# Allen Edmonds' new "Bob's Chili"...how are you wearing it?



## dparm (Nov 18, 2008)

I'm going to take advantage of the excellent Rediscover America sale and buy some shoes that fit (lost a bunch of weight, my shoes no longer fit right). The Bob's Chili looks really nice in photos, almost like it could take the place of a dark brown or merlot/burgundy. My gut tells me it would be quite versatile and look nice with navy, most grays, and of course the lighter khaki shades.

How are my fellow trad forum members wearing that new finish? Is it an inherently casual color for use with chinos and jeans, or can it be worn with wool trousers/casual suits?

I'm eyeing the Fifth Avenue or possibly the new McGregor in that color, as linked below:


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## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

I reconnoitered at the local shop, and am thinking very seriously about the new Bleecker St. cap toe chukkas. That color is superior to the Bourbon, IMO, but then I like a redder brown.


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

Actually, all A-E Chili shoes tend to darken with with successive coats of polish. Last Saturday, I was in the A-E store in South Coast Plaza and saw some of the "Bob's Chili" offerings. I happened to be wearing my A-E Fairgates in chili that I had bought in February of 2004. I could see very little, if any, difference between Bob's Chili and Jan's Chili, truth be told. It's a very handsome color, though, and I wouldn't hesitate to get some A-E dress shoes in Bob's Chili if I needed more dress shoes, which I don't and won't (unless my house burns down!).


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## dparm (Nov 18, 2008)

phyrpowr said:


> IThat color is superior to the Bourbon, IMO, but then I like a redder brown.


I've never been a fan of the bourbon color, personally. Perhaps it's because I see a lot of cheap shoes that have copied the color almost exactly.


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

Purchased a new pair of McGregor's and I wear them exaclty as I would burgundy. I've further burnished them with Saphir and I received lot's of positive comments when I wore them with a semi-bespoke navy suit made from Holland & Sherry cloth.

I've also worn them with three shades of grey trousers.


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## dparm (Nov 18, 2008)

dparm said:


> I've never been a fan of the bourbon color, personally. Perhaps it's because I see a lot of cheap shoes that have copied the color almost exactly.


Now I'm eating my own words...ended up buying a set of Fifth Avenues in bourbon! The website doesn't do the color justice. It really is much more versatile than I thought. I did like the Bob's Chili, and I think with the right polish it would be indistinguishable from merlot. The only thing that kind of ruined it for me was the chili colored edge and heel; I feel that makes it look much more casual.

Also grabbed the McAllister in merlot. Between that and the Fifth Ave, I think I've got two very versatile shoes that could work with almost any color trouser other than black (which I would only wear with black PAs or Carlyles to a funeral).


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Weight loss makes a difference in shoe size?

The colour looks nice, but I can't tell whether or not it could be worn with suits. And the "see with pants" feature no longer works.


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## Shoe City Thinker (Oct 8, 2012)

Jovan said:


> Weight loss makes a difference in shoe size?


Fat collects in surprising places. Also the OP might of been retaining water as well. It might affect the width of the feet. My walnut Strands fit a bit looser since I dropped 18 pounds.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Interesting. I was genuinely asking since I've never been particularly overweight and my shoe size has been more or less the same since I was 15.


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## Reuben (Aug 28, 2013)

Also the excess weight can cause the foot to splay more, making you need a wider shoe. I've gone down maybe a quarter-size, from a 10-10.5 to a strict 10, and about a width from a D to a C.


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## dparm (Nov 18, 2008)

Jovan said:


> Interesting. I was genuinely asking since I've never been particularly overweight and my shoe size has been more or less the same since I was 15.


Yes, we all put on fat in different places. I dropped around 40 lbs: 210 down to the high 160s. My body fat percentage also went down by about 9%. I used to have a lot of trouble finding shoes that fit me correctly, even with proper measurement at different stores on a variety of lasts. I no longer have that problem, but allow me to provide some context on why I had to re-buy shoes...

Last year, when I bought my merlot PAs in 13D, I tried the 12D. The 12D had hotspots and was just a bad fit for my foot, so I sized up to a 13D. 12E was no better. Now, even with the laces as tight as they will go, totally closing the vamp, my foot slides around inside the 13D and I get weird blisters on my fibula (the bone that sticks out a big on the side of your foot).

Not wanting to replace a perfectly good pair of shoes, I took the PAs to the same store I bought them at on Michigan Avenue. They indeed confirmed the shoes were too big and measured me at 12D. Two of the sales associates suggested either thicker socks or an insole. I did that for about a week but it pushed my foot up too high and caused some bizarre heel slippage, as if I was falling out of the shoe with each step. The vamp was also completely closed, just as before. It seemed like a good excuse to take advantage of the sale; I'd rather replace clothes because my health improved rather than because I put on weight.

I had taken those three pairs of AEs with me on countless plane trips in cities all over the USA, so I'll be sad to see them go. I'll be eBaying or thrifting my existing AEs that no longer fit in the hopes that someone else can enjoy them on some new sidewalks and airplanes. :cool2:


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## Nobleprofessor (Jul 18, 2014)

Reuben said:


> Also the excess weight can cause the foot to splay more, making you need a wider shoe. I've gone down maybe a quarter-size, from a 10-10.5 to a strict 10, and about a width from a D to a C.


oddly, as I have gotten older my feet have gotten longer and more narrow. I used to wear 11D or in some shoes an 11.5. Now, I wear 11.5C and sometimes 12B.


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

^Curiously, my experience was the opposite. From the time I was 15 until I was in my mid-40s, my shoe size remained constant at a 13B or C. However, in my mid-40s, after a lot of running and hiking, my feet widened to D width, which actually made life more simple, shoes in this width being more readily available.


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## 69firebird (Jul 28, 2014)

That's it, now I don't want to loose any weight, although I need to.


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## dparm (Nov 18, 2008)

69firebird said:


> That's it, now I don't want to loose any weight, although I need to.


As I said, I'd rather buy new shoes because my health IMPROVED, not because it DECLINED. You only get one body...might as well take care of it.

For the record, I am only 29.


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## Tiger (Apr 11, 2010)

127.72 MHz said:


> Purchased a new pair of McGregor's and I wear them exaclty as I would burgundy. I've further burnished them with Saphir and I received lot's of positive comments when I wore them with a semi-bespoke navy suit made from Holland & Sherry cloth. I've also worn them with three shades of grey trousers.


Sorry to be a pest, 127.72 MHz, but you can please offer your opinion on the new "Bob's Chili" color - is it significantly deeper/redder, or is it only slightly different from the old AE "chili" (as JLibourel indicates)? Thank you!


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## dparm (Nov 18, 2008)

Tiger said:


> Sorry to be a pest, 127.72 MHz, but you can please offer your opinion on the new "Bob's Chili" color - is it significantly deeper/redder, or is it only slightly different from the old AE "chili" (as JLibourel indicates)? Thank you!


It's slightly redder and perhaps a touch darker. I was joking with the AE employees that with the right polish, it would be indistinguishable from merlot. The only real giveaway is the chili-colored heel and edge. Some shoes, due to the curve and ornamentation, make it appear a bit brighter. It sort of depends on how the light hits it. On the Fifth Avenue, for example, it's really really close to merlot. On the Carlyle, it's more vibrant.

If you already have a chili shoe, I don't really think Bob's is significantly different enough to warrant purchasing it.


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## Tiger (Apr 11, 2010)

dparm said:


> It's slightly redder and perhaps a touch darker. I was joking with the AE employees that with the right polish, it would be indistinguishable from merlot. The only real giveaway is the chili-colored heel and edge. Some shoes, due to the curve and ornamentation, make it appear a bit brighter. It sort of depends on how the light hits it. On the Fifth Avenue, for example, it's really really close to merlot. On the Carlyle, it's more vibrant.
> 
> If you already have a chili shoe, I don't really think Bob's is significantly different enough to warrant purchasing it.


Thank you for such a detailed and descriptive response, dparm! I own three pairs in "chili" (Benton, McAllister, and Lexington), so rather than something so similar, I think I'll buy the Fifth Street boot in dark brown.

Thank you again for your very kind help!


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## Watchman (Jun 11, 2013)

Jovan said:


> Weight loss makes a difference in shoe size?
> 
> The colour looks nice, but I can't tell whether or not it could be worn with suits. And the "see with pants" feature no longer works.


Thank God I've lost 88lbs in the last 2.5yrs. My foot actually shrank almost Whole size......

Then, I began an outdoor running program about 6 months ago. Now, I was running beforehand, however this time it was trail running with lots of hills and whatnot and my foot regained a little girth....

Good job to the OP for loosing the weight. :thumbs-up:


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## dparm (Nov 18, 2008)

Tiger said:


> Thank you for such a detailed and descriptive response, dparm! I own three pairs in "chili" (Benton, McAllister, and Lexington), so rather than something so similar, I think I'll buy the Fifth Street boot in dark brown.
> 
> Thank you again for your very kind help!


You're welcome. I still encourage you to go look in person, as the AE website is notoriously inaccurate with their color representations. They also take photos in a studio, and I think it's best to see it in natural light, indoor lighting, with your pants, etc.

As I said above, bourbon looks awful on the website but looks very sophisticated in person.


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