Allen Edmonds' bourbon

[srlclark]

As many of you no doubt know by now, a week or so ago, Allen Edmonds put all of its bourbon shoes into clearance, so they are available only as long as stocks last. It seems that there are right now a lot of shoes left but they'll probably dwindle quite a bit over the next couple of months. According to a question on their bourbon Strand page, they do not plan to replace bourbon with a new color, but I imagine that they will do so at some point in 2016. There's been talk before about them needing a shade of brown that: a) isn't reddish like chili, b) isn't as dark as their burnished brown, c) isn't as light as their walnut, and d) isn't achieved by burnishing an already dyed leather like bourbon but is medium-brown from the dye. Presumably the reason they're discontinuing bourbon is to work on producing an alternative medium-brown that is easier to maintain (also bourbon, for all the praise that Joe gave it on the main site, was never close to brown or walnut as a big seller for Allen Edmonds).

Bourbon shoes are currently $277 at AE or $217 via the Shoebank, but those prices will probably drop after a month or two.

Time to pick up a pair or three in bourbon or hold out for whatever replacement color AE eventually comes up with?

[3piece]

AE's CEO said, at askandyaboutclothes.com, they're consolidating colors (read: no replacement color).

[devastitis]

Any time AE Bourbon is mentioned in a thread, I'll suggest the AE Mora 2.0s in Bourbon. Embrace the double monks.

[srlclark]

AE's CEO said, at askandyaboutclothes.com, they're consolidating colors (read: no replacement color).

That's weird. A medium brown would seem an obvious staple. I'd have thought they'd do better to scrap either oxblood or merlot and just have one burgundy color than to scrap medium brown altogether.

Do you have a link to the thread in question? I don't have an Ask Andy account but would create one to ask him a question about this.

[3piece]

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/f...rbon&p=1754568

[winghus]

That's weird. A medium brown would seem an obvious staple. I'd have thought they'd do better to scrap either oxblood or merlot and just have one burgundy color than to scrap medium brown altogether.

Do you have a link to the thread in question? I don't have an Ask Andy account but would create one to ask him a question about this.

"Seaons Greetings AAAC Friends --

The OP is correct. We are taking a break from bourbon for a while and all of our bourbon shoes are on Clearance -- a fabulous opportunity for those who like the nuance of the bourbon look.

We've decided to narrow our calfskin color range down to 5 for 2016 -- black, brown burnished, chili, oxblood and walnut. We see our newly updated versions of both chili and oxblood as trending very positively these days and want to give them more focus this coming year. We're also working in production to be more consistent in our finishing and to make superior finishing more of a strength of AE. Reducing the colorwheel to 5 (4 browns) helps us in that pursuit as well.

So, if you like the bourbon look, it's "last call". Bottoms up.

Thanks for your support in 2015 and Happy New Year, everyone!

Paul "

[srlclark]

Thanks [MENTION=12713]winghus[/MENTION]. I've now found the thread. It makes sense to focus on just a few colors and then extend the list later, but it reads as though they'll bring back bourbon/a new shade of medium brown in 2017 or at some later point.

I don't get what he means when he says four of the five are browns. I'd grant that chili is a brown, albeit a reddish brown, and so not a "pure" brown. But I can't see any brown in oxblood at all, so it seems to me that three of the five are browns. That's fine, but two of the three are rather dark browns (brown is very dark; chili is lighter but still rather dark) and the other is a very light brown. Eventually, they should have something like bourbon that is closer to a medium brown.

Also, they do still sell merlot and are not phasing it out, so it's not quite true that they're only focusing on five colors. They've just reduced it to three shoes - McAllister, Hopkinson, and Jefferson 2.0. Merlot's not on clearance in any of those shoes, though.

[srlclark]

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/f...rbon&p=1754568

Thanks. What do you think of this decision?

[Evenflow]

The burnishing on the bourbon created a bunch of weird stripes ("more consistent in finishing"). Also, I think some of the bourbon looks greenish. I have one bourbon pair that's great and one that looks on the green end of the brown spectrum, now that I've been looking at it for a year. That being said, I may buy a bourbon Mora.

[drocpsu]

I love my bourbon mcallisters. Great medium-brown shade. I wear the heck out of them. If I didn't already have walnut and blank strands, I probably would pick up a pair in bourbon on clearance.

[devastitis]

Considering backing one of the seconds with a dainite sole and make it my beater pair for the snowy and rainy days.

[papaholmz]

Just pulled the trigger on a pair of bourbon McAllisters with combo tap sole. I only wish the Warwick came in bourbon...

[Alex1]

Thanks for posting this. I saw the sale but had no idea they were discontinuing bourbon. I don't own anything in bourbon, but I would have bought bourbon instead of walnut Strands. Macy's had a nice sale last year and only carried walnut and black. I can understand why they are discontinuing it though. It's a little too light to be worn with a dark suit, but it isn't flashy enough for the shoe enthusiasts. It will be hard to resist buying a pair.

[facelessghost]

Side note--it looks like they're also discontinuing the 333 last, if the clearance selection is any indication.

[napaxton]

Does anyone think that bourbon looks a little green? I've been to the local AE, as well as the S. Carolina outlet recently, and I can't get over a feeling that there's a little green there…

I'm trying to decide on a color for some Daltons. The staff in SC indicated that Walnut and Chocolate Brown would be having a seconds sale later this month.