Allen Edmonds

Park Avenue Oxford

Men's

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.

My last pair operated as my main dress shoe for 5+ years. They're very well built. I would have had Allen-Edmonds rebuild the old pair, but heel movement had caused the leather lining in the heel area to wear through, and that makes the shoe ineligible for rebuild. Given its rugged construction, this shoe takes quite some time to "break in." At first they feel like you have surfboards strapped to your feet, with limited flex in the sole and little give in the uppers. I actually have some foot pain associated with breaking in my new shoes, so I wear them only once a week in order not to torture my feet with their stiffness. However, once the materials break in, the shoes fit like a glove and are very comfortable and durable. On my new shoes I have installed heel grips since I think the heel of my foot is too narrow to be properly grasped by the heel of the shoe.

I love the style of my brown, textured pair. Unfortunately, all Allen-Edmonds dress shoes do not fit the same; you may not enjoy this pair as much as you do another pair of A-Es. So be sure your order has an acceptable return policy. Zappos seems to be pretty good in this respect. I just wish I had used Zappos for this purchase. Now on to the fit/comfort comments: I ordered the Park Avenue and another style of shoe at an Allen Edmonds trunk show (hosted by a 3rd party retailer) and couldn't try them on before purchasing. However, I was confident my size was correct because I have a wonderful pair of Delrays that continue to feel great after many years of use. Weeks after placing my order, I was disappointed to receive an expensive shoe that didn't fit well at all and had mediocre comfort. The 3rd party retail's special order policy prohibited any returns and refunds. The insole is practically flat and cannot be removed. The balls of my feet and toes are sore by the end of the day (FYI, the length of the shoe is fine). I tried to fix the problem by adding a very thin insole, but that throws off the entire fit even more. Also, when you take a stride, the shoe's opening around the ankle bows significantly on on each side. My other Allen-Edmonds dress shoes (Delray) do not share this characteristic. Finally, if you're feet are "lower volume" (for lack of a better term), but not narrow, the fit is not snug even with a standard tongue pad (which usually does the trick for me). So this latter comment may apply to only a limited audience. Bottom line -- not all Allen Edmonds oxfords will fit the same.

What was I wearing before? I do not know, but my old dress shoes look like garbage compared to the slick silhouette of these downright sexy shoes. The design could not be simpler or more elegant, and if you get the right fit, they are more comfortable than you thought dress shoes could be. Speaking of fit, I used a highly scientific technique where I traced my foot with a Sharpie on a piece of printer paper and compared the measurements to a chart I found with Google. They came out to 10½E which is exactly the shoe size that fits me here. If you are unsure, try it out.

Beautiful shoes. Timeless classic and they can be recrafted. The leather on these shoes take a shine extremely well. I have had my shoes for 2 years and they look as good as the day I purchased them. This shoe is the most comfortable dress shoe I own. Step up to Allen Edmonds and you won't regret it.