Allen Edmonds Men's Park Avenue Waterproof Cap-toe Oxford Dress Shoe

I am a teacher. I am on my feet most of the day and need comfortable shoes. I also can't afford to spend a lot of money on a luxury purchase without a good reason. Because I need comfort, I have been buying Rockport shoes for years. However, I was sick of having to replace each pair every year to year and a half. Further, while I don't want to be too dressy (I'm a teacher and wearing a suit and tie everyday would be out of place), I do want to bring my look up from the business casual (sometimes on the most casual end of "business" casual) that I've done the past few years since I want to move into administration (the old "dress for the job you want" idea). So, I needed to get some nice dress shoes to go with the sport coat or blazer and chinos combo that I've moved to (sometimes with, sometimes without a tie), and most Rockport dress shoes don't look very dressy. I knew from experience that Bostonians or Florsheims might be pushing it on comfort if I'm always on my feet, and from what I've been reading, their quality has really gone downhill. Also, I have a hard to fit EEE to EEEE foot. From online reviews, it seemed that Johnston and Murphy or Allen Edmonds might be the way to go for nice dressy shoes that are still comfortable and available in wide widths, and I like that the Allen Edmonds, while not much more than the J&Ms, are made in America. So, I decided to give them a try. While I have read reviews from people who have had their Allen Edmonds shoes for many years or even a decade or more, I cannot comment on durability or longevity since I've only had these shoes for a few days. However, I can comment on other aspects of the purchase. First, quality to the degree I can ascertain at this point (workmanship and materials) appears to be as good as I expected from all the reviews I've read. You can tell from the stitching, and the look, smell and feel of the leather that these shoes are in a totally different league from shoes from Florsheim or Bostonian. They look and feel quite solid. Comfort, for new, unbroken-in shoes they are incredibly comfortable. Since I've been wearing Rockport, they are a little tight on the top of my foot (not in the width) because this style shoe fits tighter that what I've been used to (but they aren't uncomfortable, I just need to get used to real dress shoes again). Otherwise, they felt terrific- plenty of cushioning for my feet and easily wide enough for my very wide feet. Style...I love cap toe dress shoes. When I worked in business, that and wingtips were all I bought. They look terrific! If I don't polish them to too shiny a polish I can even just barely get away with wearing them with jeans. So, on a teacher's budget were they worth the cost? Well, I've gone and ordered a pair of Allen Edmonds McTavish wingtips in cognac. If they last less than half as long as I expect them to from all the reviews they will still be a bargain. Edit: Just a quick update: 2 years later and they still look new. They are definitely durable, long-lasting shoes.

I love Allen Edmonds. They make the best men's shoes available in the U.S. These shoes fit so well. The leather is top quality, and it takes a high shine. For people who are uncertain about buying such a pricy shoe: it's worth it, in this case. Cap toe Oxfords are the classic men's dress shoe. They will always be appropriate for work and formal occasions. Allen Edmonds shoes will be with you for life, and they will always fit well and look good. One $300 pair of quality shoes is a better deal than three or four pairs of inferior shoes. It *is* worthwhile. And finally, the WIDTH: Allen Edmonds makes shoes in widths from AAA to EEE, so you can get the perfect fit across. It's not just a choice between "medium" and "wide", like most shoe manufacturers. And with such a range of widths, they're a blessing for MEN WITH WIDE FEET, like me. In other brands, like J&M, I typically go with a 13 Wide, which is too long and still too narrow. AE's 12 EEE is the perfect fit for me.

Firstly, the shoe looks great. Found the right size for the AE#5 last: 10.5, EEE. Wore them twice, and found them quite comfortable. One morning, putting them on to go to work, I noticed a strange "line" on the side of the heel. Upon closer inspection, the "line" was a fracture going all around the heel. The other shoe was even worse! So, after 2 wears, the heels are falling off of an expensive pair of shoes. Amazon doesn't say if the Allen Edmonds they sell are seconds or not, but given the obvious lack of construction standards, I believe they are indeed seconds, or "defects". I don't know if I should return them, contact Allen Edmonds, or bring them to a local cobbler. Any way I go, very disappointing.

I have a pair of Allen Edmonds wingtips I bought over 20 years ago in size 10 AA that fit well but are well broken in so my initial order was for a pair of the Park Avenue's in that size. When they came I could barely get my feet into them and they were actually to tight and I doubt I could get them broken in. The size 10 A is still a snug fit but not to the point of being painful. I am going to stick with them since I also have a pair of Shreveport's which uses the same last but in a 10 B and they are actually slightly wide. My experience with my prior pair is that they do stretch somewhat as they break in and once they do they are ususally quite comfortable. I appreciate being able to swap out the AA's for A's at no cost to me.

These are comfortable and fit well. Leather is top quality. I like the red brown distinctness in the "chili" coloring. I was looking forward to wearing these once they arrived. I shined them up and wore them at first opportunity.

Quality appears to be top quality.

Made in the USA still stands for quality at Allen Edmonds. While a bit on the pricey side, they are well worth the investment if you spend many hours on your feet and you desire shoes with a long life. I have yet to find an equal in fit, comfort, overall shoe weight or quality of materials (particularly in the manufacture of the heel. Others have raved about Johnston & Murphey being a half-price alternative, but I disagree - I have owned Johnston & Murphey shoes that look nice, but all have been heavy and loud enough to be heard a block away when walking). I've tried Bostonian (quality on the decline of late), Clarks (quality definitely lacking) and Johnston & Murphey: none of which come close to matching the quality of Allen Edmonds; all of which ended up either in the landfill or at Good Will.

Absolutely beautifully crafted shoes. The pair I received were in perfect condition. The front of the shoes were a little too narrow for my feet (tight around the sides of my big toes), otherwise they fit well. I'm a size 9 D (really on the bigger end of a C width) and tried a size 9 D in these shoes. I've had problems in the past with boots and shoes I've been fitted for rubbing on the sides of my toes. I really wish these shoes fit my feet as they are incredibly beautiful. I ended up returning them because they didn't fit.

I seem to be very attracted by the Allen Edmonds look, kinda vintage look. Already had a couple pairs of different models. I have to admit that their finishing is not the best among other brands such as Carmina, Cheaney, Vass etc. But at the right price, that means at discount it makes sense.

Fits as expected, absolutely beautiful. Would buy again in another color

Returned immediately. The shoes were slightly different sizes even they were both said they were 8.5 regular, and there were multiple flaws in the leather, with dyeing problems and frayed edges on the soles. The worst part? The two brown colours didn't even match! Not even two different shades of the same brown, but actually different browns. Like, mahogany and chili or something like that. I should've taken a picture but I was so razzed I packed them up right away and sent them back. Terrible.

Glad they offer narrower sizes compared to the standard ones. Very happy although box that the shoes arrived in was heavyily damaged but didn’t damage the shoes.

I got exactly what I expected, including the color. Thank you