006, AE was purchased by Goldner Hawn and nearly in bankruptcy. Paul Grangaard was a partner at Goldner Hawn and was appointed to run/turn-around AE in 2008. To quote Grangaard, "The short story is that as one of the last remaining U.S. manufacturers of high quality, handcrafted shoes, the company tried too hard to look European and failed at it." I think they made some really good products in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I will say that having talked to Mr. Grangaard in person on a couple of occasions, AE, at that time, had a place it was aiming price wise. I think many of the changes that were a bit more minor, like less wheeled edges on the soles for example, may be part of ways to extract more efficiency. It seems to me that the sale to Caleres in 2016 is where many of the bigger changes that we see now began. Gone are the collaborations with The New School students, the humanizing of the company in many ways (remember when the Chili color was called Bob's Chili?), all weaved leather uppers, and in is some more generic-ness. The Caleres AE seems focused on new styles for the 20-something more than anything. I will say, though, watching a teardown of some Alden's recently, they have moved to using the leather "fiberboard" heel stack in some cases as well. I think it's getting hard for many manufactures to maintain a pricepoint that will continue to sell.
Great video! I’ve also got AEs that I wear in this same date range, but I have not paid as much attention to some of these details as you have. Good stuff. I was also amazed at how many you’ve got in NOS or near new condition!
Very interesting, I have a pair of Sanfords in the same color. I thought the color was just a defected "darker" walnut color. I found them to be ever so slightly wider than my other shoes.
I watched reviews, read up on the Allen Edmonds manufacturing methods and history, it all sounded great. So I bought a pair of Chukka Boots, great product, great purchasing experience overall, I decided to buy more shoes. Bought a pair of Dalton Wingtip Dress Boots. I received 2 different color boots, also one of the boots seemed to be a different vintage or much older and had been on display for some time. Multiple price tickers attached and removed, physical dimensions were different, a different cut of the same style. I called customer service, they apologized and said they would send out another pair, free shipping. Got the next pair, shoes are with out a doubt reject, factory second shoes. I wear a size 9.5, the shoes I received are a size 8 or possible even smaller, but marked as a 9.5 D The shoes were also misshapen. The left looked like a right, the toe was curved outward. The worst quality I've seen from any shoe company, shameful quality.
Another great video. I would guess that volume (pairs produced; not interior shoe space) is also a contributing factor to the still-widening AE v Alden price gap.
it's worth mentioning the decrease in workmanship quality as well, it's evident even if you compare current shoes with shoes as recent as 2018/9. The trimming and sanding of the sole edge is terrible, the stitching of the sole is all over the place. The worst part of it is you can find the same blatant mistakes on their premium line of shoes made of shell cordovan. It's unacceptable for a regular shoe price let alone at 700-800 dollars for a premium pair.
This video deserves more love! I am amazed at how logical, thorough, eloquent and well researched this video is. You noticed the little breathing holes in vintage AE. I have a pair of older merlot grayson’s with those and the last number on the inside is 3 my guess is they were made in 2003. Where can i find what years AE did the breathing holes and what years they offered the grayson in merlot?
Great video. It should be noted though that the new outsoles have channeled stitching, where they carve out a channel for the stitch to sit in, as you showed at 2:20 , while the older ones from the 80s don't. It's a little improvement since channeled stitching is more water proof and won't allow the stitch on the outsole to wear out so quickly. Looking forward to your new videos, cheers.
The most tragic part of this situation is that Alden also have a ton of issues, the heel counters are crap, and fiberboard is used in a lot of places. Getting european shoes like carmina or TLB or similar is much better value.
I had the "luck" of having an AE store in my office building in Minneapolis. I ran into the CEO a few times in that store. What happened is really a progression of owners. In 2006, AE was purchased by Goldner Hawn and nearly in bankruptcy. Paul Grangaard was a partner at Goldner Hawn and was appointed to run/turn-around AE in 2008. To quote Grangaard, "The short story is that as one of the last remaining U.S. manufacturers of high quality, handcrafted shoes, the company tried too hard to look European and failed at it." I think they made some really good products in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I will say that having talked to Mr. Grangaard in person on a couple of occasions, AE, at that time, had a place it was aiming price wise. I think many of the changes that were a bit more minor, like less wheeled edges on the soles for example, may be part of ways to extract more efficiency.
It seems to me that the sale to Caleres in 2016 is where many of the bigger changes that we see now began. Gone are the collaborations with The New School students, the humanizing of the company in many ways (remember when the Chili color was called Bob's Chili?), all weaved leather uppers, and in is some more generic-ness. The Caleres AE seems focused on new styles for the 20-something more than anything.
I will say, though, watching a teardown of some Alden's recently, they have moved to using the leather "fiberboard" heel stack in some cases as well. I think it's getting hard for many manufactures to maintain a pricepoint that will continue to sell.
Great video! I’ve also got AEs that I wear in this same date range, but I have not paid as much attention to some of these details as you have. Good stuff. I was also amazed at how many you’ve got in NOS or near new condition!
Looking forward to your thoughts on the Landon.
Right on
Love your videos.
Another great video.
Very interesting, I have a pair of Sanfords in the same color. I thought the color was just a defected "darker" walnut color. I found them to be ever so slightly wider than my other shoes.
I watched reviews, read up on the Allen Edmonds manufacturing methods and history, it all sounded great. So I bought a pair of Chukka Boots, great product, great purchasing experience overall, I decided to buy more shoes. Bought a pair of Dalton Wingtip Dress Boots. I received 2 different color boots, also one of the boots seemed to be a different vintage or much older and had been on display for some time. Multiple price tickers attached and removed, physical dimensions were different, a different cut of the same style. I called customer service, they apologized and said they would send out another pair, free shipping. Got the next pair, shoes are with out a doubt reject, factory second shoes. I wear a size 9.5, the shoes I received are a size 8 or possible even smaller, but marked as a 9.5 D The shoes were also misshapen. The left looked like a right, the toe was curved outward. The worst quality I've seen from any shoe company, shameful quality.
Another great video. I would guess that volume (pairs produced; not interior shoe space) is also a contributing factor to the still-widening AE v Alden price gap.
Could some of the coloration differences be the effect of oxidation where those finishes have been exposed to air for different periods of time?
Good stuff man. Hey, we wear the same size. If you ever want to get rid of some AE from the late 90s to early 2000s, let me know.
Is 8D still the sample size?
I own shoes from many manufactures. Allen Edmonds are the ones I will never buy new. Not worth the money once you compare them with other brands.
it's worth mentioning the decrease in workmanship quality as well, it's evident even if you compare current shoes with shoes as recent as 2018/9. The trimming and sanding of the sole edge is terrible, the stitching of the sole is all over the place. The worst part of it is you can find the same blatant mistakes on their premium line of shoes made of shell cordovan. It's unacceptable for a regular shoe price let alone at 700-800 dollars for a premium pair.