I've worn AE shoes for thirty years. Last two pair I've had re soled and heeled at least 4 times. Finally got tired of the style. Like any premium leather shoe, you need to know your size. Mediums are not all the same. These are great shoes. I just bought two new pair, including this shoe, and will always buy them as long as I can afford them.I normally wear Edmonds shoes, have for over 5 years, so I wonder if they've changed the styling.These shoes, which I returned ,were somewhat tight and the toes were more pointed. I think I'll have to go to the store and try them on again before I order online. In the past I've bought the shoes from Nordstroms and have been very happy.I returned them bc my husband found this particular shoe uncomfortable. He didn't like the sole of the shoe, said it was too hard & w/o support.great shoes. I hope they last as long as my previous AEI love these because off the fact that AE brand,and what they stand for.They're comfortable,stylish,and very sturdy! I love everything about AE.I absolutely love THE Randolph! These shoes are outstanding and extremely comfortable.........I suspect this is standard footwear at Guantanamo, assuming these aren't banned under the Geneva Convention. Aside from the look of this shoe, I cannot find one redeeming feature. These are far inferior to much cheaper shoes I've had in terms of comfort, craftsmanship, and fit.I've mostly worn Ferragamo loafers for the past several years, but I thought it was time to ditch the gaudy buckles and go for something classic and conservative, so I chose this design. I was fitted at the 5th Ave AE store in New York City, and I ultimately ordered 2 pairs online the following week - one in black calfskin, one in burgundy calfskin.They were uncomfortable at the store, but the woman helping me insisted that massaging the heel cup and just wearing them a few times would break them in. This is false. I literally could not walk the one block to my subway stop for the first 3 weeks wearing these. I actually took cabs to work hoping I wouldn't find a pool of blood in the heel of my shoes each evening. I stomped on the heel cup and tried to use a shoe tree to stretch the area of the toe box that was crushing my pinky toe to no avail. It's now two months later and they are still horribly uncomfortable. If there is so much as a wrinkle in my sock or the slightest seam, the shoe is unbearable, and the heel continues to chafe.The toe box actually feels stretched out now that they've broken in a bit. This is far far more pronounced in the burgundy shoes, which broke in a bit easier, perhaps because of a slightly different tanning process?? Who knows, but now the shoes that once seemed too tight in my forefoot are too loose, and my foot feels like it's slipping off the footbed if I so much as step on uneven pavement.The sides of the shoe right above the exterior pucker with each step. It seems the heel cup extends a bit far toward the instep. Combined with the strap of leather from the upper that keeps the front stiff, the leather in between the two has no choice but to pucker outward, which I find particularly interesting since all of the leather is remarkably stiff except that one area.The soles are soft, which I sadly doesn't seem to make the shoes more comfortable, but it does manage to pick up every grain or pebble on the floor. I've never thought gravel or pebbles to be a problem, but somehow everything is a problem with these shoes.On the black pair of shoes, the creases on the left and right shoe are very different. While the right creases normally, the left puckers upward and bulges out. I might attribute that to inconsistencies between my feet, but since the burgundy pair doesn't have that problem, it seems to be inconsistency in manufacturing.Overall, the quality is so far inferior than I imagined. It's inconsistent, stiff in the wrong places, and without a doubt the least comfortable pair of shoes I've ever worn. I deeply regret waiting and waiting for them to break in - it would have been wiser to get my money back. I am extremely disappointed in these shoes and recommend anyone considering buying them be absolutely certain about the comfort prior to purchasing, and even then, perhaps it's better to seek an alternative.I first became acquainted with Allen Edmonds years ago when I worked in the shoe department at the late great Wolf Brothers clothier in Tampa. I was a poor college student at the time as was astounded at how comfortable these were compared with the cheap mass produced shoes I was wearing at the time. Thankfully Allen Edmonds had a discount program where I could get them at cost and Allen Edmonds shoes are about all I wear these many years on. Not having a steel shank makes these delightfully comfortable to wear as they flex with your foot. The cork lining also means your feet don't get as tired if you stand or walk a lot. I remember Rev. Leo Booth saying "God only gives you one pair of feet, so don't wear cheap shoes!" and Allen Edmonds might want to use him as a spokesman. That's a true maxim though. I loved the style and fit of the Randolph so much I bought one of each...the Burgundy, the black, and the black custom calfskin. I also have a pair in the genuine cordovan which they've sadly discontinued. They've held up wonderfully, but then again I'm fastidious about how I care for my shoes...always treeing them and using creme polish and not the cheaper polishes that contain paraffin that builds up over time and ruins the luster of the leather. The Randolph looks so elegant and refined and honestly goes with everything from jeans on up to business suits. Heck...I've even worn them with shorts on occasion for a refined yet casual look. One thing I do suggest is prior to buying a pair online is to go to an Allen Edmonds retailer or a store that sells them FIRST to make certain you're buying the right size and here's why; their shoes are hand made and hand lasted, and as such they do fit differently than mass produced shoes. I'd THOUGHT I knew my correct shoe size until I was sized and fitted by the Allen Edmonds representative all those years ago and was shocked that I was wearing the wrong size AND width. Finally getting a quality pair of shoes in the right size made a HUGE difference in how my feet felt at the end of the day and how much better I felt as a result. This may sound a bit cliched, but getting Allen Edmonds was a life changing event and now I'm an apostle of the gospel of Allen Edmonds. You should be too!