# Allen Edmonds shell cordovan shoes



## SpookyTurtle (Nov 4, 2007)

Does anyone here have any AE shell cordovans? Are you pleaed with the quality and style? I am going to take a look at what they have to offer and see how they fit my foot. Which ones do you like, Leeds, Bradley, MacNeil...? Would you prefer the #8 shell over the black? What do you wear them with?


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## Tim Correll (Jul 18, 2005)

SpookyTurtle said:


> Does anyone here have any AE shell cordovans? Are you pleaed with the quality and style? I am going to take a look at what they have to offer and see how they fit my foot. Which ones do you like, Leeds, Bradley, MacNeil...? Would you prefer the #8 shell over the black? What do you wear them with?


IMO, the new Allen Edmonds McClain shoes are much nicer that the AE MacNeil dress shoes. Both of these shoe models from AE are laced wingtips.


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## Andy M (May 12, 2007)

I am very pleased with my 4 year old cordovan Bradley's. While I expected the color to be burgundy, they really are brown which initially I was a bit disappointed with, but they are very nice and well built. After a number of polishings with Kiwi oxblood and cordovan, they have taken on a slight burgundy color but not much. 

Andy M.


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## Aaron in Allentown (Oct 26, 2007)

I have two pair of AEs in shell cordovan: A pair of Cambridges (wing tip balmoral) in burgundy and a pair of Leeds (plain cap toe blucher) in black.

Both pair are about ten years old and still look beautiful.


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## Teacher (Mar 14, 2005)

I only have one pair: a pair of Cambridges in #8. They're several years old and looking great.


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## obiwan (Feb 2, 2007)

I have AE's and Alden's, I prefer the look, fit and finish of the Alden's over AE.

Get the #8's, black shell is pointless.


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

I have the Leeds in black. They seem to be really nice, but I've only had them for a short while.


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## SpookyTurtle (Nov 4, 2007)

What do you wear your cordovans with?


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## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

Audi S5 TC said:


> IMO, the new Allen Edmonds McClain shoes are much nicer that the AE MacNeil dress shoes. Both of these shoe models from AE are laced wingtips.


As someone who owns both McClain and MacNeil (and in fact, several variations on MacNeil), in my opinion, they're both beautiful shoes, and while both are wingtips, the similarities stop there. MacNeil is a blucher, and a classic conservative longwing design. McClain is a balmoral and a very updated modern rendition of a wingtip.

In general, I love my Allen-Edmonds shoes, and the various shell cordovan models are among my favorites. I own MacNeil, Bradley, Leeds, each in several colors, plus Bradley and Grayson in #8 and black respectively. By far my favorite is MacNeil...it's probably my favorite shoe.

That having been said, the finish on Alden cordovans tends to be a little nicer (I have their longwing blucher wingtips (#8), the Norwegian split toe (cigar), and a wingtip monk strap (black) all in shell cordovan). They're also more expensive, and considerably heavier shoes. The Alden longwing blucher wingtips are some serious gunboats! Alden also has a fantastic range of shell cordovan colors...but harder to find, and cost a premium.

Although the finish on the Aldens is a little nicer, the Allen-Edmonds get worn more often. They're lighter, more comfortable, and fit my foot just a little bit better (could be my imagination). They're also easier to find. Overall, I'd recommend the AEs.

Also, interesting to note that AE will make most of their models in shell cordovan as a "special make-up" for about $100 over the cost of any of their "standard" cordovan models.


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## DocHolliday (Apr 11, 2005)

I own the Leeds, and I'll throw in a good word for it. I consider the plaintoe blucher the showcase for shell.


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## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

obiwan said:


> ...
> Get the #8's, black shell is pointless.


Why would black shell be pointless? It definitely provides a different look, wears differently, lasts longer, and requires less care and polishing than a comparable black calf skin shoe...


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## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

DocHolliday said:


> I own the Leeds, and I'll throw in a good word for it. I consider the plaintoe blucher the showcase for shell.


It certainly does look pretty...that nice shiny long plaintoe...beautiful shoes...


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## JayJay (Oct 8, 2007)

DocHolliday said:


> I consider the plaintoe blucher the showcase for shell.


I agree. Plain toe shells display the characteristic ripples at their best.


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## JayJay (Oct 8, 2007)

SpookyTurtle said:


> What do you wear your cordovans with?


Everything, seriously.


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## Hard2Fit (May 11, 2005)

DocHolliday said:


> I own the Leeds, and I'll throw in a good word for it. I consider the plaintoe blucher the showcase for shell.





sia said:


> It certainly does look pretty...that nice shiny long plaintoe...beautiful shoes...





JayJay said:


> I agree. Plain toe shells display the characteristic ripples at their best.


What they said.


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## Kingstonian (Dec 23, 2007)

Are AE cordovans readily available from stock at the retailers ?

The reason for the question is discussion of cordovan shortages on this forum.

Could you just get off a plane and buy a suitcase full of MacNeils, or would you need to pre-order ?


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

DocHolliday said:


> I own the Leeds, and I'll throw in a good word for it. I consider the plaintoe blucher the showcase for shell.


+1...DocH hit the nail on the head, the plaintoe blutcher is the canvas on which to present that lusterous shell patina to the world. Love my Leeds but, the longwings are also quite nice. I've worn mine with suits, sportcoats, and casual attire...they are quite versatile!


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## Aaron in Allentown (Oct 26, 2007)

I love the way black shell looks. It shines without being reflective... like sexy, smoldering eyes... or like a black jelly bean...


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## Teacher (Mar 14, 2005)

DocHolliday said:


> I own the Leeds, and I'll throw in a good word for it. I consider the plaintoe blucher the showcase for shell.





sia said:


> It certainly does look pretty...that nice shiny long plaintoe...beautiful shoes...





JayJay said:


> I agree. Plain toe shells display the characteristic ripples at their best.





Hard2Fit said:


> What they said.


Yup. Ditto.


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## Teacher (Mar 14, 2005)

Kingstonian said:


> Are AE cordovans readily available from stock at the retailers ?
> 
> The reason for the question is discussion of cordovan shortages on this forum.
> 
> Could you just get off a plane and buy a suitcase full of MacNeils, or would you need to pre-order ?


Oh yes, stores are stocked with the shell offerings, particularly the MacNeil. The Leeds is also a staple. Other styles (I don't know what AE offers right now in shell) vary from store to store. Even in North Dakota, the stores that have AE have shell models, and they sell.


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## Lauriston (Dec 17, 2007)

All of the shell cordovan shoes I have seen looked plasticy and inappropriate for a professional business environment.


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

SpookyTurtle said:


> What do you wear your cordovans with?


With sportcoats and odd trousers so far. It's a nice look.


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## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

JayJay said:


> Everything, seriously.


+1. I agree...there's a cordovan shoe for every occasion!


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## sjmin209 (Dec 17, 2006)

A question: are all AE Shell Cordovan shoes marked as such?

I was looking at a pair of Leeds on eBay, which the seller claimed were Cordovan, but weren't marked as such. The style number was 9611, but I can't find that listed on any AE site.


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## SpookyTurtle (Nov 4, 2007)

Thanks for the replies. I went out tonight to the AE corporate store in my area to check out the cordovan shoes. I tried on the Leeds in black shell and they looked quite nice to me. They didn't have them in burgundy shell in my size. I took a look at the Bradleys too. At first, I really liked the Leed's much better, but the look of the Bradley began to grow on me. 

The shoes feel on the stiff side, I'm assuming this is due to the double oak sole. How do these break in? Do the uppers soften up as the soles get get a bit more flexible? They seem to fit good in my normal size. Now I am torn betweeen models and color. I already have two pair of plain toe bluchers, both AE Lamberts, one black, one chili. I only bought the black ones because they were too good a deal to pass up, $115 on bash sale at Syms. Decisions, decisions......

I also looked at the Seven Collection. They have raised the price of each model by $50 since I looked a them a few months ago. Now they are $525 -$575. Nice looking shoes, they seem to run a bit big. They have a nice plain toe blucher called the Vinci, it's $525, very soft leather. But I think I would rather get a paiir of shells to be different, especially if I could get them at JAB for 20% off. That would make the Leeds or Bradley $380, not too bad.


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## SpookyTurtle (Nov 4, 2007)

sjmin209 said:


> A question: are all AE Shell Cordovan shoes marked as such?
> 
> I was looking at a pair of Leeds on eBay, which the seller claimed were Cordovan, but weren't marked as such. The style number was 9611, but I can't find that listed on any AE site.


The soles are marked shell cordovan, but this could be worn off if the shoes have been worn much. The style number you have listed doesn't match either of the shell colors on the AE site. Just be carefull. Perhaps you could call AE and ask what shoe is/was the 9611. Better safe than sorry.


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## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

sjmin209 said:


> A question: are all AE Shell Cordovan shoes marked as such?
> 
> I was looking at a pair of Leeds on eBay, which the seller claimed were Cordovan, but weren't marked as such. The style number was 9611, but I can't find that listed on any AE site.


This is *NOT* a shell Cordovan shoe. This is a special make up dark brown calf leather version of Leeds (which does come in Cordovan too). It has the same thick storm sole that normally comes with the Cordovan version of Leeds. It's a beautiful shoe, but definitely not Cordovan. (how do I know? I own this model).

https://img295.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00051tl5.jpghttps://img87.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00052zw3.jpg


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## Orsini (Apr 24, 2007)

Lauriston said:


> All of the shell cordovan shoes I have seen looked plasticy and inappropriate for a professional business environment.


Could you please tell us what models those are?


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## Lauriston (Dec 17, 2007)

Orsini said:


> Could you please tell us what models those are?


The only model which I tried on in person was by Allen Edmond's and I believe was called the McNeil. I have seen many others on the forum or in shop windows. If you can recommend one that doesn't look as plasticy as the McNeil I would be interested in examining it first hand.


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## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

Lauriston said:


> All of the shell cordovan shoes I have seen looked plasticy and inappropriate for a professional business environment.


Oh good, more for me! :icon_smile_wink:


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## SpookyTurtle (Nov 4, 2007)

SpookyTurtle said:


> Thanks for the replies. I went out tonight to the AE corporate store in my area to check out the cordovan shoes. I tried on the Leeds in black shell and they looked quite nice to me. They didn't have them in burgundy shell in my size. I took a look at the Bradleys too. At first, I really liked the Leed's much better, but the look of the Bradley began to grow on me.
> 
> The shoes feel on the stiff side, I'm assuming this is due to the double oak sole. How do these break in? Do the uppers soften up as the soles get get a bit more flexible? They seem to fit good in my normal size. Now I am torn betweeen models and color. I already have two pair of plain toe bluchers, both AE Lamberts, one black, one chili. I only bought the black ones because they were too good a deal to pass up, $115 on bash sale at Syms. Decisions, decisions......
> 
> I also looked at the Seven Collection. They have raised the price of each model by $50 since I looked a them a few months ago. Now they are $525 -$575. Nice looking shoes, they seem to run a bit big. They have a nice plain toe blucher called the Vinci, it's $525, very soft leather. But I think I would rather get a paiir of shells to be different, especially if I could get them at JAB for 20% off. That would make the Leeds or Bradley $380, not too bad.


What would you get, Leeds or Bradley? If the Leeds, would you stick to the burgundy shell or would you go with the black?


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## The Deacon (Nov 25, 2006)

I've had the Black Leeds and it's an excellent businessman's shoe. If you're interested in burgundy for your collection I'd buy the Bradley. After some wear it looks very impressive in burgundy shell . Just my most humble opinion.


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## SpookyTurtle (Nov 4, 2007)

The Deacon said:


> I've had the Black Leeds and it's an excellent businessman's shoe. If you're interested in burgundy for your collection I'd buy the Bradley. After some wear it looks very impressive in burgundy shell . Just my most humble opinion.


I'm still mulling over which style I like the best. I haven't seen the Leeds in burgundy, but I really like it in black. I will try on the Bradley on my next trip to the mall. I guess the easy way would be to one of each color.:icon_smile_big:


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## coachp (Dec 5, 2008)

*Bradley question*

My introduction to shell was the AE MacNeill. They were not my first pair of AEs, but my first good fit. I wear the shoes very often -- probably more than I should. I have found a good deal on a pair of black AE Bradleys (used, I have no problem admitting that), but am unfamiliar with that style as it is not currently available on the AE website. Was the Bradley available in black shell and/or calfskin? Does anyone have the style number for the Bradley in black shell? In the four digit style, I know that the final digit is the last. Does AE use a common number in the style to indicate shell cordovan?

Thanks for any help for the newbie. . .


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## Barrister & Solicitor (Jan 10, 2007)

Actually, one tell-tale sign of Shell as far as AE is concerned is the heel: the non-shell shoes have a plain rubber covered heel, whereas the shell ones have a "dual" material heel. BUT: be careful with the Italian line which has a different heel yet.

Look carefully at pictures on Ebay and you'll see what I mean.


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## Crownship (Mar 17, 2008)

coachp said:


> Was the Bradley available in black shell and/or calfskin? Does anyone have the style number for the Bradley in black shell? In the four digit style, I know that the final digit is the last. Does AE use a common number in the style to indicate shell cordovan?
> 
> Thanks for any help for the newbie. . .


Yes. The Bradley was available in black shell and black calf.
Black calf model was 2601 and black shell may have been 2691. You can call AEs factory and find out.


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## Crownship (Mar 17, 2008)

*Got Shell? Yes.*



SpookyTurtle said:


> Does anyone here have any AE shell cordovans? Are you pleaed with the quality and style? I am going to take a look at what they have to offer and see how they fit my foot. Which ones do you like, Leeds, Bradley, MacNeil...? Would you prefer the #8 shell over the black? What do you wear them with?


Yes. I own Allen Edmonds shell in burgundy, black and brown.
I also own shell in Alden, Hanover and Florsheim brands.

I'm pleased with the quality and style of Allen Edmonds.

I own all the models listed in shell cordovan and calf and I like them all.

I don't prefer my burgundy over my black shell. I like both colors.

I wear my shells with everything except what I wear at the gym. 
Shell cordovan wingtips wouldn't look so cool with shorts no matter how many hundreds of pounds I bench pressed or squated that day.

Check out the *What Footwear Are You Wearing Today* thread and you'll have an idea of what some of us wear our shell cordovan with.
You'll see everything from jeans, cords, khakis and slacks.


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## rbstc123 (Jun 13, 2007)

obiwan said:


> Get the #8's, black shell is pointless.


Not necessarily......longevity over calf and they can stop a bullet!:icon_smile:


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## pkincy (Feb 9, 2006)

I have a pair of Leeds in Cordovan colored Cordovan. I also have a number of other shoes in Cordovan (my favorite is a Carmina wingtip) but I must confess I am not a total fan of cordovan.

They are hot and the leather is heavy and thick. (the Carmina is much more supple and thinner). Although they will never crack, my better calf skin shoes never crack either and are much lighter and the breath much better.

As an ex Trad I can see cordovan Alden penny loafers, but I expect I can only recommend dress shoes in calf.

Perry


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## bkdc (Mar 4, 2007)

I'm wearing my black shell Leeds today. With all the scratches and scuffs they've accumulated, they still look fabulous. They took a while to break in since the 7.5 EEE size was still snug on my wide forefoot. Now they're comfy. My MacNeils with the roomier toebox are more comfortable to wear. I'm debating on another burgundy Leeds vs a black MacNeil. Although I prefer the cordovan color, I might buy the black Macneil due to the roomier toebox and comfort.


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## Grayland (Oct 22, 2007)

Andy M said:


> I am very pleased with my 4 year old cordovan Bradley's. *While I expected the color to be burgundy, they really are brown *which initially I was a bit disappointed with, but they are very nice and well built. After a number of polishings with Kiwi oxblood and cordovan, they have taken on a slight burgundy color but not much.
> 
> Andy M.


I have a pair and mine are also more brown than burgundy, although I'm not aware that AE ever offered the Bradley in brown shell. I do love the Bradley and they are currently being resoled at AE.


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