New Allen Edmonds loafers too narrow?

[marioX]

Hey all,

I just bought my first pair of AE, the Randolph bit loafer. It's an amazing shoe in looks and quality, but fits much narrower than all other 9.5D size than I'm used to. The length is perfect, but the width is a bit too tight. I tried on a 10 and although they fit nicely, they seem a bit longer and I don't want them to stretch and become floppy later on. A few questions:

1) Can you recommend a good shoe stretcher for this shoe?

2) Do you recommend a full-toe or combination shoe tree from AE?

3) The description for the shoe says it was built in the 2016 last. On the AE link below, I only see 201, is it the same thing?

Allen Edmonds | Journal | Made Here | Our Lasts

The last is a shoe mold, used in the manufacturing of hand-made shoes. Our shoes are one of a kind and their uppers are made from premium materials.

www.allenedmonds.com

I've never used either a stretcher or show tree before and I don't want to risk damaging these. I'm moving on up and away from the days of cheap sub $50 shoes 🙂

Thanks,
M

 

[rjc149]

Sounds like you need a wider width, E - 3E. If you can exchange the shoes, this would be my first resort. Break out the shoe stretcher only as a last resort (you can't return them) or if a 3E width is still too snug.

A shoe tree won't hurt your shoes, but stretching can if done hastily and incorrectly. If you're going the stretching route, my tips:

1. Stretch them after wearing the shoes all day. The heat and moisture from wearing them will have made the leather more pliable. If your shoes are too uncomfortable to wear all day, stretching won't help. You need a better-fitting shoe.

2. Saturate the leather with a stretching liquid, usually sold in a spray bottle. I think it's just rubbing alcohol, but get one intended for stretching shoes. Make sure the leather is well saturated.

3. Use the stretcher gently at first. This is going to be a gradual process and it will take a few weeks. Dropping the shoes off at a cobbler for a stretch won't do much except cost you money.

4. Leave the stretcher in the shoes for a few days so the shoe doesn't shrink back to its previous shape.

5. If the shoes are still tight, you can get more aggressive with the stretcher. Be sure to always stretch after wearing them and saturating the leather with stretching liquid.

6. Keep in mind that regularly using a leather moisturizer, and just wearing the shoes a lot, will soften the leather and conform the shoes to your feet over time. Again, if the shoes are unbearable to wear all day, they don't fit and you need to bag them.

I've gotten pretty aggressive with a stretcher for my AE shoes with no damage, but I followed the guidelines above.

 

[marioX]

Sounds like you need a wider width, E - 3E. If you can exchange the shoes, this would be my first resort. Break out the shoe stretcher only as a last resort (you can't return them) or if a 3E width is still too snug.

A shoe tree won't hurt your shoes, but stretching can if done hastily and incorrectly. If you're going the stretching route, my tips:

1. Stretch them after wearing the shoes all day. The heat and moisture from wearing them will have made the leather more pliable. If your shoes are too uncomfortable to wear all day, stretching won't help. You need a better-fitting shoe.

2. Saturate the leather with a stretching liquid, usually sold in a spray bottle. I think it's just rubbing alcohol, but get one intended for stretching shoes. Make sure the leather is well saturated.

3. Use the stretcher gently at first. This is going to be a gradual process and it will take a few weeks. Dropping the shoes off at a cobbler for a stretch won't do much except cost you money.

4. Leave the stretcher in the shoes for a few days so the shoe doesn't shrink back to its previous shape.

5. If the shoes are still tight, you can get more aggressive with the stretcher. Be sure to always stretch after wearing them and saturating the leather with stretching liquid.

6. Keep in mind that regularly using a leather moisturizer, and just wearing the shoes a lot, will soften the leather and conform the shoes to your feet over time. Again, if the shoes are unbearable to wear all day, they don't fit and you need to bag them.

I've gotten pretty aggressive with a stretcher for my AE shoes with no damage, but I followed the guidelines above.

Unfortunately the shoes only come in D and EEE. I may just return them though. Too big of an investment to keep worrying about them.

Randolph Bit Loafer | Men's Loafers | Allen Edmonds

Handcrafted Since 1922. Shop the Men's Randolph Bit Loafer by Allen Edmonds. Luxury footwear, apparel & leather goods. Free shipping on orders $100+

www.allenedmonds.com