This is one of the best
dress shoes available. I've worn
Allen-Edmonds for over 20 years now, and I'm a completely satisfied customer. They stand behind their products with both a lifetime limited warranty and a reasonably priced resoling/refurbishing service. I still have the first pair of
Allen-Edmonds shoes I bought 20 years ago, and they look just as good now as they did then. The Park Avenue is one of their classiest shoes. It's very versatile, as they will go with any
dress occasion, and the
cap toe won't be "out of style" anytime soon. Their sturdy but very attractive leather uppers have a great shine (just as shown in the photo) and with proper care, will look just as good for many years.
Sizing varies quite a bit between styles, and of the four pair of
Allen-Edmonds I own, these are the widest. My foot is long and somewhat narrow; while I typically wear a D width, in these I went with a C and could possibly have worn a B. I find they're reasonably comfortable overall and I'd feel comfortable walking many miles in them, but they're not as cushy as an
Ecco or
Hush Puppies.
Keep in mind that
Allen-Edmonds uses a leather sole, and while they're a very sturdy shoe they're not intended for long-distance treks in the great
urban outdoors. It's the usual two-out-of-three compromise between "looks good", "feels good" and "lasts forever." If you find yourself walking outside more often than in, you will be happier with an
Ecco or another synthetic-soled shoe. I do a lot of walking outside, and I frequently wear these, but the soles wear out faster than I'd prefer; I have to get them resoled every 3-4 years, which is not unreasonable given how many shoes these days aren't meant to be worn more than a year...
Styles come and go, and so do "
designer" shoes.
Allen-Edmonds aren't
designer shoes, they're shoes meant to be worn for a lifetime. You can try to follow the
trends and buy a new pair of shoes every year, but I'd suggest buying a pair of classic
dress shoes instead; it's cheaper, and far classier, in the long run.
Allen-Edmonds is one of the few remaining
dress shoe companies still in business, and that's for a reason. I have no connection with
Allen-Edmonds. I'm just a very satisfied customer.