23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great shoe. Long toe cap a little iffy but gorgeous nonetheless, August 3, 2008
This review is from: Allen Edmonds Men's Soho Oxford (Apparel)
If you're reading this, you probably already know all you need to about Allen Edmonds: great shoes. They're well made, high end footwear that with any sort of care will last 20 years. While more initially more expensive, over the course of time they may end up cheaper as they can periodically be sent back to the factory to be recrafted for $95 - uppers redyed, polished, and sole replaced with your choice of anything from their available lineup, meaning you can swap leather for rubber or vice versa if you'd like - when they've worn down after a few years. AE periodically puts the recrafting process on sale too.
The biggest non-stylistic difference between AEs and other luxury models like Alden is that while both nominally run at very steep list prices, AEs can periodically be found at substantial discounts to them. As of this review, at least temporarily, the Soho appears to have hit that level. Props to Amazon for offering first quality shoes at closeout prices.
The Soho proper is a gorgeous shoe, and currently the only oxford cap toe in their line besides the best selling Park Avenue (PA). The Soho is slightly different from the PA in two respects. First, it's on the new 0 last (called the double-zero by AE salespeople) which is one of the larger, wider lasts AE currently offers. The old 5 last that the PA has been on for 70 years is the narrowest and longest of all AE shoes, and as a result some will find the PA just doesn't fit them in any size. For those, the Soho may prove a better alternative.
It's probably not a bad idea to get fitted not just in AEs but in the actual last of the shoe you're looking to buy if you can before ordering as it makes a big difference. In general, most will probably take a 1/2 to full size down from what they wear in sneakers on the Soho, but keep in mind one AE salesperson told me something like 70% of the grown men who walk in her store are wearing shoes that don't fit (let alone knowing what size they wear!), so if you've not bought a set recently, probably a good idea to get measured. AE is the best shoe manufacturer out there, bar none, in producing models that fit non standard sized (extra wide or extra narrow) feet, so there's probably a size and last that fits...but it may take some time to find it. It's hard to pass up prices during a sale like this, though. If you're not near an AE or Nordstrom store to try them on in person, worse case, just buy 2 in different sizes and spend $15 for return shipping to Amazon if neither fits.
Second, the only downside is that the cap toe is a little longer than on most shoes. As such, it comes across as slightly more stylish than traditional stodgy cap toes, but there's a catch - you have to be very, very careful breaking in the shoes to make sure you don't crease the cap toe proper, which ruins the look and is why this is only 4 stars instead of 5. AE should have reinforced the cap toe to limit creasing, but in this case style and probably weight won out. One suggestion is to use a bunch of AE Conditioner Cleaner, unfortunately not carried by Amazon but it's less than $10 from AE directly, before even trying the shoe on as it helps limit creasing somewhat overall. Conditioner is good in any case before wearing any shoe for the first time as dried out leather is bad in general - one example: if the leather is really dried out, shoe polish can literally create dark spots on the shoe!
Still, a very comfortable, very formal dress shoe that will last for years if you treat it right. Recommended, especially at this price.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding, beautiful shoe, March 11, 2009
This review is from: Allen Edmonds Men's Soho Oxford (Apparel)
I received these shoes about a week ago from Amazon. The shoes are beautiful, and the elongated toe makes a nice, subtle statement.
That said, the reviewer who mentioned creasing on the cap due to the longer last was dead-on: Mine have already begun to show some creasing about a half inch past the cap stitching. It isn't terrible, but definitely something worth considering, especially if you aren't one to properly care for your shoes. I would *highly* recommend buying some cedar shoe trees to go along with these shoes. Some creasing is inevitable, but I've found the trees have really helped.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!, September 6, 2008
Amazing shoes - arrived 2 days after I ordered them online, and I live in Canada! First quality shoes, fit me perfectly (got the sizing right in store and then bought them online from Amazon.com. I would definitely suggest buying these shoes based on my personal experience > I now happily own 4 pairs of AE's with no complaints
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