Matt Deckard
Man of Action
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I'm starting this thread in hopes that others who have gotten special make Allen Edmonds will drop off stories and images of theirs.
You'd probably have to check out my blog post here to understand what I'm saying in regards to vintage Allen Edmonds. Deckard's Guide
This thread is to show off a pair of my first cordovan shoes. I read, studied, learned about Cordovan and finally decided to get a pair. As said over and over again in previous threads, I have fickle feet when it comes to fit. I went with the style with the widest forefoot and narrowest heel available today -- The Macneil. If this were the 1950's I'd probably go with the same last as whatever they used for the "Strawfut" since it has a narrower waist and a narrower heel with a much wider forefoot... yet, this will have to do.
With this shoe I went all out and asked for something a bit off the beaten path. Since I fell in love with the leather wrapped Poron (super-dense space-age foam-rubber) footbed that was used on the Dryden style a few years back I decided to go with that for my special order.
I walk and dance a lot so any spongy comfort that can be added I greatly appreciate, especially when it never looses it's spongy properties and conforms to your foot just like a regular leather footbed (don't forget it's also over cork which molds to your foot as well.
The other major change I decided to get was to not go with the reverse welt. It's a design meant to keep out water, yet since it is made of leather itself and the thread is cotton, it really does just as good a job as when you don't have one at all. If it were made of rubber, perhaps it would help in wet situation, but as it is, adding a reverse welt ads weight and a wider perimeter to the shoe.
Without the reverse welt the shoe is a bit more maneuverable on a dancefloor.
So here they are. I'm sure they are the only pair in existence. the gunboat shoe lovers may think them an abomination, yet I think they are right at home on my feet, yet I still wish they would find that "Strawfut" Last.
You'd probably have to check out my blog post here to understand what I'm saying in regards to vintage Allen Edmonds. Deckard's Guide
This thread is to show off a pair of my first cordovan shoes. I read, studied, learned about Cordovan and finally decided to get a pair. As said over and over again in previous threads, I have fickle feet when it comes to fit. I went with the style with the widest forefoot and narrowest heel available today -- The Macneil. If this were the 1950's I'd probably go with the same last as whatever they used for the "Strawfut" since it has a narrower waist and a narrower heel with a much wider forefoot... yet, this will have to do.
With this shoe I went all out and asked for something a bit off the beaten path. Since I fell in love with the leather wrapped Poron (super-dense space-age foam-rubber) footbed that was used on the Dryden style a few years back I decided to go with that for my special order.
I walk and dance a lot so any spongy comfort that can be added I greatly appreciate, especially when it never looses it's spongy properties and conforms to your foot just like a regular leather footbed (don't forget it's also over cork which molds to your foot as well.
The other major change I decided to get was to not go with the reverse welt. It's a design meant to keep out water, yet since it is made of leather itself and the thread is cotton, it really does just as good a job as when you don't have one at all. If it were made of rubber, perhaps it would help in wet situation, but as it is, adding a reverse welt ads weight and a wider perimeter to the shoe.
Without the reverse welt the shoe is a bit more maneuverable on a dancefloor.
So here they are. I'm sure they are the only pair in existence. the gunboat shoe lovers may think them an abomination, yet I think they are right at home on my feet, yet I still wish they would find that "Strawfut" Last.
