Allen Edmonds Men's Park Avenue Cap-Toe Oxford Dress Shoe Review

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.

Smell & feel reminds me of my childhood going to the shoemaker! High quality old school!!

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.

Firstly, the shoe looks great. Found the right size for the AE#5 last: 10.5, EEE. Wore them twice, and found them quite comfortable. One morning, putting them on to go to work, I noticed a strange "line" on the side of the heel. Upon closer inspection, the "line" was a fracture going all around the heel. The other shoe was even worse! So, after 2 wears, the heels are falling off of an expensive pair of shoes. Amazon doesn't say if the Allen Edmonds they sell are seconds or not, but given the obvious lack of construction standards, I believe they are indeed seconds, or "defects". I don't know if I should return them, contact Allen Edmonds, or bring them to a local cobbler. Any way I go, very disappointing.

These were beautiful shoes, and I would have loved to have kept these, but living in CO I realized that I couldn't justify trying to wear these throughout the year in rain and snow with that leather sole. I ended up buying this directly from AE with a Dainite sole, as that was more practical for my CO experience. Great shoe though. I just received them from AE and would recommend.

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

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.

I love Allen Edmonds. They make the best men's shoes available in the U.S. These shoes fit so well. The leather is top quality, and it takes a high shine.For people who are uncertain about buying such a pricy shoe: it's worth it, in this case. Cap toe Oxfords are the classic men's dress shoe. They will always be appropriate for work and formal occasions. Allen Edmonds shoes will be with you for life, and they will always fit well and look good. One $300 pair of quality shoes is a better deal than three or four pairs of inferior shoes. It *is* worthwhile.And finally, the WIDTH: Allen Edmonds makes shoes in widths from AAA to EEE, so you can get the perfect fit across. It's not just a choice between "medium" and "wide", like most shoe manufacturers. And with such a range of widths, they're a blessing for MEN WITH WIDE FEET, like me. In other brands, like J&M, I typically go with a 13 Wide, which is too long and still too narrow. AE's 12 EEE is the perfect fit for me.