# Subjective I know: How long can a pair of Allen Edmonds last if well cared for?



## giff74 (Jan 15, 2007)

Before I go on, I know this is a subjective question. I am just trying to get a feel from some of you guys who have owned and apparently loved your Allen Edmonds.

For some time I have been buying mostly Johnston & Murphy shoes that I can find on good sales/clearance and some of the better vendors on eBay. I know these shoes aren't what they once were, but I can usually find J&M's for $50-100 a pair at their discounted price. I usually wear the shoes as front line for a while, then they get bumped to second tier (rain, bad weather, or dirty off site visits) and when they really wear out I give them to Goodwill.

So for some time now my rep from Tom James has been trying to convince me that I should "step up" to Allen Edmonds footwear. However, I have had a tough time with the $300+ price tag. My rep tells me to think of it more as an investment, because of their superior construction and the great job the Allen Edmonds factory will do resoling and refurbishing them to help extend their life. 

So, my question is how long may I expect a pair of their shoes to last, including resoles? I usually have 2-3 front-line pair of shoes in my rotation. Let's say I wear a pair on average two times a week. How long do you find yourselves being able to wear until you have to resole/refurbish and with this upkeep how many years do you find your Allen Edmonds lasting?

I appreciate you time and any insights or comparisons you may have, Giff


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## ptolbert (May 12, 2005)

My manager has 5 pairs of Park Avenues in rotation, essentially, one for each day of the week. I believe the oldest pair dates to the early '90s and the newest is from 2003 or so.


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## bigCat (Jun 10, 2005)

AE shoes can be found for much less that their MSRP.

For a quality shoe - longevity is about a decade+. I posted on another thread how one of my pairs needed resoling sooner than I would expect, but all of my other AE shoes perform flawlessly.


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## giff74 (Jan 15, 2007)

hreljan said:


> AE shoes can be found for much less that their MSRP.


Where does one find them for much less than MSRP? I live in Kentucky, not a lot of retail "outlets" around here. Any online suggestions?

I am happy to hear that with proper care and wear that these shoes could last 10+ years.

Giff


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

Both AE and Grapevine Hill sell on eBay for way below retail. New in box shoes are readily available as buy-it-nows and may go for even less at auction. Just search on Allen Edmonds frequently, or set up a favorite search so you get an email when you size/width/color/style is listed.


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

giff74 said:


> Where does one find them for much less than MSRP? I live in Kentucky, not a lot of retail "outlets" around here. Any online suggestions?
> 
> I am happy to hear that with proper care and wear that these shoes could last 10+ years.
> 
> Giff


Currently, Sierra Trading Post has 17 AE models for sale, ranging from 35-65% off retail. Here's the link:

Unless you are familiar with AE lasts and sizing, you probably should pay a visit to your local AE dealer and try on the shoes you desire, then see if you cna get them from STP, or look for them on Ebay.

As for longevity, I have a pair of AE Cole loafers I bought in 1984; I've had them recrafted by AE once, about 10 years ago (IIRC, it cost me about $80). I still wear the shoes frequently. They are in very good condition.


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## wvuguy (May 29, 2006)

giff74 said:


> Where does one find them for much less than MSRP? I live in Kentucky, not a lot of retail "outlets" around here. Any online suggestions?


If you happen to live in Northern Kentucky, you're only a couple hours or so from the AE Factory Store in the Jeffersonville OH Prime Outlets. It's located on the east side of I-71 roughly halfway between Cincinnati and Columbus (around milepost 60); you can't miss it.

If you're truly interested in seconds deals on AE.....even if you're as far south as Lexington or Louisville.....I'd respectfully submit it might worth committing a Saturday for a road trip. The store manager's name is Ralph, and he's a good knowledgeable guy. Come to think of it, if you need even more reasons to get up there, note their annual Tent Sale is coming up the last week of August, extending (I believe) through Labor Day. That might be as good a time to make the trek to Ohio as any.

Beyond AE, this particular Prime Outlets location has a pretty decent overall selection of retailers for both men and women.....at least as Outlet Centers go. There's BB, RL, Hilfiger, Nautica, Banana Republic, Eddie Bauer, Nike, Adidas, Guess, Claiborne, Coldwater Creek, Coach, Williams Sonoma, etc. So, if you're kicking around asking your wife/GF/sig other (or even a buddy) to join you for the day, they'll likely find something of interest to them.

FWIW, there's a full-line AE retail location in the Rookwood Pavilion shopping center about about 5-8 miles north of downtown Cincinnati on the east side of I-71.


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## Fred H. (Mar 24, 2007)

*AE Article...*

I wrote a long feature article on AE for the Summer issue (No. 3) of Classic Style magazine. The issue is still on sale at all Barnes and Noble and Borders nationwide. You may want to pick up a copy.

Fred H.


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## qasimkhan (Sep 24, 2003)

A doctor friend showed me the pair of AE's that he bought 20 years ago - his first pair of dress shoes after he finished medical school. They were well-worn but still wearable. I don't know if he rotated them or if it is his only pair, but he's the frugal type who doesn't have a whole stable of shoes. This convinced me to buy my first pair three years ago, and now I wouldn't buy anything else.


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## Teacher (Mar 14, 2005)

Ten to 25 years, depending on rotation and care.


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## jfancher (Jan 18, 2004)

Don't forget about the Nordstrom sale on Friday-Sun. A.E. will be about $200.00 I believe.


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## MarkusH (Dec 10, 2004)

giff74 said:


> So, my question is how long may I expect a pair of their shoes to last, including resoles? I usually have 2-3 front-line pair of shoes in my rotation. Let's say I wear a pair on average two times a week. How long do you find yourselves being able to wear until you have to resole/refurbish and with this upkeep how many years do you find your Allen Edmonds lasting?
> 
> I appreciate you time and any insights or comparisons you may have, Giff


Based on my experience and provided that you wear rubber overshoes in bad weather:

With that frequency of usage, expect a pair to last for approximately 10 years. At that point in time, the uppers will start to crack and you might have worn through them from the inside. Expect to resole them after 5-7 years. At that point, you may also have to repair the lining in the heel. Also, expect to replace the Allen Edmonds rubber heel toplifts after 1-2 years. However, good replacement rubber heels are much better than the ones from AE and will last for the lifetime of the leather sole.


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## Trilby (Aug 11, 2004)

MarkusH said:


> Based on my experience and provided that you wear rubber overshoes in bad weather:
> 
> With that frequency of usage, expect a pair to last for approximately 10 years. At that point in time, the uppers will start to crack and you might have worn through them from the inside. Expect to resole them after 5-7 years. At that point, you may also have to repair the lining in the heel. Also, expect to replace the Allen Edmonds rubber heel toplifts after 1-2 years. However, good replacement rubber heels are much better than the ones from AE and will last for the lifetime of the leather sole.


My experience is broadly in line with this. I would say that, properly looked after, they should last about 10 years or so. I would say that they'll need a complete resoling every 3-4 years. The original soles and rubber heels on AE shoes aren't that great, and the replacements will last longer than the originals.

The key factor that will affect the life of the shoes is how well you rotate them. If you only have a couple of pairs that you alternate, they won't last as long as if you have 4 or 5 pairs in your rotation.

If you wear the same pair every day, you will kill the shoes within a year.


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## giff74 (Jan 15, 2007)

It sounds like a pair or two of AE's would slide right in with a pair of J&M's or two and last for quite a while and let me add more of them over time. 

Thanks for the heads up about the outlet in Jeffersonville. I havent been up there in years and had no idea that AE even had an outlet. 

A couple questions about resoling if I may. I had been wearing all rubber soles until a couple of years ago and as mentioned above not really resoling my J&M's, so doing maintenance on shoes, other than polishing, is foreign to me. I am starting to realize there are several different ways/steps to keep shoes up. There only one local cober I am familiar with and he refers to replacing heels and half soles (which I am guessing is the section of the sole under the ball of the foot?). 

Above there are several differnt terms mentioned like replacing the soles, rubber heel toplifts, replacing the heels and recrafting. I always assumed if you sent them back to AE they would replace the worn part of the heel and the area under the forefoot, but it sounds like you guys get some work done locally and some by AE. Would someone dumb down these upkeep terms please?

Thanks, Giff


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## comrade (May 26, 2005)

I have a pair of AE Saratogas which are close to 25 years old.
They haven't been worn that much. It's been years since the
Saratoga has been made. I believe the last predates the fire
which occurred at the AE factory in the 80s.

I can't wear AEs any more. Their lasts and my feet have evolved
have evolved in differently. And besides, I dislike the 
majority of the recent and current styles.


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## VC2000 (Feb 10, 2006)

I've always been able to call the store in Omaha have them do a search for seconds and had them mailed to me. I don't know what the policy is but that location has always been most helpful. I think I also ordered from the Alabama via mail as well. 

I've had a pair of AE for close to 20 years. They have been resoled and I sent them back to AE for their reconditioning. I got those shoes when I was starting out and spending a lot of time on the road traveling. They didn't get the rotation that they should have. But the shoes still look decent. I don't wear them a lot today because my tastes have changed largely due to the forum and I have some bespoke shoes I prefer.


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## Bog (May 13, 2007)

giff74 said:


> A couple questions about resoling if I may. I had been wearing all rubber soles until a couple of years ago and as mentioned above not really resoling my J&M's, so doing maintenance on shoes, other than polishing, is foreign to me. I am starting to realize there are several different ways/steps to keep shoes up. There only one local cober I am familiar with and he refers to replacing heels and half soles (which I am guessing is the section of the sole under the ball of the foot?).


Take new shoes and ask your cobbler to put a rubber top on the sole, this will help with rough weather and with slippery conditions. It will also increase the life of the shoes.

As soon as this wears out, have it replaced.


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## wolfhound986 (Jun 30, 2007)

I agree that higher quality shoes are an investment, but well worth it.

Here is the link to a description of AE's recrafting services from their website:



I have used their recrafting service, they came back fine, they're like new AE shoes, using the AE sole and heel. 

The drawback is that it takes 3-4 weeks for turnaround.

So if you do use the recrafting service, make sure that in the meantime you can use the other pairs in your collection and that they don't need repair at the same time.


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## rnoldh (Apr 22, 2006)

ptolbert said:


> My manager has 5 pairs of Park Avenues in rotation, essentially, one for each day of the week. I believe the oldest pair dates to the early '90s and the newest is from 2003 or so.


Are these 5 pair of Park Avenues different colors?


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## bigCat (Jun 10, 2005)

giff74 said:


> Above there are several differnt terms mentioned like replacing the soles, rubber heel toplifts, replacing the heels and recrafting. I always assumed if you sent them back to AE they would replace the worn part of the heel and the area under the forefoot, but it sounds like you guys get some work done locally and some by AE. Would someone dumb down these upkeep terms please?
> 
> Thanks, Giff


These are general guidelines (may vary from maker to maker):

Replacing the soles means the whole sole (and corkbed) gets replaced, also includes completely new heel - but normally no new welts.

Heel toplifts include only the top most layer of the heel - this is the most frequent item and it should be done as soon as the heel wears to the leather at any spot (or sooner if the balance of the shoe is off).

Full heel replacement is generally not needed unless there is structural damage, still, it's normally done when resoling.

Recrafting is done by the manufacturer and includes (not limited to) resoling, relasting on the original last and some polishing/refinishing of the uppers.

I normally have heel work done by a local cobbler and any sole work by the factory. This policy may change when time comes for first EG resole.

Hope this helps.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Based on my experience, should you choose to go with AE's shell cordovan options, the shoes have the potential to last a lifetime when properly cared for. My "senior" pair are approaching 24 years of use and are showing no signs of giving up the ghost!


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## dcjacobson (Jun 25, 2007)

21 years for me. Would've been longer had my feet not changed from 12B to 12D.

Good luck,
Don


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## giff74 (Jan 15, 2007)

hreljan said:


> These are general guidelines (may vary from maker to maker):
> 
> Replacing the soles means the whole sole (and corkbed) gets replaced, also includes completely new heel - but normally no new welts.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the great write up! I appreciate the explanation.


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## giff74 (Jan 15, 2007)

eagle2250 said:


> Based on my experience, should you choose to go with AE's shell cordovan options, the shoes have the potential to last a lifetime when properly cared for. My "senior" pair are approaching 24 years of use and are showing no signs of giving up the ghost!


WOW, 10 years, 21 years, 24 years!!! I guess AE's really should be viewed as an investment.

My Tom James rep was in dropping off some shirts today and he suggested working up to 6 pair. That way if one is down for soles or recrafting you can still keep a once a week rotation. Sounded pretty good to me, guess I will have to pony up and buy some.

Giff


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## medhat (Jan 15, 2006)

giff74 said:


> Where does one find them for much less than MSRP? I live in Kentucky, not a lot of retail "outlets" around here. Any online suggestions?
> 
> I am happy to hear that with proper care and wear that these shoes could last 10+ years.
> 
> Giff


My oldest AEs are 13 years (still in their infancy when compared to the other posters!). Resoled once (I can highly recommend AEs own service), and the leather uppers still look great, supple with no cracking.

I agree with others that there's no reason to pay Tom James full fare. Save the money, buy a plane ticket, and fly to anywhere there's an outlet or shoe bank. Buying a few pair at one time should cover the air fare.


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## jholbrook (Jul 12, 2007)

giff74 said:


> Before I go on, I know this is a subjective question. I am just trying to get a feel from some of you guys who have owned and apparently loved your Allen Edmonds.
> 
> For some time I have been buying mostly Johnston & Murphy shoes that I can find on good sales/clearance and some of the better vendors on eBay. I know these shoes aren't what they once were, but I can usually find J&M's for $50-100 a pair at their discounted price. I usually wear the shoes as front line for a while, then they get bumped to second tier (rain, bad weather, or dirty off site visits) and when they really wear out I give them to Goodwill.
> 
> ...


We sound very much like similar buyers with similar collections. I just bought my first pair of AE's - a black pair of Park Avenues. I bought them at a modest discount from an online vendor, but the order was fullfilled directly by AE. I also purchased AE shoe trees, and some AE polishing supplies.

I'm hoping that I can pick up a couple of more pairs for much deeper discounts from eBay now that I solidly know their size 8 is comfortable for me. I'm figuring that if I pay 100.00 for a pair, get a year or so out of them, and then have them re-conditioned for 100.00 by AE, I'm still money ahead.

My question now is, do I recondition any of my J&M's or do I spend the 60-100.00 to replace them with AE 2nds/eBay deals? I've got about 6 pairs and some are within a year or so of needing it. I guess in the end it comes down to how much I like each individual shoe  .


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## Zubberah (Sep 29, 2003)

In general, given I walk 5-10km every day, shoes last me 3 months before they get thrown away (yes, about 10 and 12 years ago I tested twice by wearing same shoes every day until no longer wearable). One was a pair of Church's and another the Royal Imperial Brogue from Florsheim. Both lasted same 3 months tenure. Of course now I have a pair for every day and they last much longer. Just have to re-heel every 3 months. Given I walk so much, no point me in buying John Lobb shoes given the pounding I would give them!


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## well-kept (May 6, 2006)

May depend on how you walk. I have a pair of AE shell cordovans that in a decade I've walked more than ten thousand (10,000) miles in. Just had the heels replaced for perhaps the 30th time. Original soles, covered in Vibram sole protector, replaced a few times. The shoes came with me this past week on a trip through the southwest - mountains, rocks, streams, sand, 110 degree heat. Going strong.


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