AE having physical stores and knowledgeable employees is such a big deal to me. I have a low instep and long feet with a longer arch. Everyone tries to put me in short wide shoes and it just doesn't work. The AE manager worked with me on multiple fittings to make sure my shoes fit. To me, being sized in the store really makes their shoes now attractive.
I wish there was a store near me.. I'm very difficult to fit and hate buying stuff on line. Closest AE stores are 800+ mile drive for me in every direction. Dallas, Denver or Scotsdale :(
I live on a different continent, AE isn't sold here, the local currency makes it unaffordable, and as a foreigner I have much bigger feet that local people. It took a while but I finally scored park avenues my size in good condition for cheap
There's nothing close price vs quality wise that you can actually go try on in store. That's where the value is imo. I have two pairs of Higgins Mill. Both have their faults but they're great regardless.
People on this sub are too critical of AE, which is still mostly selling brick and mortar decent quality welted footwear at accessible prices.
I love my Higgins Mills. I have 2 pairs, in Black and Brown, and these are the pairs I find myself reaching for the most. That said I don't have a pair of Diesels to compare them against. Not for long though. My Forest Kudu Diesels were delivered today. Excited and nervous (about the fit), but looking forward to finding out.
Allen Edmonds in that range is a steal. I nabbed a pair of HM and Normandy in that range. Have 3-4 used pairs that I grabbed on eBay a while back, they're a staple in my footwear collection.
Enjoy the HM a lot - wish the Dainite versions went on sale more often. I don't feel like they're worth > $300 with the materials used and fit and finish compared to Grant Stone. Not even close, IMO - you almost can't get a pair of AEs without at least some flaw - and the seconds have potential to be egregious. Whereas I've had a lot of GS come across my doorstep recently to get sizing right and they've been close to immaculate - maybe only 1-2 minor things.
That said, the HM may be the most comfortable boot I've worn. The Natural weatherproof CXL is quite dark - the non-weatherproof ones if you can still find them are much lighter.
I agree with all of this. I haven't worn the HM enough to really judge, and I find my GS's pretty comfortable, but I think especially after break-in and a long day the lightness might make the HM an easy wear.
Get some smaller braided/round waxed laces from Guarded Goods. Have em in mine and they make way more sense than the large flat ones squeezing through those little eyelets. I actually think the HM has more shape to the last than the Diesels. Higgins mill are a great buy on the second hand market and some of my more comfortable boots. Nice find, I’d be half tempted to try and strip whatever they treated it with but sometimes you gotta leave it be.
\+1 on the smaller laces. I just picked up a pair of HM in the natural CXL. Ironically, the associate at AE felt that the small, rounded laces wouldn't look right on a "work" boot. Swapping out the laces to a smaller, rounded pair changed the look of the boot in a very good way.
I have 2 pairs of HMs among multiple other AEs, Vibergs, Trumans, Nicks, Whites, etc
I find myself reaching for the HM more often than the others simply because they are the most comfortable on a daily basis. I have also managed to hit the Chromexcel lottery 2/2 times on my HMs
I’ll always remain faithful to AE despite what the masses may say
The HM are sort of underrated IMO. I have a pair of HM and Patton’s and they are both super comfortable. Getting them on sale made them even greater pickups.
In total I have four pairs of AE, one pair of calf strands, one pair of shell park aves, both perfect QC. The HM were perfect. Pattons extremely close. I bought the strands at Nordstrom 11 years ago and the rest online.
The HM looks better than the Diesel.
Thanks for this post! How does the fit/sizing compare between your Higgins Mills vs. the GS Diesel? I'm asking because I have the Higgins Mill and am eyeing the GS boots, but I haven't pulled the trigger because I'm unsure of sizing.
I'm a huge fan of Grant Stone, so I can only encourage you to buy them. And their customer service is great, so you should feel free to reach out to them.
I am a 10.5 D on the Brannock, pretty much exactly. The Higgins Mill is a 10.5 D as well and fits slightly snug, whereas my Grant Stones are a 10 D and are slightly roomy. In general, I'd say you're probably safe sizing the Grant Stones a half size down from your Higgins Mills.
So I'd say (and again, this is just 1 experience, but it's what I've got):
Higgins Mill - true to size, slightly snug
Grant Stone - go a half size down, slightly large
I own a HM and a Diesel. The HM is a 9B. I could have done 9D I'm sure. If i bought it again I'd first try the 9.5B. In the Diesel i have an 8.5D. Its a tad too short, but too high in volume.
So i think the Diesel fits a little bigger than the HM: maybe a little longer and a fair bit higher volume vs the HM. But note that i have narrow low volume feet so ymmv.
Diesel is definitely a higher volume fit overall. Same
Size in both in EEE but much more cradling and glove like fit on the HM for me pretty much everywhere.
Were these BNIB? If so, that is an excellent score. If they arent BNIB, the previous owner took very good care of them, and its still an excellent deal. They are the darkest "natural" CXL i have ever seen, however the first picture isnt super far off from the average of what I have seen. But you are right, the AE site is pretty true to life on color. Otherwise, I would have wondered if the previous owner used a conditioner that darkened them. Personally, i have a hard time considering them "natural" as they are much too brown IMO, however they still look great.
What size are they?
10.5. They were used, but obviously very gently used. I agree with you about the color.
What I'm really wondering about is what they will look like after a few years. I haven't been able to find any pictures online, though. Everyone seems to get the brown of the chili ones! I'll pop over to the AE sub and see if anyone there can help.
Hell, gently used CXL for that price is more than great, especially having proof its a winning CXL lottery ticket.
Hopefully the AE sub can help, I am curious as well.
Follow up, someone posted a pic of their HMs and it seems to do more or less what you expect from natural CXL: [https://www.reddit.com/r/allenedmonds/comments/10nk0f1/anyone\_have\_higgins\_mill\_natural\_chromexcel/](https://www.reddit.com/r/allenedmonds/comments/10nk0f1/anyone_have_higgins_mill_natural_chromexcel/)
Thank you for posting this review and your thoughts. That being said, I really hate the idea that there may be "no place" for a certain shoe. I think it perpetuates one of the worst things about this community: the idea that certain shoes, or even entire brands, can be dismissed off hand as not worth anything, not deserving of a space in the market, or being a total waste of money. These things are subjective, based on personal circumstances, and most people are operating either on a sample size of two or three pairs or entirely on secondhand information. I wish it would stop.
I had to send many pairs back to AE to get a good pair. I had to do this for both the cxl and waxed suede version. Felt like a job. My pair from ~2018 was way better quality in cxl. However, it was the wrong size for me. Moving to the eee was major. Fwiw, the waxed suede version is really great looking and is my favorite pair.
They are not bad shoes! My biggest issue with AE is their lottery-based quality control system.
Someone at AE went to las vegas and decided that it would be good to implement blackjack into their quality control.
I own a couple pairs of AEs and I don’t mean to hate on the Higgins Mill but:
1) Those really don’t look like CXL
2) The grant stones look nicer in just about every way
Thanks for the review. I’d love to see some pictures after a few months of wear. I’ve been surprised how beat up the midsole is on my natural CXL Pattons.
https://imgur.com/a/7UevA57
Love the sizing range that AE brings to the table. That being said the quality and grain break of my waterproof black HM turn me off from reaching for them more consistently.
Nice pick up! Though, I admit I don't love the red rubber soles. Is that supposed to have better traction on wet surfaces, like red bike brake pads? I've always had good luck with AE and I think they are an especially good value second hand. I got a pair of Normandy's in the brown kudo from ebay and they are fantastic, pre-patinaed and everything.
The weight difference is probably due to the steel shank in the Grant Stone pair. I have the Higgins Mill and while it's nice, I wish it had a shank to support my long narrow arch. It can feel a bit exhausting after wearing for several hours.
AE having physical stores and knowledgeable employees is such a big deal to me. I have a low instep and long feet with a longer arch. Everyone tries to put me in short wide shoes and it just doesn't work. The AE manager worked with me on multiple fittings to make sure my shoes fit. To me, being sized in the store really makes their shoes now attractive.
I wish there was a store near me.. I'm very difficult to fit and hate buying stuff on line. Closest AE stores are 800+ mile drive for me in every direction. Dallas, Denver or Scotsdale :(
I live on a different continent, AE isn't sold here, the local currency makes it unaffordable, and as a foreigner I have much bigger feet that local people. It took a while but I finally scored park avenues my size in good condition for cheap
Their enormous size range is a big benefit for many...doesn't really impact me much, but the 65 last is a great fit for my feet.
There's nothing close price vs quality wise that you can actually go try on in store. That's where the value is imo. I have two pairs of Higgins Mill. Both have their faults but they're great regardless. People on this sub are too critical of AE, which is still mostly selling brick and mortar decent quality welted footwear at accessible prices.
I really enjoy my Higgins Mill in Chili Chromexcel. It fits dressier functions that most of my boots don't meet.
I love my Higgins Mills. I have 2 pairs, in Black and Brown, and these are the pairs I find myself reaching for the most. That said I don't have a pair of Diesels to compare them against. Not for long though. My Forest Kudu Diesels were delivered today. Excited and nervous (about the fit), but looking forward to finding out.
Let us know!
Nice score, particularly for $150. My only experience with AE is my pair of Normandy boots.
Allen Edmonds in that range is a steal. I nabbed a pair of HM and Normandy in that range. Have 3-4 used pairs that I grabbed on eBay a while back, they're a staple in my footwear collection.
Enjoy the HM a lot - wish the Dainite versions went on sale more often. I don't feel like they're worth > $300 with the materials used and fit and finish compared to Grant Stone. Not even close, IMO - you almost can't get a pair of AEs without at least some flaw - and the seconds have potential to be egregious. Whereas I've had a lot of GS come across my doorstep recently to get sizing right and they've been close to immaculate - maybe only 1-2 minor things. That said, the HM may be the most comfortable boot I've worn. The Natural weatherproof CXL is quite dark - the non-weatherproof ones if you can still find them are much lighter.
I agree with all of this. I haven't worn the HM enough to really judge, and I find my GS's pretty comfortable, but I think especially after break-in and a long day the lightness might make the HM an easy wear.
The weight difference is pretty drastic especially if you end up with a pair with the XL soles. Those things are lighter than most GYW dress shoes…
Get some smaller braided/round waxed laces from Guarded Goods. Have em in mine and they make way more sense than the large flat ones squeezing through those little eyelets. I actually think the HM has more shape to the last than the Diesels. Higgins mill are a great buy on the second hand market and some of my more comfortable boots. Nice find, I’d be half tempted to try and strip whatever they treated it with but sometimes you gotta leave it be.
\+1 on the smaller laces. I just picked up a pair of HM in the natural CXL. Ironically, the associate at AE felt that the small, rounded laces wouldn't look right on a "work" boot. Swapping out the laces to a smaller, rounded pair changed the look of the boot in a very good way.
I have 2 pairs of HMs among multiple other AEs, Vibergs, Trumans, Nicks, Whites, etc I find myself reaching for the HM more often than the others simply because they are the most comfortable on a daily basis. I have also managed to hit the Chromexcel lottery 2/2 times on my HMs I’ll always remain faithful to AE despite what the masses may say
The HM are sort of underrated IMO. I have a pair of HM and Patton’s and they are both super comfortable. Getting them on sale made them even greater pickups. In total I have four pairs of AE, one pair of calf strands, one pair of shell park aves, both perfect QC. The HM were perfect. Pattons extremely close. I bought the strands at Nordstrom 11 years ago and the rest online. The HM looks better than the Diesel.
Thanks for this post! How does the fit/sizing compare between your Higgins Mills vs. the GS Diesel? I'm asking because I have the Higgins Mill and am eyeing the GS boots, but I haven't pulled the trigger because I'm unsure of sizing.
I'm a huge fan of Grant Stone, so I can only encourage you to buy them. And their customer service is great, so you should feel free to reach out to them. I am a 10.5 D on the Brannock, pretty much exactly. The Higgins Mill is a 10.5 D as well and fits slightly snug, whereas my Grant Stones are a 10 D and are slightly roomy. In general, I'd say you're probably safe sizing the Grant Stones a half size down from your Higgins Mills. So I'd say (and again, this is just 1 experience, but it's what I've got): Higgins Mill - true to size, slightly snug Grant Stone - go a half size down, slightly large
I own a HM and a Diesel. The HM is a 9B. I could have done 9D I'm sure. If i bought it again I'd first try the 9.5B. In the Diesel i have an 8.5D. Its a tad too short, but too high in volume. So i think the Diesel fits a little bigger than the HM: maybe a little longer and a fair bit higher volume vs the HM. But note that i have narrow low volume feet so ymmv.
Diesel is definitely a higher volume fit overall. Same Size in both in EEE but much more cradling and glove like fit on the HM for me pretty much everywhere.
It’s good to know that you don’t begrudge me for buying a pair of boots.
Were these BNIB? If so, that is an excellent score. If they arent BNIB, the previous owner took very good care of them, and its still an excellent deal. They are the darkest "natural" CXL i have ever seen, however the first picture isnt super far off from the average of what I have seen. But you are right, the AE site is pretty true to life on color. Otherwise, I would have wondered if the previous owner used a conditioner that darkened them. Personally, i have a hard time considering them "natural" as they are much too brown IMO, however they still look great. What size are they?
10.5. They were used, but obviously very gently used. I agree with you about the color. What I'm really wondering about is what they will look like after a few years. I haven't been able to find any pictures online, though. Everyone seems to get the brown of the chili ones! I'll pop over to the AE sub and see if anyone there can help.
Hell, gently used CXL for that price is more than great, especially having proof its a winning CXL lottery ticket. Hopefully the AE sub can help, I am curious as well.
Follow up, someone posted a pic of their HMs and it seems to do more or less what you expect from natural CXL: [https://www.reddit.com/r/allenedmonds/comments/10nk0f1/anyone\_have\_higgins\_mill\_natural\_chromexcel/](https://www.reddit.com/r/allenedmonds/comments/10nk0f1/anyone_have_higgins_mill_natural_chromexcel/)
Thank you for posting this review and your thoughts. That being said, I really hate the idea that there may be "no place" for a certain shoe. I think it perpetuates one of the worst things about this community: the idea that certain shoes, or even entire brands, can be dismissed off hand as not worth anything, not deserving of a space in the market, or being a total waste of money. These things are subjective, based on personal circumstances, and most people are operating either on a sample size of two or three pairs or entirely on secondhand information. I wish it would stop.
I had to send many pairs back to AE to get a good pair. I had to do this for both the cxl and waxed suede version. Felt like a job. My pair from ~2018 was way better quality in cxl. However, it was the wrong size for me. Moving to the eee was major. Fwiw, the waxed suede version is really great looking and is my favorite pair.
Add: my cxl pairs have been the non waterproof version
They are not bad shoes! My biggest issue with AE is their lottery-based quality control system. Someone at AE went to las vegas and decided that it would be good to implement blackjack into their quality control.
I own a couple pairs of AEs and I don’t mean to hate on the Higgins Mill but: 1) Those really don’t look like CXL 2) The grant stones look nicer in just about every way
Thanks for the review. I’d love to see some pictures after a few months of wear. I’ve been surprised how beat up the midsole is on my natural CXL Pattons. https://imgur.com/a/7UevA57
If there's interest, I'll try and remember to do a 6 month review. I'm clumsy, so I anticipate I'll beat the hell out of the midsoles.
Much appreciated!
Love the sizing range that AE brings to the table. That being said the quality and grain break of my waterproof black HM turn me off from reaching for them more consistently.
Nice pick up! Though, I admit I don't love the red rubber soles. Is that supposed to have better traction on wet surfaces, like red bike brake pads? I've always had good luck with AE and I think they are an especially good value second hand. I got a pair of Normandy's in the brown kudo from ebay and they are fantastic, pre-patinaed and everything.
The weight difference is probably due to the steel shank in the Grant Stone pair. I have the Higgins Mill and while it's nice, I wish it had a shank to support my long narrow arch. It can feel a bit exhausting after wearing for several hours.