# Are Allen Edmonds supposed to be quite stiff? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 5, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357 "2011-06-05T01:32:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/1 "2011-06-05T01:32:37Z")
I got myself a pair of A&E Van Ness last September. They’re the right size, 7.5D. The inner sole (the part that’s in contact with the foot) is leather and the outer sole (in contact with the ground) is rubber. I use shoe trees. When I first tried them on, they seemed quite stiff but I figured it would pass. I taped my heels to cut down on the blisters. I wore the shoes 1-2 times a week. In March, I made the mistake of wearing them for a few hours without taping my heels. The blisters took a week to stop hurting. We’re in June; 8-9 months later. The upper (the leather covering the foot) is still quite stiff, even after I had the heel broken. The shoes don’t seem to adjust to my foot. The sole is also stiff; when I walk in them, I feel the shocks through my feet and my right knee hurts. I have no such problems when I wear a pair of Rockport or Florsheim. What gives? How can I fix that? Did I just buy a pair that happened to be bad? They have a reputation as being the best non-designer dress shoes around so something’s wrong. ---
**Author:** ![FoundWaldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@FoundWaldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoundWaldo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/2 "2011-06-05T01:38:22Z")
Mine don’t seem any stiffer than any other quality dress shoe I have, but they’re not like a tennis shoe. If they’re that uncomfortable, I’d say they just don’t fit you right. I’ve definitely had shoes that are the right size but due to the shape of the shoe aren’t comfortable. Just think of how painful [something like this](http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446371778&afsrc=1&site_refer=GGLBASE001&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=ParentItem0452574120385) would be, and quit whining 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/3 "2011-06-05T01:41:46Z")
> [@FoundWaldo](#): > > Mine don’t seem any stiffer than any other quality dress shoe I have, but they’re not like a tennis shoe. If they’re that uncomfortable, I’d say they just don’t fit you right. I’ve definitely had shoes that are the right size but due to the shape of the shoe aren’t comfortable. > > Just think of how painful [something like this](http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446371778&afsrc=1&site_refer=GGLBASE001&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=ParentItem0452574120385) would be, and quit whining 😉 It’s not just the shape. I just wore them for about 15 minutes in front of my PC and walking about a bit and my right knees hurts. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/4 "2011-06-05T01:42:38Z")
Only if you rub him a little first. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/5 "2011-06-05T03:27:23Z")
Sounds like a fit problem. I’ve had six pair for 22 years. One for each day of the week with an extra. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/6 "2011-06-06T13:50:16Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Sounds like a fit problem. ^^This ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/7 "2011-06-06T15:32:31Z")
Using a metal tape measure the heel to toe interior footbed length space in the shoes you have that are “comfortable”. Now measure the AE’s. Is there a discrepancy? Shoes, even those from major manufs like AE, can be sized slightly differently depending on the last used. It sounds like you might need an E width or half size larger in that particular shoe. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/8 "2011-06-06T16:05:13Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Only if you rub him a little first. ARRRRRHAHAHAHAHAHA! _choke_, _sputter_, _fart_!:D:D:D:D Sorry, gotta give credit where it’s due. As you were. 🙂 Hope you get this sorted out, **Michael**. Those blisters sound painful! Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/9 "2011-06-06T16:12:43Z")
My A-E’s are generally a bit stiff initially but quickly break in and feel like gloves for my feet after that, even when I wear them for 14+ hours a day. I loves me my A-E’s. I just wish they’d make the York style boot again. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/10 "2011-06-06T16:37:16Z")
Jesus! You guys _made_ out of money, or what??? (went to the site) I think I’ll just stick with my Lands’ End stuff! :):)🙂 Quasi ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/11 "2011-06-06T20:31:29Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/12 "2011-06-06T21:53:51Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Jesus! You guys _made_ out of money, or what??? (went to the site) > > I think I’ll just stick with my Lands’ End stuff! :):)🙂 Does Lands’ End make anything that looks like [this](http://www.zappos.com/images/730/7309954/6218-401080-d.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/13 "2011-06-06T22:32:38Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Does Lands’ End make anything that looks like [this](http://www.zappos.com/images/730/7309954/6218-401080-d.jpg)? [This](http://image2.onlineauction.com/auctions//25455/tsgb-1108412-1.jpg) is as close as they get. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-allen-edmonds-supposed-to-be-quite-stiff/584357/14 "2011-06-06T22:51:57Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Does Lands’ End make anything that looks like [this](http://www.zappos.com/images/730/7309954/6218-401080-d.jpg)? :)Heh:)! Put me in a pair of those and I wouldn’t match the rest of me. Kinda like wearing a Rolex and driving a 2000 Elantra! 😃 Naw, but if I can find a pair of comfortable shoes for $55-60 bucks, I’m a happy boy. If I need something formal (black), then those things are cheaply bought and put away for the next time. No spam, okay, but I’ve been buying from LE for 25 years and have always been satsified, and sorry for the hijack, but that’s just how I feel about shoes and most other forms of dress. Thanks Q