Allen EdmondsMen's Park Avenue Oxford

Despite some other reviews on the AE quality control not being what it was in the past I found no issues with this pair. I own six pairs of AE shoes and have the Park Avenue with the rubber soles for winter but wanted this leather sole pair for the rest of the year. I hit the soles lightly with some 120 grit sandpaper to give them some traction as I do with my other leather sole shoes.

[---Quick Summation on Quality in General---]Leather is noticeably soft without the plastic feel of the usual sub 200$ departmental dress shoes (Boston, Johnston and Murphy etc.). The leather sole is stiff and rigid and they are meant to conform to your foot over time so there may or may not be a break-in period however, you will have to let them get acquainted with your foot.These can be shined which hold superior gloss versus many of the other less expensive brands. Moreover, you buy these shoes to stay with you a long time as they can be re-crafted (new sole, and tightens the leather a bit) for a little above 100$ which will turn them into a somewhat new pair of Allen Edmonds shoe that is already somewhat molded with your foot.Quality: 9/10-------------------------------------------------------------[---Issues---]It took me (2) returns: 1 from Amazon and 1 directly from Allen Edmonds to force my hand in putting 2 stars for an Allen Edmond shoe. This being said, I will still buy their shoes for the hope that this one--flagship and iconical line--is an anomaly.My current shoe closet has many pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes e.g. Strand, Lasalle, Neumora. With experience in 1st quality and 2nd quality, nothing has been less than expected from a 'superior line' when examining the quality of the shoe (with the exception of subjective observations). The Park Avenue, the staple of Allen Edmonds shoes, has been the pariah where these were supposed to be the foundation.1st pair:As noted by many people over the internet, with the Park Avenues seemingly being the only 'violater', there is 'bowing' i.e. Top-Line bulge at the mouth of the shoe. Explained more, the part surrounding your ankle has too much 'excess' of leather i.e. seemingly not made proportionally so that the sides bulge from excess material. The latter allows much creasing on the sides so that it looks like your ankle is a...chicken ankle (think of pants that are too big 'creasing' at the waist when a belt is cinched).My first pair from Amazon had this problem along with unsightly 'creasing' at the mouth from excess leather. Needless to say, it was not a good looking shoe. In general, I can make compromises with other, less expensive, pairs of shoes however, when I make the conscious choice to purchase Quality shoes I expect nothing less than perfection (at least enough perfection by eyeing it). When you choose to spend more for a luxury car or watch, you may be overspending however one thing will not be a question: the quality is above average and it will work as intended; nothing more.From the latter problems I returned them based on the bowing.2nd pair:The first shoe looked as it should and there was minimal bowing, see Normal. The next shoe (right pair) had a flopping right side on the mouth (top-line bulge...again). This was confirmed when I put my foot inside. It was so bad I could stick 2-3 fingers, one on top of the other, inside the 'space' made by the too big leather. It looked very, very bad.*It should be noted that I can be so adament about the lack of 'tightness' around the mouth because of my experience with previous Allen Edmonds shoes...and dress shoes in general (from various manufacturers). The sizing is not the issue.*Knowing Amazon does not allow returns after the 1st (rightfully so as they, at that point, figure it is an issue with the product in general), I contacted customer service and explained the situation. They thus investigated their current stock for the problem.Meanwhile I contact Allen Edmonds directly where I was met with the much documented good customer service where I was told to send them back even though I purchased them from an online retailer with the explanation of the problem.3rd Pair:Receiving them fairly quickly after I sent them, everything on the shoe looked good...finally...until I examined a little more in detail. As I am not necessarily a 'finicky' or judging person (not too harshly) where I would forgive scrapes, scratches, creases (before I wear them), or smudges, the next problem is unacceptable for a the type of shoe manufacturer Allen Edmonds represents.*Crooked Toe Cap*As I said previously that everything on the 3rd pair looked fine (top line bulge was non existent and tight), there was a new problem--the Toe Cap. Where it is supposed to be straight across--180 degrees--the shoe, it was more like 165. Instead of a plane, it was a slope. The right shoe was more apparent than the left, however they would be 'straight' if I walked with my toes outward (pretty good if I was trying out a Charlie Chaplin act..though for normal use, pretty tough).At this point, I am getting slightly impatient with constantly exchanging shoes however the problems are so that I cannot accept a subpar pair from a manufacturer that you pay for having 'pristine' quality.These have all been 1st quality for the record. Even the seconds I purchased were obviously better 'put together' than this 'lucky' group of three.Even with the issues, I intend to exchange them until I get a pair that is satisfactory. If this begins to be the norm rather than the exception, and other lines are affected as well, then I will start to question what direction Allen Edmonds, as a company, is wanting to go.[---9/4/2013 Addendum---]4th Pair:Exchanged the 3rd pair (the exchange directly from Allen Edmonds with the Toe-Cap crooked problem) with Amazon and the new pair has none of the above noted problems. No bowing and no crooked toe cap.Not sure what would cause these 'quality control' problems as the pairs that I received would be fairly ok as seconds even though the bowing really adjusts the look of the shoe. The cost of replacing this many times and at the risk of Allen Edmond's customer base changing their opinion somewhat of the companies' philosophy and quality would certainly not be worth having to go over a shoe for its proper production.4th time should not be a charm in this case; not with the price and reputation that is behind this 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.

This is an outstanding, elegant shoe. Made to the highest quality standards here in the USA. Relatively pricey, perhaps, but an exceptional value. If they are like my other Allen Edmonds shoes, these should last forever.

I purchased these shoes for my son who works in DC and walks everywhere! He said they are the most comfortable shoes ever! Very satisfied!

I have a wide foot and although this is a wide they are a little tight. But once on, they are extremely confortable.

awesome. shoe sole shape cradles first metatarsal phalangeal joint. massaging as you walk. and beautifull. maybe some different colored laces

As advertised good quality shoe from Allen Edmonds. I could not find any defects on them. They are comfortable and classy dress

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.

I was hesitant to order these given the other (and only) review. However, given there are so many different colours and sizes, I assumed their situation was particular to their shoe. In Canada, we can't buy factory seconds from Allen Edmonds which is very frustrating. And, even if we could, we would pay a restock fee for a return. Given Amazon's free refund, I thought I would take the risk in purchasing these and I am glad I did.First, a star is docked because these are FACTORY SECONDS yet it is not stated clearly anywhere. That is very shady. However, based on price, I assumed this to be the case and tempered my expectations accordingly. Despite this, the only noticeable defect to make them a factory second is on the underside of the heel. It doesn't affect performance and no one will ever see that.I was nearly ready to buy a pair of Park Avenues from Allen Edmond's despite their outrageous price, but despite how expensive they are, shipping isn't even free. Save yourself 900 CAD and pickup a pair here! I am glad I did.

This is a pretty good deal for AE. They are a factory second though, you could guess that by the price. Mine had about 8 minor imperfections, nothing serious and all can be fixed or hidden with some sole paint and leather cream. I have spent $700 on AE direct from AE that showed up in way worse condition. I will buy these again and touch them up.

The Fifth Avenue is the flagship style of Allen Edmonds. I would describe the fit as long and lean. If you are in between sizes, I would recommend sizing down and if you have wide feet be sure to order the wide width. These shoes are classic style and comfortable, Allen Edmonds has a reputation for building durable shoes. Now I will say the shoe box came damaged and I could tell the shoes had been previously tried on, however the price reflected that. I was able to pick these shoes up in the price rang of $170s CND when they tradition retails for $350 USD. If you see an extremely lower price be prepared for a damage shoe box, which I think would mean little to most customers. Living in the land of snow and these being a leather soled shoe I had a local copper put on a rubber grip sole.On another note Allen Edmonds are the most comfortable and due to their range of sizes and widths, the best fitting shoes I have found. They are very tough to find in Canada and to order from America you often get hit with large duties and would have to pay for any returns. Not on Amazon. Amazon has true changed the game for those living in Canada or in remote communities. Overall very happy with my purchase and my experience with Amazon.

Bought my first pair of AE Park Avenues a few months ago. The design of the shoe is timeless and the construction is great. However, even after breaking-in period of several weeks, I feel the shoe is not comfortable enough to walk around the city. I will most likely not invest in another pair of AEs. I would probably go for Tods or Ferragamos for my next purchase.