Men's shoes
I'm planning to get two pairs. One of them is probably going to be AE Park Ave (according to what I've read here). What should the other one be?
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Park Aves are great. What type of shoe do you want for the other pair? Same color or different? Need more info to advise.
I was thinking second pair could be a loafer (not the standard "deal sleds" though, something a bit more subtle)
Where are you located?
Carmina shoes are pretty nice, and priced the same as Allen Edmonds. Their lasts are vastly superior IMO.
Meermin too, and about half of what the above brands cost.
London
Well in that case, you should have a ton of options.
Allen Edmonds will cost you around £300-£360 in the UK. For the same price you can get Grenson, Barker, Cheaney, Carmina, etc. A bit cheaper and you can buy Carlos Santos, Loake, and similar. A bit more, and you can buy Crockett and Jones, Alfred Sargent, etc.
Lots of options, just depends on what style you want. The quality is pretty similar all over. I do like my AE strands and park avenues for their quality - quite good construction and leather, but the lasts are a bit too shapeless and blobby for my taste.
True Allen Edmonds don't make sense if delivered to London but I actually have a US trip coming up. Would you still recommend getting an English brand? The only cons of getting AE I can think of is I'll have to ship them to US for repairs
My first "real" shoes were AE Park Avenues. One pair in black, one in dark brown. I wore those babies every day, for 2 years. Inside and outside. They need a resole around that time, but I was too lazy - and just bought other shoes instead. The upper (leather) was very good...I didn't do much maintenance, other than brushing and shining. No moisture,etc. and I could not find any crackling or similar. No ugly creases either.
But alas, my taste in lasts changed, and the blobby Park Avenue lasts eventually became a deal-breaker for me. Still have them somewhere in the closet, but I don't really wear them much.
So my experience is that the construction and materials is very good for the price you pay. I haven't used AE for resoling, so I'm not sure on that process. The style is very American, so if that's the style you're after, go for it.
But if I were you, I'd def go to some upscale shoe or menswear store, and check out your options.
Agree Carmina are really nice - and a good excuse for a weekend trip to Barcelona.
Aren't Meermin's made in China...seems like it may lead to size inconsistencies and difficulty even getting sized in the first place?
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