So here's a few observations I've made about AE thus far:
1. I've noticed that many of the vendors that sell rep brand products do not stick around on AE for too long. Last year I never had this issue, but now you better jump in on a purchase or your window of opportunity may run out.
2. Several of the vendors that I have purchased from in the past have sent messages to all of their clients stating that they are making the move to DHGATE since it's "easier to conduct online business."
Curious to see what DHGATE was all about and cautious about the process, I quickly realized that there was not much of a difference to the shopping experience at all. DHGATE has a very similar interface like AE and has purchase protection to ensure that you are pleased with your order. Below are the shoes that I ordered and even though I did not request it - they came in their very own rep box as well! The transaction went very smooth and was one of the fastest shipping times that I've experienced.
Moral of the story? Take a look at DHGATE as well as a secondary site to AE if you can't find what you're looking for. The vendor that I used in DHGATE for shoes is kicksonfire /store/20095522 .