Hi guys, I'm looking to get my first pair of proper shoes, either loafers or oxfords. I'm eyeing Allen Edmonds but I'm kinda worried about buying something overseas and through the internet.


Anyone in the forum with personal experience purchasing Allen Edmonds online? Do you purchase insurance? any procedures when shipping? what to look out for? etc.


Or any recommendations for brands of similar quality that has a physical store in Malaysia? (Goodyear welted, re-craftable, quality leather upper etc.)

This post has been edited by kvwong2014: Jan 13 2020, 10:31 AM

Wow, those are gorgeous. Which brand and what model did you purchase? Did you purchase shipping insurance for them? How is the quality compared to AE? My apologies for the barrage of questions, just wanted to learn more before I invest in them.

I see, based what I've read online, they're service is excellent and they provide complementary shoe polish and shoe horn with every purchase. Is this true? Which line would you say is the best out of all the lines in herring? Loake? Church's?

Haha, yea. The Church's Consul Oxfords for a little over 2k is very tempting.

Great! A local store so that I can actually try them on. For a budget of around 1.5k to 2k, what would you personally recommend?

Hi everyone, I just got my first ever pair of real dress shoes, a pair of Cheaney Old Classic Derbys in black calf leather.

I have a few questions:

1. There are a few stray threads, one at the heel (1st image) and another near the tongue of one of the shoes. Is this normal? Am I expecting too much at this price point? And do I burn the thread or cut it?

2. Are you guys very particular about staining the inside of your dress shoes? As you can see from the 2nd image below, I've stained the inside of my shoe while applying coloured shoe cream.

3. There's a lot of creases on the side of my shoes around the side (image 3), is this normal or is it a sign that my shoes are too tight?

Please ignore the atrocious angles and quality of my photos, I have to work on my photography skills lol.

Glad to have found this group, I've already read through tons of old replies and have learned a lot. I'm looking to get my first pair of dress boots next and probably another pair of shoes, preferably plain toe oxfords.

1. I bought it brand new at full price. There aren't any serious structural defects or any flaws. Just 2 short threads jutting out. Just wondering whether that's OK at this mid price point of Rm1.5k. Should I cut it or burn it away?

2. I applied black shoe cream on the tongue with an old handkerchief and accidentally dabbed some on the inside. Also, when the tongue rubs against the inside some of it transfers to it when wearing the shoes. Is there any way to remove or lighten the stains?

3. I guess the fit is fine. I'm just too paranoid with wondering whether I should've went half a size up or down.😅

This post has been edited by kvwong2014: Nov 3 2021, 07:11 PM

Gentlemen, 2 eyelet Derby shoes, yay or nay?

I am in my early 20s and would like to know whether this style has a modern aesthetic and whether it is suitable for younger gentlemen? Should I have gone for 3, 4 or 5 eyelet shoes instead?

Feel free to comment.

Cheers.