Allen Edmonds Men's Fifth Avenue Cap Toe Review

Having worn out a pair of Cole Haan split-toe oxfords over the course of four years, I decided to step up and order a pair of Allen Edmonds per the recommendation of fashion-savvy friends and colleagues. These have not disappointed over the past three months of use.Although I was hesitant to shell out over $200 on a pair of dress shoes, you truly do get what you pay for with the FIfth Avenue Cap Toes. The shoe is constructed extremely well with high-grade materials. As with any fine shoe, they require breaking in but after about half a dozen wears, they start adapting to the size and movement of your foot and are quite comfortable as far as dress shoes go. The shoes also fit true to size.Stylistically, I appreciate the pattern across the toe. It provides a subtle fashion contrast to the more staid simple line across the toe of standard cap toe shoes. Of course, that's a matter of personal taste.Overall, I am extremely happy with the purchase. The value of the extra $100 you spend for a pair of Allen Edmonds over a similarly styled shoe will likely come to bear later on in the shoe's life as the construction is superior and the quality evident. Of course, if that does not turn out to be the case, I'll be sure to update the review!

Allen Edmonds are surely on their way of becoming my favorite shoe brand. They're extremely well crafted with goodyear welt construction, leather soles, and good quality leather. Frankly, it's how a shoe should be built. They are expensive but are made in USA and when compared to a $100 Kenneth Cole shoe that falls apart less than a year....a worthwhile investment in quality and durability. This particular model fits very well, I normally measure out to a 8.5 EEE size but since this shoe runs a tad long I ordered an 8 EEE and it fits like a glove. The leather is soft and requires no breaking in, I put them into service on Monday and felt comfortable in them all day. The leather insole also slowly molds to your feet so they only get more comfortable and personalized over time. And when the heel finally wears out they can be sent back for recrafting. A quality product that is built for rebuilding instead of disposal. The style is very conservative, you either like it or you don't. But they're very comfortable and I expect them to last very long time to justify the cost.

This is my second pair of Allen Edmonds. My first pair is the Strand and I've had them almost two years. Ordered the same size, and the fit is pretty much the same which is longer than almost all of my other shoes by a half size (i.e., need a 10 in these, but usually where a 10.5 or 11), but this last is a little tighter in the toes. I assume this pair will wear as well as my other pair, which is great. They look great and keep their shape well with shoe trees and shoe horn. If you appreciate nice shoes, you won't be disappointed.Update: After wearing once a week (16hr/day) for a few months, the shoes are holding up very well, but the "pinch" at the toes is still bothering me. My Strands do not give me this discomfort. I guess it is just a difference in the style of shoe. I don't think a different size would help since my toes do not hit the end, but maybe a wider width would have been better?

This is a very versatile pair. I purchased this as a third set of Allen Edmonds. I have Park Avenue in Black and Strand in Walnut color. I wanted a dark brown brogue so I ended up buying this while AE was having the rediscover america sale. I loved everything about it. The brogue is very conservative, the tone of brown is also conservative. This might be a drawback for some who are looking for more fashionable model such as Strand in Walnut. Strand certainly "pop out" more but for those who need conservative pair this is a perfect fair. I do not have to mention the leather quality. It is simply amazing. I have higher arch on my right foot and it felt a bit tight on the first 2 wears or so but as AE uses cork, after wearing it few times it conforms to your foot and it was no problem once it was worn in. Very comfortable. I already wore them to few job interviews and certainly they added to your confidence and complemented my navy suit so well. I would recommend this to anyone who want great quality shoes.

AE lacks quality. The leather feels low quality and starts showing wear very fast. I have several AEs as well as Mephistos, and the Mephistos look new after 2 years of use and the AEs start showing age in the first 3-4 months.The leather feels rough, and dry and washed out. I wouldn't buy AE any more.

Excellent quality shoes that are worth every penny. While I can't say that everyone should order a size down, I'd recommend visiting an AE store to be measured (and no, that doesn't mean go get your foot measured at any shoe store, go to an actual AE store).I used to buy Cole Haan's for the price, and at that price point they're a good quality shoe. However, they don't compare to AE, and the price difference is well worth it. The only other brand I will continue to buy aside from AE, is Alden. Both excellent quality shoes that can be re-crafted to last you a lifetime!I wrote almost the same review (above) for the Park Avenues I purchased at the same time, but arrived a few days earlier. I've been alternating days between both pairs (Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue) for the almost two weeks now and both shoes are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn and look fantastic! Highly recommend!