Allen Edmonds "Chester"

[W_B_K]

Hey folks... anyone else out there with a pair of Chesters and what is your opinion?

I have had this pair for some time now and it is about due for a heel replacement. Overall I have been slightly disappointed with this model. Compared with the other AE shoes I have/had, the finish on this one just doesn't seem up to par. It is hard to polish up and has never gotten beyond a shiny matte. The finish seems to rub away fairly easily as well showing scuffs quickly. Where the eyelets meet the tongue it is always worn away to grey.

Now these are calf so I'm not trying to compare it to my shells, but compared to any of my Hanovers or vintage Florsheims that are calf, these don't have nearly as nice or durable finish.

What has been your experience?

 

[W_B_K]

So I called AE about it asking if the Chester ever came in a corrected grain. The rep says she never heard of corrected grain. So I ask about "polished leather", which I believe is what AE calls their CG and she didn't know about that either. Her suggestion was to have them re-crafted even though I said they have always performed this way since new. Then she said it sounds like they are cordovan shell if they lose their color and scuff easily! Huh? I've never had a shell that scuffs easily and loses its finish! Any scuffs they do get are easily wiped off.

Oh well. I suppose it is possible they are CG but I would have expected more creasing or wear if they were. They are several years old and were a gift, so I can't complain. I just don't want to bother getting these re-crafted if it is a CG shoe.

 

[mretzloff]

So I called AE about it asking if the Chester ever came in a corrected grain. The rep says she never heard of corrected grain. So I ask about "polished leather", which I believe is what AE calls their CG and she didn't know about that either. Her suggestion was to have them re-crafted even though I said they have always performed this way since new. Then she said it sounds like they are cordovan shell if they lose their color and scuff easily! Huh? I've never had a shell that scuffs easily and loses its finish! Any scuffs they do get are easily wiped off.

Of course their service was no help. They have two women working the lines, neither of which are brighter than a door knob. When I have a question, I will not be asking them again...

 

[ackvil]

I have a pair exactly like yours and I could never get a high gloss shine on them. They are very comfortable and last forever - but if you want a high shine that is not going to happen.

 

[W_B_K]

She sure didn't seem too well educated about shoes, that's for sure!

The lack of a high shine doesn't bother me so much as how easily they scuff and lose the finish.

They are comfortable however, I'll give them that! I don't think they need a complete re-crafting though as the leather isn't badly creased or anything like that. It is just odd that they scuff and lose finish like CG, but I really don't think they are as they should be way more creased by now if they were.

I'll probably just have my shoe guy re-heel them for now. They still look and feel good enough to put $15 into it.

 

[ackvil]

She sure didn't seem too well educated about shoes, that's for sure!

The lack of a high shine doesn't bother me so much as how easily they scuff and lose the finish.

They are comfortable however, I'll give them that! I don't think they need a complete re-crafting though as the leather isn't badly creased or anything like that. It is just odd that they scuff and lose finish like CG, but I really don't think they are as they should be way more creased by now if they were.

I'll probably just have my shoe guy re-heel them for now. They still look and feel good enough to put $15 into it.

On my last trip to NYC I wore them to visit where I worked at one time (downtown Manhattan). I dropped in at a shoe repair shop for a shoe shine. The person who shined my shoes first removed the layers of wax with some substance and then applied a liquid polish, followed by two coats of shoe polish. That improved their looks quite a bit - and they did not scuff as much as before. However, the shine still was not there.

I wonder if you have so many coats of shoe polish on it that is looking like scuff marks?

 

[W_B_K]

I don't know, maybe that is it? It shows down to a dark gray color when it scuffs.

I am wearing them today but don't have any scuffs to show yet, but here is an example of what it looks like. Any rubbing contact quickly shows as dark gray like this on the tongue.

 

[ackvil]

Mine was very similar and the problem ended when the wax was taken off as I described.

 

[W_B_K]

Excellent! I'll have my shoe guy give it a shot when I take it down for a heel replacement.

 

[texquill]

Although my AE Chesters don't have a high gloss shine, they do have a nice sheen to them after polishing. The gray color on your second picture might indicate that the leather wasn't dyed properly.

Are you using a paste type shoe polish (the kind that comes in a can) or a liquid? If you're using a paste, you might try vigorously massaging the polish into the leather. That might get the color deep enough into the leather to prevent the graying effect.