I am a teacher. I am on my feet most of the day and need comfortable shoes. I also can't afford to spend a lot of money on a luxury purchase without a good reason. Because I need comfort, I have been buying Rockport shoes for years. However, I was sick of having to replace each pair every year to year and a half. Further, while I don't want to be too dressy (I'm a teacher and wearing a suit and tie everyday would be out of place), I do want to bring my look up from the business casual (sometimes on the most casual end of "business" casual) that I've done the past few years since I want to move into administration (the old "dress for the job you want" idea). So, I needed to get some nice dress shoes to go with the sport coat or blazer and chinos combo that I've moved to (sometimes with, sometimes without a tie), and most Rockport dress shoes don't look very dressy. I knew from experience that Bostonians or Florsheims might be pushing it on comfort if I'm always on my feet, and from what I've been reading, their quality has really gone downhill. Also, I have a hard to fit EEE to EEEE foot. From online reviews, it seemed that Johnston and Murphy or Allen Edmonds might be the way to go for nice dressy shoes that are still comfortable and available in wide widths, and I like that the Allen Edmonds, while not much more than the J&Ms, are made in America. So, I decided to give them a try.While I have read reviews from people who have had their Allen Edmonds shoes for many years or even a decade or more, I cannot comment on durability or longevity since I've only had these shoes for a few days. However, I can comment on other aspects of the purchase.First, quality to the degree I can ascertain at this point (workmanship and materials) appears to be as good as I expected from all the reviews I've read. You can tell from the stitching, and the look, smell and feel of the leather that these shoes are in a totally different league from shoes from Florsheim or Bostonian. They look and feel quite solid.Comfort, for new, unbroken-in shoes they are incredibly comfortable. Since I've been wearing Rockport, they are a little tight on the top of my foot (not in the width) because this style shoe fits tighter that what I've been used to (but they aren't uncomfortable, I just need to get used to real dress shoes again). Otherwise, they felt terrific- plenty of cushioning for my feet and easily wide enough for my very wide feet.Style...I love cap toe dress shoes. When I worked in business, that and wingtips were all I bought. They look terrific! If I don't polish them to too shiny a polish I can even just barely get away with wearing them with jeans.So, on a teacher's budget were they worth the cost? Well, I've gone and ordered a pair of Allen Edmonds McTavish wingtips in cognac. If they last less than half as long as I expect them to from all the reviews they will still be a bargain.Edit: Just a quick update: 2 years later and they still look new. They are definitely durable, long-lasting shoes.The shoe makes you want to throw a suit on and do some hostile takeovers. The president wears these shoes and he’s bodied more people in the world then anyone else. Cold hard killer shoesAbsolutely beautifully crafted shoes. The pair I received were in perfect condition. The front of the shoes were a little too narrow for my feet (tight around the sides of my big toes), otherwise they fit well. I'm a size 9 D (really on the bigger end of a C width) and tried a size 9 D in these shoes. I've had problems in the past with boots and shoes I've been fitted for rubbing on the sides of my toes. I really wish these shoes fit my feet as they are incredibly beautiful. I ended up returning them because they didn't fit.I went up one width as these run narrow and the fit was good. I’m a 9.5D and ordered 9.5E.Here’s how I feel about Allen Edmonds: You can order factory seconds and get slight defects at a discount price OR you can order first quality and get slight defects at full price. I should have known better. These full priced shoes have tiger stripes in the leather on the toe caps and the left shoe has crooked stitching in the heel. After a lot of repolishing, they are presentable but not perfect.I love Allen Edmonds. They make the best men's shoes available in the U.S. These shoes fit so well. The leather is top quality, and it takes a high shine.For people who are uncertain about buying such a pricy shoe: it's worth it, in this case. Cap toe Oxfords are the classic men's dress shoe. They will always be appropriate for work and formal occasions. Allen Edmonds shoes will be with you for life, and they will always fit well and look good. One $300 pair of quality shoes is a better deal than three or four pairs of inferior shoes. It *is* worthwhile.And finally, the WIDTH: Allen Edmonds makes shoes in widths from AAA to EEE, so you can get the perfect fit across. It's not just a choice between "medium" and "wide", like most shoe manufacturers. And with such a range of widths, they're a blessing for MEN WITH WIDE FEET, like me. In other brands, like J&M, I typically go with a 13 Wide, which is too long and still too narrow. AE's 12 EEE is the perfect fit for me.Allen Edmonds is one of the only shoe companies I can find that can fit my unnatural feet without the need for sole inserts or heel guards. I wear a size 14 A, so when I found these discounted, it was a no-brainer. The shoes are nicely finished, the left one fits very well, as expected. I am unable to tell about the right one at this time, as I am unable to lace it up. Seems as though one end of the shoe lace didn't get the plastic tip thing it needs to go through the lace holes. I am hoping this review will inform Amazon of the issue, and they can just send me an extra matching shoe lace without me having to exchange the whole order.Fantastic shoe. I knew the fit going in so that wasn't a concern. The shoes look and feel amazing. The construction and ability to be recrafted at any AE store makes this a winner.I did take 1 star off due to the packaging of the shoes themselves. Shoes arrived in a plain "shoe box", a hinged box much, much larger than the actual shoes. The shoes were wrapped in tissue paper so they didn't get damaged from tumbling in the box, however they were not in the standard AE shoebox and AE plastic bags. The shoes are of firsts quality and I see no blemish nor the 2 little holes puncture in the soles by AE on seconds quality shoes.I caught these on sale plus the amazon one-time 20% fashion email discount, so I will be keeping them, despite the packaging.Returned immediately. The shoes were slightly different sizes even they were both said they were 8.5 regular, and there were multiple flaws in the leather, with dyeing problems and frayed edges on the soles. The worst part? The two brown colours didn't even match! Not even two different shades of the same brown, but actually different browns. Like, mahogany and chili or something like that. I should've taken a picture but I was so razzed I packed them up right away and sent them back. Terrible.Let me start by saying I have 3 other pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes and the are great. Not this time though. This pair from Amazon is terrible quality. The dye on the shoes is very splotchy. It's hard to see in the pics, but it's bad. Seems to be a factory second or something like that. I can't wear them to work. It's so bad I feel like it's a scam. I'm going return them.I'm a mid career guy and have tried all the different brands but AE is simply the best. I'm in a suit and tie daily and the Park Avenue, for me, is the best looking silhouette to pair with my attire. I'd recommend going to an AE store to get sized before buying online because depending on the shoe / last you might need to size up / down or get a different width. This shoe also polishes very well so maintenance is simple. I'd definitely recommend and will definitely purchase a few more.This is a pretty good deal for AE. They are a factory second though, you could guess that by the price. Mine had about 8 minor imperfections, nothing serious and all can be fixed or hidden with some sole paint and leather cream. I have spent $700 on AE direct from AE that showed up in way worse condition. I will buy these again and touch them up.Box came damaged, and there were blemishes throughout the entire shoe. Looks like a return, or "factory second."