[JoshuaFlores]

I recently bought 4 pairs of AE shoes from Shoebuy based on the recommendation of members here. The 4 pair I selected were as follows:

1. Park Avenue in Black
2. Del Ray in Black
3. Hale in Merlot
4. Evanston in Walnut

I hoped these would be a good basic set, covering the spectrum of colors I might need. I think the only color I might lack is a darker brown, but I really liked the walnut color so I went with that.

I would like to have some recommendations on which color polish to get for which shoes. Obviously the black gets black, but I'm hoping AE makes a merlot or similar color, as I have no idea what to get for that. Also, I've heard people take a darker brown polish to the walnut, as its a light shoe, in order to make them look darker and more antiqued. Perhaps you all could weigh in on whether I should find a walnut color to match or attempt to antique my shoe.

Also, I would appreciate comments on the type of shoe tree to get. AE makes two types, on where the front is split into two pieces, and another where its a solid front piece with some holes drilled. Is there a difference in function?

Thanks all, these are my first pairs of "quality" shoes, and I don't want to mess them up!

 

[PedanticTurkey]

Nice lookin' shoes. I personally wouldn't use darker polish on lighter shoes until they're broken in a bit (or not at all), but that's me.

For shoe trees, Wal-Mart stocks some really nice plastic ones for a couple bucks a pair.

 

[Peak and Pine]

Very nice selection and variety. I have all of those except the Delray.
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Consider this for polish: shoe cream, specifically those offered at Tarrago.com, a Spanish maker of dyes and creams. Scroll down to the bottom of each page and see a selection of more than 60 colors. For $1 plus postage they send you a true-to-life color chart of all that they offer.
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I use their creams regularly. After de-glossing a pair of s*** brown Florsheims, I pounded in a few coats of Tarrago's red and turned them to chilli.
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Again, nice shoes. Swell picks.
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[suitsyousir]

Ref. shoe trees, I prefer the ones that are split and then widen inside the shoe. Grapevinehill sells the AE ones for about $14 a pair.

 

[dwebber18]

Id go for cedar shoe trees instead of plastic. They both help keep the shape but the cedar also helps absorb moisture and stinky foot smells which will lengthen the life of your fine shoes. And grapevine hill does have a great selection. Also the AE shoe bank offers some at a nice discount as well.

 

[PedanticTurkey]

Well, the plastic doesn't absorb moisture, but it's also thin and flexible, so it stretches the shoe (but not too much) and lets the inside dry. I've never heard a convincing reason why wood is better.

 

[wgiceman]

AE sells the premium polish in all the colors you list. I suggest you get the proper match for your shoes. The Evanston in walnut is a great looking shoe and it will darken and develop a beautiful patina naturally in time.

 

[TheEarl]

I now have both the park avenue and the hale (also in black and merlot, respectively). The woman at the AE store in Chicago told me that cordovan wax will work fine on the merlot.

Unfortunately, the hale is built on a different last than the park avenue, and it's a wider shoe in the same size. Since it doesn't come in a AA, I had to get a tongue insert and have to wear a thicker sock. I guess I could have not purchased it, but it's such a great looking shoe.

 

[Hector Freemantle]

A good selection of quality shoes. For the price I believe that Allen Edmonds are superior to British shoes.

Have you considered the idea of having them topeyed? I'd certainly think about it. Actually, I'd do it immediately and enjoy the assurance that these shoes are yours for life.

I'd also go with the wooden shoes trees. They'll also be yours for life. Until you get them, cut out some cardboard inserts and fill them with tissue paper to keep the shoes in good shape right from the start.

 

[ilikeyourstyle]

I love your shoe choices. I have been looking to add a pair of Hale or Delray shoes myself. I do agree, though, that dark brown would be a nice colour addition. I am looking for such a colour myself but have yet to find a suitable shoe in dark brown. I might have to look outside the AE list of shoes for that.

I like my maple shoe trees. I have cedar as well, but maple seems to work in almost the exact same manner (different odour, but I never cared much for cedar scent anyway). The maple ones are generally cheaper as well ($20 or less per pair) and make a decent investment.

Kiwi has a merlot polish they call "cordovan." It works nicely on my merlot AE Park Avenues. There is a subtle difference in colour, but it only seems to enhance the lovely grain of the leather and add depth to the shoe. For the lighter shades of brown, you might want to look to a neutral shoe polish which has no colour whatsoever. The only downside to neutral for me is that they obviously don't really do much with filling in scuffs. Try shopping at a cobbler...they seem to have an endless supply of varieties of polish and waxes.