Found on the 2 Pair for $200 Shelf at AE Factory Store
Posted Apr 8, 2011, 1:59 PM UTC
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Just a note that Allen Edmunds was a major campaign donor of dictatorial governor Scott Walker. I'm personally boycotting the brand, even though they are beautiful shoes.
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All opinions regarding the intent of the recent bills aside (this is a fashion sub, after all, and not politics), I don't know how much I can agree with the sentiment that introducing a bill to the legislative branch where it is passed by a simple majority of elected representatives can be considered dictatorial. Using that kind of rhetoric and hyperbole isn't going to help promote level headed discussion in any arena.
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not here to agree with that opinion (although it is worthy of merit). just wanted to second that this is a fashion sub, not politics. i unsubscribed from r/politics for a reason.
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i unsubscribed from r/politics for a reason.
Me, too. Unfortunately that also meant I didn't find out about the shut-down until last night. O.o
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i just replaced r/politics with another source (non-reddit) to keep me updated.
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This is relevant to anyone who cares about the ethical behavior of the companies they support, and pertinent to anyone interested in AE shoes.
Dictatorial describes Walker's style of government. He and the legislature broke several laws in the state of Wisconsin pushing their bill through. Perhaps lawless or unlawful would be a more appropriate label. I can cite them for you but don't want to clog up the thread.
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I mean, this is definitely relevant to Reddit's interest, so I think the comment plays a good role in this thread.
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-blinks- So the Emperor in Star Wars wasn't actually an Emperor?
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Dude finds hot shoes for low prices and speaks truth.
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I'm sorry, after all this is fashion, but abusing a majority of Representatives elected by a mis-educated public to push through a bill built upon blatant lies and misrepresentations of fiscal situations designed solely to tear apart the electoral base, and weaken the power of democratic party fundraisers, then manipulating state law to illegally pass that bill is as close to a dictatorship that we get in this Democracy.
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owned
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Wow, I did NOT know this. Guess my first pair of dress shoes in numerous years is going to wind up being Aldens.
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Thanks for mentioning that...that's actually a deal breaker.
You can't even safely by shoes anymore without supporting idiots like that.
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I have boycotted all contributers to his campaign and my heart dropped when I saw AE on the list.
They are beautiful shoes, however, so I guess I lucked out by buying mine a few months before Walker was on my radar. :\
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That is a mighty fine pair of horse ass shoes you found yourself there.
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Cordovan for $100? You bastard.
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To be fair, the rest of the story is that the salesman realized what I had found and tried to play a "those must have been put there by mistake" card. I gave a questioning eyebrow, which was all it took to get the manager to offer them for $150. They were clearly marked the same as the rest of the shoes in that area and are from a discontinued international collection, so "Closeout" is the only place in the store for them to go.
It's not fair of me to suppose it, but if I take away the benefit of the doubt, the salesman (who wore the same size as me (and was wearing the same pair of shoes as I was when I walked in)) might have been trying to find a way to keep them for himself...
I'm sure I could have gone down any of many legal-beagle 'you have to give me the price per your posted deal', but I knew what I had found and happily snapped them up without a fuss.
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i apologize for my ignorance, but could you explain a little more? why are these shoes so great? how much do they usually go for? is there a name for this general style of shoe?
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Allen Edmonds are generally considered to be one of the best US shoe makers, they are all manufactured in Wisconsin and have a reputation for quality and comfort.
The shoes he got are made from shell cordovan, which comes from one particular section of horse hide. It is renowned for its flexibility, durability and look. Only one small section of the horse hide has the right properties essentially resulting in only one pair of shoes per horse.
Generally shell cordovan shoes like these start at $500.
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$550 right now for any Cordovan shoe at allenedmonds.com.
Cordovan is a type of leather made from a smallish part of a horse. There is just enough shell in one horse to make one pair of shoes. Whereas your more common shoe leathers take about a month to cure, Cordovan leathers usually require about a 6 month process to produce. Coupled with the lesser availability of horses in general as compared to cows, it makes for a more expensive material.
So why would you ever make a leather out of something that is 'uncommon' and more expensive to make than the alternatives? Aside from the usual fashion based sense of exclusivity, cordovan ages very differently from bovine leathers. The leather is less porous, and so is shinier and more water resistant, which makes them last longer.
And then as they age, instead of just looking worn out, creased, faded, or scuffed, Cordovan develops a patina of sorts. The colors deepen and change. Even new, the colors are somewhat dynamic depending on the light. This thread documents some guy's adventure in restoring an old pair of shells and the results are pretty spectacular.
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thanks! today i learned.
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(Shell) Cordovan means horse-hide (as opposed to cow-hide leather, which is what most leather is). Cordovan shoes will pretty much last forever because the leather is so tough and durable.
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I'm jealous.
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You son of a bitch!
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Where is the factory store?
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... at the factory.
In Port Washington, WI. I just happened to be passing by on a rare trip in that direction. 'Twas my lucky day.
Port Washington is one of my favorite cities in the whole country. It has a charm that can't be beat. I guess that's why so many TV shows have been set there.
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6 hour drive.. almost tempted..
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I'd call ahead or send an email to make sure they've got anything you like. You could burn up all your potential savings on gas money and not necessarily find something you want.
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Those are beautiful. Congratulations on the good find.
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Sitting at work right now and literally said "oh damnnnnnnn." out loud. Nice find!
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these are beautiful
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What would those shoes have cost normally,? I'm not much of a shoe aficionado, and I'm curious how good a deal this was.
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$550 right now for any Cordovan shoe at allenedmonds.com.
The salesman said they've recently had to raise their price on them as there has been a push from certain groups to stop using horses for this purpose and so the availability of the material has lessened. I haven't dug into whether that claim holds water or not.
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Interesting, thanks.
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I bought a pair of Park Ave on eBay a couple years ago in like-new condition. $34. :D
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Good choice! Do you have any advice as to what to wear with these shoes in terms of pants?
I would love a pair, but I can see my current inventory of pants making these shoes look like I may as well be wearing sweatpants and dress shoes.
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Most days I'll wear these ones with navy or various shades of gray gabardine dress trousers, but they could just as well pair with a dark pair of jeans or next fall some courds.
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Geeze those are so beautiful! Great find!
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Thank you.
The picture really doesn't do them justice. They're actually a bit darker than they show up in the picture; but what's really missing is that the leather looks ... alive. By that I mean that the tint and hue of the brown seems to change with the angle or even just by the moment. It's a little bit mesmerizing. I know it sounds like bullshit, but its true. This is my first pair of cordovan leather shoes, and I feel like I've wasted my whole life on the usual stuff.
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Does anyone happen to know anything about the stamp under the "Shell Cordovan" text on the sole?
It looks like a backwards C and an R surrounding some kind of crest.
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The "crest" is actually just the symbol for leather. Not sure about the C and the R
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Not to rain on your parade, but my coworker actually sold me a pair of black "Chester" AE's today that he never wore cause they didn't fit him for $20. I didn't even know MFA liked them? I'm guessing I got a good deal.
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You got an amazing deal.
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In shell cordovan? You sir are a lucky man.
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I am happy to say I will never need to wear dress shoes again for the rest of my life. Unless I want to, which seems unlikely at this point.
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I have never NEEDED to, but I do so anyways.
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Ain't no accountin' for taste, now is there?
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If you email them at [email protected] and tell them your shoe size, they will send you a list of their stock of discontinued lines. Some terrible looking shoes in there, but also some great deals.
To the OP, amazing catch on the cordovans.
Have you done this before? I just emailed them.
Yeah, I didn't end up getting anything because I am looking for something very specific right now, but there were some nice shoes.
The 2 for $200 section has a broad mix of discontinued styles and shoes that were probably left over for a reason. There are a few gems in there, though. I could have easily left with 4 or 5 pair if my wallet happened to be so fat.
The store also has a lot of factory seconds that, without a really close inspection, you would never know have a flaw. They're usually marked at $1-200 off of retail. I'm sure that if you have a particular style you want, you can ask them if they have it in your size in a second and they'll look for you. Very friendly folk.
After receiving this list, can you place an order with them and they will shi the shoes wherever you live or do you have to go pick them up
I think they ship, but I didn't order anything so don't know for sure.