Thursday, May 22, 2008

Allen Edmonds Men's Delray Moc Toe Oxford Review

Great shoes! This is my first pair of leather-soled dress shoes... definitely a lot less comfortable than rubber-soled shoes, particularly if you are planning on standing for a long period of time. Also a bit less comfortable for walking, mostly because leather soles do not really have traction. This is also part of the reason why I bought them, because they're better for dancing.

One other problem I've had with both these and the Kennett (essentially a rubber-soled version of the Delray with slightly different vamp/toe) is the fact that while most of the shoe fits well, the heel feels a bit loose. I'm not sure if I should downgrade to a 10.5, as some 11's in AE do feel large on me (and I usually wear a 10.5), but it's not a big enough problem to lessen my appreciation of the shoe. Otherwise the fit is fine...

Overall: These are great shoes, and I don't have a lot to complain about. They are relatively comfortable, attractive, and are, I expect, going to last me quite some time. Impeccable styling! I also take pride in supporting quality American manufacturing. If you have any doubt about the price tag, Amazon and-- more so- eBay offer some great deals on some AE shoes, but it's worth every penny, especially over the junk sold these days by formerly reputable companies like Florsheim or J&M.