AEs at Nordtrom Rack

[The Knize]

What are our collective thoughts/what do we know about the Allen Edmonds shoes sold at Nordstrom Rack? Same models as sold at AE stores and other upmarket stores? I do not think so. Some at Nordstrom Rack do not seem to be identified with particular model names.

Same quality as sold in AE stores? I have the sense not, but I have not been seriously shopping in a regular AE store or even buying new AEs on-line. But I also have the sense of not far off. Are the NR AEs made specially for sale through NR?

I have never had an NR AE recrafted. Will AE recraft them, all things being equal, of course as some models cannot be recrafted? I would think so, and I would consider that a real advantage over other brands.

Any one have any thoughts or information? (A salesman at Syms one time told me that Syms was the largest retailer of AEs. It seemed to me that the AEs at Syms were more clearly styles discontinued or on the way to being discontinued or more unusual styles that AE had just made more of than needed, but the same quality of shoe AE was selling everywhere else. I do not have the same intuitive feeling about what NR is selling.)

 

[patten1969]

The Rack, IMO, sells AE but in unusual sizes that don't regularly sell elsewhere.

 

[SamariJack]

I thought I've seen posted elsewhere that AEs at Nordstrom Rack are not the same models as what is sold at AE stores. I could be wrong though....someone will know.


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[The Knize]

The Rack, IMO, sells AE but in unusual sizes that don't regularly sell elsewhere.

I have not found that to be so. I am a size 10D, which must be close to the mean and medians of shoe sizes. Models not sold other places sounds right. If that is so, does that mean lower quality or just different, I wonder.

 

[Kanga755]

Go to shoebank.com. That is AE second store, however when they discontinue a style or color all of the firsts end there as well. When you look at a shoe on that site AE will tell you if it's available for recrafting. I believe only the US made shoes are available for that service.

 

[The Knize]

Thanks, Kanga. I know about shoebank.com. I should spend more time there. Good suggestion on checking the list as to what can be recrafted. Some of the NR AEs do not seem to have model names at all. Be interesting if the ones that do have model names do not show up on the lists as to what can be recrafted and not at all. Just got back a pair of Park Avenues I sent back to AE for recrafting. This was at least the second time, maybe the third. I have to say I am very happy with them. The availability of recrafting for a particular shoe is definitely a plus to me.

 

[BS812]

I bought a pair of wing tips from the rack and they are new in every way. The leather soles look exactly like the Allen Edmonds website with all markings matching exactly, these are not seconds as I have purchased seconds from Allen Edmonds in the past.

 

[tclobaugh]

The AEs I have seen at the rack are usually ones made for other retailers like BB or Jos A Banks. That's likely why you are not seeing styles you are used to (although there should be a name - that's strange that there isn't). I've seen recrafted at NR once (you can tell my a special mark they put on the bottom of the sole).

As to whether they are lesser quality - I don't think they would be, and if you have them in hand then you can tell if there is any obvious issue (if you are worried that they are seconds). I think the bigger question is whether they would be eligible for recrafting by AE

 

[The Knize]

Things still seem confusing/confused re AEs at NR. There seems to be some discussion on-line that certain models are made especially for NR, notably the Riverside, which is sort of a Park Avenue (i.e., plain cap toe) blucher, which my local NR seems to have just recently obtained. Looks fine to me, but I have not been in an actual AE store recently. I do notice that Riversides seem to be available in various places for quite a bit less than, say, Park Avenues.

I have what NR seems to refer to on line as the "6th Avenue" in both brown and black. The brown ones, at least, which I got a little less than two years ago definitely do not have any model name on them. I am not sure about the black ones. One of the brown ones--the right shoe--has what folks on-line seem to say is a "seconds" mark on the sole, just in front of the heel. I do not see anything on the left shoe of this pair and have not checked the black ones.

Seconds do not worry me. I figure I can find and consider anything that is a significant defect, and I see nothing amiss for these two pairs of "6th Avenues." As I indicated, I have had the brown ones for awhile and they seem to be holding up well. I suppose it would be nice if NR were direct about whether it was selling seconds. There is some discussion on-line that NR has said it purchases both first quality and second AEs.

I have not seen any indications on any AEs I own or at NR of recrafting, other than shoes I have personally had recrafted. To have a recrafted shoe on sale at NR I supposed would indicate that something definitely went wrong when it was first made that they corrected by recrafting, and not a used shoe. I think I could live with that! I do not find anything on line that indicates the NR AEs cannot be recrafted, assuming they are the general type of shoe that can be recrafted, so I guess I will not worry about that.

A lot of the NR AEs seem to be bluchers rather than balmarols. I wonder if bluchers are not less expensive to make. Bluchers kind of suit my purposes these days as I am wearing suits less often and a little more causal might be in order.

All of this said, I am not convinced that the NR AEs are fully the quality of the usual AE store lines of AE shoes. They still seem like good quality shoes, though. I suppose at this point in my career, I am old enough that I am not looking for a pair of shoes to last decades still looking near perfect. I am only going to be dressing up frequently so often, especially after awhile. Also, I own lots of shoes. I do not think I am going to wear each of them out in my life time. On the other hand, I want what I wear to look presentable. The NR AEs seem to do that at a substantial discount off the AE store price.