Dear Taiwan dandies and clotheshorses, I have tried googling as well as calling Allen Edmonds to no avail. Are they sold anywhere in Taipei? I need a pair of shoes for a job interview and am looking specifically for AE Park Avenues. Anyway know where I can find these? If they’re not available, how about other suggestions for mid-range men’s dress shoes? 9000NT would be the ideal price point here, no higher than 15000. Thanks!
$9000 - 15000 is mid range? 
I’d hate to think what high-range must be.
Well, you’re not going to get men’s dress shoes that don’t fall apart below about $5-6k, so that’s what I would call budget dress shoes, yeah. Mid-range has to be above budget range, by definition, right?
I’m surprised by the price. You can buy a pair of Dr Marten’s for $3000-4000 and they’ll last 10 years and with a shine should be suitable for 99% of situations. A decent pair of hiking boots isn’t much more than $5000 at the upper end and they’ll certainly cop more punishment than a pair of dress shoes. I would have assumed dress shoes would be in the $2000-3000 range.
For $15000 I could buy a pair of Doc’s and 3 suits.
I paid the equivalent of NT$9100 (US$ 300) for my Allen Edmonds, but that was in the US. Sorry, can’t help you find them in Taiwan.
Ok, thanks everyone. I’m going to hit up Sogo and shops around Xinyi and I’ll report back here in the interest of contributing to Forumosa’s knowledge base.
I agree 15000 is a lot for a pair of shoes, but I look at it as an investment that will last me 20+ years with proper care and occasional resoling. In those terms it’s not very much money, especially compared to people who go through a few pairs of badly made shoes each year.
I looked at the Doc Marten’s site, actually, and some of the shoes aren’t bad, I have to admit (many, however, are eyemeltingly fugly). It’s just that if I’m going to buy a pair of shoes to last me 20 years, I better love them.
For reference, the standard job interview shoe (for fields like finance, law, etc where your sartorial rectitude is judged more harshly than in other professions) is black oxfords/balmorals a la the AE park avenue: allenedmonds.com/aeonline/pr … 0000001_-1 Anything else would be uncivilized 
[quote=“cake”]Have you considered the net?
Like here:
And you won’t have to pay VAT.[/quote]
Thanks, Cake, that’s a great site. I had looked into buying online from AE themselves, but the shipping was going to be around 5000NT! This site seems much more reasonable, just 18 pounds. I’ll still have a look around Taipei, but this is great to know about as well. Now to see if they have something in my size…
I’m aware this topic is a few years old but since I’m looking for AE shoes in Taipei I’m just gonna use this thread instead of opening a new one. Does anybody know where I can find shoes of this brand in Taipei? Thanks.
Never seen Allen Edmonds in any boutique. Their own website does not even have Taiwan (or China) listed with Stockists.
If you are interested in double or triple the price Alden brand I’ve seen a few around 
Yes I also checked their website and the store location finder and it seems like they neither ship to Taiwan nor have any official stores on our beloved island. I was still wondering if anyone maybe saw some Allen Edmonds shoes in a department store somewhere around Taipei.
Alden is good shoes, especially those made from cordovan leather. Hand made in Massachusetts, and their workers make pretty fair wages. Their leather suppliers are in long-term relationships with Alden. So you’re right: very expensive (like NT$18k and up).
But if there are any problems they unconditionally guarantee their work. They will replace soles at the factory (not free if it’s just normal wear out), and the shoes will be returned to you in very near new condition.
Buy a pair and you’ll keep for a lifetime, if you want. Old school American shoe maker. Not sure AE plays that game, frankly.
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Love Alden shoes. I’ve got one too many and should wear them more. Bought mine 4-5yrs ago (in the US) during a “phase” 
and threw on some sole protector to extend the life of the leather sole. Patina and ‘folds’ created on the “shell cordovan” is yummy 
Where do you get your suits? My suit was 12000
I own(ed) three paris of AE’s but never bought them at retail. One from Nordstrom Rack in California, a second from Century 21 in New York, and the third from Allen Edmond’s online shoe bank. Like Alden, Allen Edmonds can replace the soles and refinish the uppers after they’ve worn out for a fee that is around 1/3 of a new pair. So the folks above who think these shoes cost too much don’t really know much about shoes.
There was a Alden store on Daan Rd but that is now gone. I don’t think people in Taiwan know about Allen Edmonds. Most people in Taiwan seem to wear terrible looking black policeman shoes to work.
Maybe you could try European or Japanese brands which use sleeker lasts and look better on younger or slimmer people. I’ve been looking up shoes to buy for an upcoming European trip and came across this list - https://parisiangentleman.co.uk/2015/08/23/parisian-gentlemans-mens-shoe-review-2015-2016-part-12/ focusing on European brands.