Upcoming Allen Edmonds sales (?)

[Ian619]

Nope, seconds don't come with bags. I've heard on a rare occasion you'll get lucky, though I've had so such luck in 4 tries. With the money you're saving, you can buy a pair on eBay for about $7 shipped, and less if you buy in bulk.

Seconded. I've bought 5 pairs of seconds over the years and only one came with bags.

[fey]

Those are nice looking Kenilworth seconds. I tried some Walnut seconds before and they had bad tiger striping. From the angle you posted, they look near perfect. Enjoy!

they are in good shape; there is a section of stitching on the sole that is misplaced, and one shoe has what looks like a pen mark in the crevice between the sole and upper.

unfortunately, i'm experiencing the bowing by the ankle that several reviewers mentioned on the ae website. if anyone is wondering about this situation (because googling didn't provide me with any definitive answers), i'm going to walk over to an ae store later today, get their opinions on it, and post a follow up. it's not as severe as those pictures on the website but i can still fit my thumb in one side when i stand up. i got these kenilworths in the same size as my strands which fit fine. it seems like the bowing might be occuring because there is excess shoe material in that area, the fewer eyelets don't go as high up as they do on the strands and create more open space around the ankle, or my ankle doesn't take up enough volume.

[jeff4]

@fey - Those Kenilworths look great! Nice grab. Yeah, none of my seconds have come with the flannel bags, save for a pair of Player's Shoes that came with one... very odd. But I've also wanted to purchase some as well, as I keep mine in the boxes on the shelf in my closet.

I wouldnt call you ghetto foodie, moreso resourceful. Ghetto would be using old sheets and creating makeshift bags with the elastics, lmao...

Ummm... am I the only one thinking, "WHAT A FANTASTIC IDEA!!!"

[RiveDroit]

I've bought 4 pairs of AE seconds, and have gotten bags 3 times. CR bags are a great idea!

[Fred G. Unn]

But I've also wanted to purchase some as well, as I keep mine in the boxes on the shelf in my closet.

$10, with free shipping from AE:
http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline...40000000001_-1

I think I've only gotten 1 pair of bags on anything from the Shoebank but they were boot bags.

[yoyorobbo]

I'm ghetto and use leftover Crown Royal bags I have from my old days as a bartender lol:

You meant from your old days as a D&D dungeon master, right?

Regardless, great idea!

[kentyman]

unfortunately, i'm experiencing the bowing by the ankle that several reviewers mentioned on the ae website. if anyone is wondering about this situation (because googling didn't provide me with any definitive answers), i'm going to walk over to an ae store later today, get their opinions on it, and post a follow up. it's not as severe as those pictures on the website but i can still fit my thumb in one side when i stand up. i got these kenilworths in the same size as my strands which fit fine. it seems like the bowing might be occuring because there is excess shoe material in that area, the fewer eyelets don't go as high up as they do on the strands and create more open space around the ankle, or my ankle doesn't take up enough volume.

The one pair of Kenilworths I tried in the same size as my Strands were also a bit big all around. It was explained to me that a blucher on the same last wouldn't yield as tight of fit, and I should consider tweaking the size.

[fey]

After i went to the store, the guy fitting me kind of confirmed what i thought was going on- a combination of the kenilworth lacing not going as high as their balmorals leaves a lot more space around the opening, and claimed that my foot didn't take up as much space as needed. he frankly said that i should avoid their blutchers and stick to what i know fits. Not a great answer, especially when he suggested i get a second pair of strands, but what can you do. guess i'll be returning them.

unrelated, i had a run in with the 1% there:

if i heard right, his total was somewhere north of $1700. maybe he was just taking advantage of the s4s promo? lol

[yoyorobbo]

After i went to the store, the guy fitting me kind of confirmed what i thought was going on- a combination of the kenilworth lacing not going as high as their balmorals leaves a lot more space around the opening, and claimed that my foot didn't take up as much space as needed. he frankly said that i should avoid their blutchers and stick to what i know fits. Not a great answer, especially when he suggested i get a second pair of strands, but what can you do. guess i'll be returning them.

I hear ya. But I had horrible fittings with basically all of "the hits" on the 5 last (Strand, Park, Kenil). The Kenilworths had the worst gap of them all on my ankles. I was totally bummed. They simply are not meant for my feet.

That being said, I just ran into a sweet find last night at Nordtrom Rack: the AE Rawlins. Yep, I never heard of it either. Not many google results to be found, or so it seems, as well. Here's a link to the post I made yesterday, inquiring if anyone here had seen it or tried it before:

http://threads.dappered.com/showthre...318-AE-Rawlins

It's very much a Kenilworth with 4 eyelets (better to control that gap at the ankles), and on the 7 last (I *think*). One of my google findings showed a post at style forum (IIRC), in which some dude saw them at Nord Rack too, but he described them being on the 8 last. The 4 digit product code inside the shoe reads 3607, so I figured it was the 7 last). The shoe shows up on a German AE site, but not on the American one. Weird.

Anyway, it fits me GREAT, and I hope to make them mine very soon (hopefully tomorrow, if they are still there - they did have a few pair, so I think I'll be OK). You may want to try those, if you can find them. A couple ebay hits came up too (can't recall if they were current or not), so there's that option as well.

Obviously, the Rawlins won't fit into this current sale/deal, as I'm fairly certain they are not a current available offering from AE, but still, it may be a solution for your blucher blues. Good luck!

[NYCToon]

@ Fey - Banker bonuses were paid this month in NYC. Maybe that guy went on a shopping spree... I would personally LOVE to have $1700 to spend at AE's.

[fey]

That being said, I just ran into a sweet find last night at Nordtrom Rack: the AE Rawlins. Yep, I never heard of it either. Not many google results to be found, or so it seems, as well.

I saw these at my local nordstrom rack (nyc) too. They were beat up though, and they were asking something like $220, so wouldn't even consider it. they were marked as seconds too. they didn't have the burnishing that the kenilworths do though, i liked that bit

@ Fey - Banker bonuses were paid this month in NYC. Maybe that guy went on a shopping spree... I would personally LOVE to have $1700 to spend at AE's.

same. though i'm not sure i love enough AE styles to pick out that many boxes. strands/park/neumok/dalton and maybe a few pairs for that poor guy with the factory 2nds that don't fit

[Vicious49]

I hear ya. But I had horrible fittings with basically all of "the hits" on the 5 last (Strand, Park, Kenil). The Kenilworths had the worst gap of them all on my ankles. I was totally bummed. They simply are not meant for my feet.

It's weird that so many people have this issue. I haven't had that with any of mine. I post pics in WIWT all the time (posted brown Strands today) and none of them have that gap at all. Like you said, it must not be meant for your feet.

[yoyorobbo]

Like you said, it must not be meant for your feet.

Yeah man, I have the flattest feet on the planet. If I purposefully make a high arch while I'm trying them on, the gap magically disappears. But I'm not a fan of supports/orthotics, and I certainly can't walk around like that. I actually get a little gap with just about every shoe in my closet, but when it's as extreme as those 5 last models in particular, it's probably better off for me to pass on them and try to find some sort of suitable substitute. Ah well. Good to hear that some of your gents are able to enjoy them. They are very, very nice.

[yoyorobbo]

I saw these at my local nordstrom rack (nyc) too. They were beat up though

Aw, man that blows. I've seen some shoes there that look like they've been through the ringer too. It's kinda hit or miss there; mostly hit, but sucks when a good one is roughed up. OK, well there goes that idea for ya. Best of luck on your quest.

[Idle_Hands]

After i went to the store, the guy fitting me kind of confirmed what i thought was going on- a combination of the kenilworth lacing not going as high as their balmorals leaves a lot more space around the opening, and claimed that my foot didn't take up as much space as needed. he frankly said that i should avoid their blutchers and stick to what i know fits. Not a great answer, especially when he suggested i get a second pair of strands, but what can you do. guess i'll be returning them.

unrelated, i had a run in with the 1% there:

if i heard right, his total was somewhere north of $1700. maybe he was just taking advantage of the s4s promo? lol

I was expecting a much more impressive looking (and older) dude. Glad to see he's keeping the Rock Center AE in business so I can continue to take my lowly seconds there for returns.