| rev:text
| - I've spent the last year completely revamping my entire wardrobe, a process that has taken far longer than I had originally anticipated. With that said, one of my final projects was looking at upgrading my dress shoes.
Like most guys, I've traditionally just purchased a standard pair of rubber-soled dress shoes. One in black. One in brown. They wear out after a few years and you just replace them. However, I've always been intrigued by people who buy dress shoes and opt to repair rather than replace, owning them for incredibly long periods of time.
Allen Edmonds receives multiple recommendations online by a legion of men who swear by the brand for their formal footwear. Their oxford strands appear to be the go-to model for first timers, so that's what I decided to look into.
I like that AE offers a recrafting service that's completely in-house. It's not cheap, but neither are the shoes themselves. Although some models can be obtained on clearance if you're lucky, the more popular options are going to set you back a good 400 dollars easily. That's roughly four times what I have typically paid for dress shoes in the past. However, most owners claim that the high price is completely justified in the craftsmanship and durability.
Is this true? I honestly don't know. Interestingly enough, the pair I purchased had some kind of strange gash in one of the toes, so I had to have the shoes exchanged and shipped out to my house since they were not in stock at this particular store. When prices are high, my "eagle eyes" come out and I develop a zero tolerance for any defects. Fortunately, my replacement shipment was fine. Hopefully, this was just a fluke and not something that happens regularly.
As for the store itself, the original guy I dealt with, as well as the lady who helped me with my exchange were both helpful. They've clearly been well trained to share the backstory and selling points of AE shoes, including their (mostly) American-made construction.
In the end, to conclude whether or not the shoes are worth the cost will remain unanswered until I see how well they survive my rigorous "field tests" throughout the year.
The guy who sold me the shoes also sent me a "Thank You" card in the mail, which surprised me. The last time I received one of those from a retailer was after purchasing a TV from the now-defunct Ultimate Electronics back in 2007. A nice touch.
Recommended!
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