Allen Edmonds Shoes Review: Guide To Shoe Styles & History Of A Classic American Heritage Brand

Allen Edmonds History & Brand Overview

Elbert Allen was born in Tennessee in the late nineteenth century. In his twenties, he moved to Texas to manage a shoe making program in a state prison.

After learning the ins and outs of shoemaking over four years and generating ideas for a shoe that needed no breaking in, he moved to Milwaukee to manage the Ogden Shoe Company. He teamed up with Ralph Spiegel and founded the Allen-Spiegel Shoe Company. They began making men’s footwear in a three-story building in Belgium, Wisconsin in 1922.

Twenty-four years later, Elbert Allen passed away and his sons took over the management of his firm and brought on a new partner: William Edmonds. Thus, the Allen-Edmonds Shoe Corporation was born. They are still proudly crafting footwear thatr’s made in the U.S.A.

The brand is currently headquartered in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Though known for their shoes, the brand also makes a line of leather goods such as belts, wallets, and bags. They also make a curated selection of ready-to-wear clothing.

Allen Edmonds has a loyal following. They provided the United States Army and Navy with shoes during the Second World War, and the men returning home from the front continued to wear these shoes for the rest of their lives. Presidents Reagan, H.W. Bush, Clinton, and Bush all wore Park Avenues to their inaugurations.

Though they have moved a few aspects of their production to the Dominican Republic, the company has largely resisted a footwear industry-wide trend of moving all of its operations overseas to developing countries. They have done this mostly out of concerns over quality control.

Focusing on dress and dress casual shoes in the mid-to-upper prices ranges (approximately $200-$700 per pair), Allen Edmonds crafts shoes that are intended to last years and years, and they achieve this through an extensive, multi-step construction process that focuses on making shoes with Goodyear welt construction.

To this end, they offer fee-based recraft services (see a breakdown of their offerings and a review of their recraft process).

Aesthetically, the brand can be categorized as classic with occasional flairs of fashion-forward style, such as brick red Dainite soles.

[Allen Edmonds Brick Dainite Sole Shoes] Finally, Allen Edmonds is unique in that they offer a wide range of sizes and widths that many other brands don’t. This is a great brand to shop for those of us with particularly large, small, narrow, or wide feet.

Popular Styles From Allen Edmonds

The following is a list of some of Allen Edmonds most popular shoe styles:

• Park Avenue [Cap-Toe Oxford]
• Strandmok Brogue [Cap-Toe Oxford]
• Sullivan Street Boot [Dress Boot]
• Addison Casual Loafer [Penny Loafer]
• Dalton Wingtip Boot [Dress Boot]
• McAllister Wingtip [Wingtip Oxford]
• Strand [Cap-Toe Oxford]
• Fifth Avenue [Cap-Toe Oxford]

If you’d like to learn more about a particular shoe mentioned above simply click on the link to jump straight to it. Otherwise, continue reading below to learn about all of the shoes.

Where Can You Buy Allen Edmonds Shoes?

Allen Edmonds shoes are sold online as well as at physical retail locations throughout the United States.

Allen Edmonds owns and operates 65 retail locations in the United States and their shoes are also available in select department stores, such as Macy’s and Nordstrom.

Online Options

First and foremost, there’s Allen Edmonds’ official website. They’ll always have the most up-to-date styles and sizing, and you can also view the rest of their product line quickly and easily.

Additionally, Allen Edmonds shoes can be found on reputable online retailers like Zappos.com.

Allen Edmonds Factory Seconds

Allen Edmonds has a section of their website called “factory seconds,” and it is absolutely the best-kept secret on the Internet. The only difference between factory seconds and “first quality” shoes is that factory seconds have slight cosmetic blemishes and Allen Edmonds won’t sell them for full price.

This in and of itself is a wonderful testament to Allen Edmonds’ commitment to quality.

The benefit for us as customers? Compelling discounts on shoes that no one would ever think were in any way imperfect. This is great for any man just starting to build his wardrobe and / or who’s looking for some Allen Edmonds product on sale.

Note that there’s a $25 restocking fee for any Allen Edmonds seconds returns, and sizing and colors are understandably not consistent.

Click the following link to learn more about Allen Edmonds Factory Seconds.

Allen Edmonds Shoe Bank Outlet

Another way to access factory seconds and other outlet merchandise, the Shoe Bank allows you to easily filter your search by size, width, color preference, last, and more.

Pros & Cons Of Allen Edmonds Shoes

Pros

• Exceptional construction: Nearly all of their shoes are made with a Goodyear welt, allowing for longevity and making them a true investment.
• Comfort & sizing: High-end materials combined with a comprehensive sizing system means that just about any man can find a comfortable shoe that truly fits his foot properly. Sizes range from 6-16, and widths range from AAA (extremely narrow) all the way up through EEE (extra-extra wide).
• Easy-to-wear aesthetics: The shoes are sartorially classic and tend to not get too “fashion-y.” As such, they’re easily wearable for most men in most situations.
• Value: The comfort, longevity, and easy ability to recraft the shoes means that every dollar you spend is well worth it.

Cons

• Price: While they’re not the most expensive shoes on the market, Allen Edmonds’ footwear is by no means inexpensive. The incredible value rolled into the price isn’t super helpful if a guy can’t afford them.
• Aesthetic Conservatism: For a man who prefers a more tapered last or just more general flair to his shoes, Allen Edmonds may not be a good fit, aesthetically speaking.

Shoe Recrafting Services

Allen Edmonds offers additional value with many of their shoes insofar as they’re eligible for recrafting.

For a full review of the process and the different packages available, take a look at our Allen Edmonds recraft review.

Conclusion

We strongly believe that Allen Edmonds makes some of the finest shoes not just in the United States, but the world over. Their commitment to keeping production stateside is impressive, as it demonstrates that quality is top of mind for every one of their employees, from floor salespeople right up through the CEO. That such a move creates and keeps good-paying jobs in the U.S. is admirable to us.

We strongly recommend that you buy your first pair of Allen Edmonds shoes if you haven’t already!

For reviews of Allen Edmonds shoes, click any of the following links:

• Allen Edmonds Dainite Sole Shoes
• Strandmok Brogue
• Addison Penny Loafer
• Sullivan Street Boot