Allen Edmonds Leather Quality and the Sensory Experience of Lasting Craft

During the workweek, my current daily routine for selecting footwear is pretty basic, unlike the Allen Edmonds Leather Quality dress shoes, belts, wallets, and shoe care accessories I will review below.

I walk downstairs to my home office in the basement and slip on my very fuzzy slippers to keep my feet warm. Roughly 8-10 hours a day, they are on my feet during the workweek acting as a barrier between my feet and the cold basement floor. The basement is finished but the thin fake wood floor sits on top of a concrete slab that never seems to warm up, even in the height of the summer.

Me working a few years in 2020 with Franklin (left) and Lincoln.

There was a time in my career where I wore dress shoes on a daily basis. In fact, I wore them so much, I had to find a cobbler to fix the soles as I had put holes in them. I actually miss the times having to get dressed up and go out every day to meet customers (I have been in sales for most of my career). I have a closet full of dress shirts, dress pants, and dress shoes sitting in the closet collecting dust.

Speaking of dust, my son Michael is graduating from college in a month and needed some dress shoes for the occasion. We went into my closet for him to try on some of my shoes, as we have the same shoe size. When I went to pull out the shoes, I ran my finger across the front only to find a layer of dust. It had been a while since I wore the pair that he ultimately borrowed for his big day. I am a bit embarrassed about it as I could write my initials in the dust. I used to have covers for my shoes but since I was wearing them every day, I ultimately discarded them.

The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: 

"Take the time to take care of your shoes with polish, shoe trees, and a shoehorn. Your feet will love you for it."

Given Michael's planned career choice of being a high school wood shop teacher in combination with being a white water rafting guide in the summers, I don't think dress shoes will be high on his list of things he needs for himself. Matthew currently has a corporate job and there may be a time where he will get more dressed up and we did buy him a pair of nice shoes last year following graduation (more on that in a bit).

Emma and me at Bring your Child to Work day in 2015 (with me wearing my Allen Edmonds shoes). We were in the Link at Travelers Insurance, who was my customer. A few years earlier on the 50th anniversary of the Travelers Red Umbrella, they decorated the link (passage way connecting two buildings in Hartford, CT). It was so well received, they decided to keep them there, even until this day.

Growing up, I remember my stepdad, Bill, talking about shoe care. He worked in a warehouse so he didn't need them every day but on special occasions, he would put them on, such as for a wedding. The dress shoe was a popular brand, which is still around today as a premium footwear company. He also would talk to me about using shoe trees to help keep the shape of the shoe and using a shoehorn (which I thought was the coolest thing when I was little). For most of my childhood and into my college years, the brand he referenced I always viewed as a high-end shoe brand.

When I got to college, my dad and stepmom took me out the store to buy a nice pair of shoes for me to go on interviews. I was probably 20 or 21 at the time. I remember it vividly as we went into Nordstrom and the salesperson picked out a pair of black Allen Edmonds.

There were a few things I specifically remember about that pair of shoes. The cost was one that stood out, I believe at the time was about $200. This was a lot of money for a pair of dress shoes, especially as I worked at Kinney Shoes during high school and the most expensive pair was about $35. The second thing I remember is they were super comfortable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rXhUHGDfrw

212 Steps to make Allen Edmonds Dress Shoes!

Fast forward a few years. I had just started a new job and was working in an office, visiting customers. This meant I needed to add to my collection of dress clothes.

I don't recall exactly what happened with the Allen Edmonds shoes I had but one thing I remember is that specific shoe was really narrow and really didn't fit me as well as I had hoped. As a result, I think I donated them and went and purchased two more pairs of shoes. My friend and I went to one of the popular mall retail stores and I got a pair in black and one in burgundy. They were timeless styles as I had planned to wear these shoes for a long time, especially for the amount of money I spent on them, which was $140 each. I remember that because I didn't want to spend the $400 for two pairs of Allen Edmonds and I thought $140 was a great deal, especially since it was a reputable higher end shoe company.

These are my black classic Allen Edmonds. They have to be close to 25 years old or more.

I also purchased the shoe trees and shoe polish to keep them clean, even though that process never came close to going to a shoeshine guy in NYC or the airport. By the way, you may have a better chance of winning the lottery than finding a shoeshine person nowadays, but 30 years ago, it was still very popular.

My very popular brand of shoes (remember I bought two of them), were pretty stiff and weren't easy to walk in. But I thought that this was a really good brand and it just takes time. After months of wearing these shoes every day, typically rotating between the two colors, they still felt as stiff as they day I bought them. As you can imagine, this was a big disappointment. I was out $360 of my own money plus the $200 my dad and stepmom spent on the original pair.

My favorite pair. I think I have had to get them resoled a few times over the years.

I had a few choices in front of me. I could either suffer or hope that someday the current shoes I had would break in. I could buy a pair of shoes from the brand my stepdad had, but honestly, I associated those with the older generation and not something someone in their early 20's would wear. Or I could look back at Allen Edmonds and make sure I purchased a pair of shoes that actually fit.

Allen Edmonds Leather Quality

I ultimately decided on a classic black dress shoe from Allen Edmonds. They were about $200 but I made the decision that these were going to be a shoe that lasted a lifetime. And it's true as I still have them today. They were very comfortable from the start without having me to break them in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzq85yCZDsE

Recrafting shoes is an art. This is a fun video to watch if you love to learn how things are made.

After a while of wearing them, commuting on the train from NJ to New York City, and then walking the streets of Manhattan a few days a week, the shoes got their workout, many times walking about 2 miles a day for each trip. After each trip in NYC heading back to Grand Central Terminal, I would often stop in the spice shop, although never purchasing anything. Here is a look at my first experience to spices at the end of my New York City workdays.

My three Allen Edmonds dress belts to match my shoe collection

Because of my daily wear, two things happened next. First, I wore out the soles, probably after about 5-10 years and had to get them resoled. I used Allen Edmonds service first and the quality was great. I remember the full package was about $100 at the time (or at least to my recollection) and did that once or twice over the years. I did ultimately find a local cobbler to repair the shoes at about half the cost, but finding one is like winning the lottery as well.

The second event that happened was I was so happy with my purchase, I bought two more pairs, one in brown and one in burgundy, both in the same classic style as the black.

Since then, I have purchased 2 more pairs of dress shoes from Allen Edmonds, both loafers. I found that I wear my black loafers more than any other due to the easy slip on an off.

My boat shoes.

I also purchased three dress belts to match the three original colors as I was always told that your tie and socks should match/complement each other and your belt and shoes should match. Not sure if that is true but that is the adage I have lived by all these years. My belts really need a polishing which I only think I did once for all the years I have owned them. I used to polish my shoes every few months but now, it's more like every few years given the infrequency of wearing them.

I have two other Allen Edmonds products. I have a pair of boat shoes that I wear when we go to Aruba, as well as my wallet, which I think I have had for 20 years now. I couldn't be happier with my decision 30 years ago to buy Allen Edmonds, and I became a repeat customer over the years, with my most recent purchase for my son, Matthew. If you are in the market for a pair of dress shoes, and honestly, a nice pair of stylish and comfortable shoes, I highly recommend Allen Edmonds. Don't make the same mistakes I did early on.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do Allen Edmonds products last??

A few of my shoes are close to 30 years old, with just the soles refinished a few times. They look good as new.

Does Allen Edmonds offer shoe repair?

Yes, Allen Edmonds offers recrafting services. You can access them on their website.

Do you recommend a leather or rubber soles for your dress shoes?

Personally, I like the leather soles, but we purchased the rubber soles for my son who I knew would appreciate the longevity and grip.

Start Your Own Allen Edmonds Sensory Experience

If you have a passion for looking good and being comfortable at the same time, step into a pair of Allen Edmonds shoes. They will elevate your sensory experience. Try it today and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself. As well, since most of my collection is from the past, I have selected products that are similar in style in the links below.