Allen Edmonds

What products are listed for this advertiser?

American Made Casual Shoes, Made in America Dress Shoes, American Made Golf Shoes, and Made in America Mens Shoes.

In 1922, Allen Edmonds founder Elbert W. Allen launched his new shoe company (originally called the Allen-Spiegel Shoe Company) in Belgium, Wisconsin, less than 10 miles from our current headquarters. A family man at heart, Allen knew, as did his future partner and salesman extraordinaire, Bill Pops Edmonds, that to be a success they needed to stay close to their roots, knowing that the Midwestern values of hard work, honesty, humility and trust would be the cornerstones of a new kind of shoe company.

Elbert and Mayme Allen with employees
Elbert and Mayme Allen gather with the employees. (1923)

We say new kind of shoe company because of Allen's innovative manufacturing techniques that relied on Goodyear welting to make fashionable and durable shoes that were nail-less and shankless (meaning they had no uncomfortable metal bar under the instep). The new brand of shoes were an instant success, and when the other shoe companies of the day emulated us, we set ourselves apart by continuing to up the ante on craftsmanship, style and service.

While a great deal of the Allen Edmonds' success can be credited to Allen's groundbreaking ideas, our longevity is also attributable to the company being at its heart, a family business. From 1922 till 1978, either Allen or one of his sons- Bert and Boyd-was in charge of the company, and their strong and steady leadership allowed Allen Edmonds to succeed despite the hard times of the Great Depression, the rationing years of World War II (during which we made shoes for officers to wear with their dress uniforms), and the mounting pressures of foreign competition in the 1960s and '70s.

We credit our strong values and work ethics as the reasons our footwear is consistently chosen by corporate, political, entertainment and community leaders.

Our lineage not only highlights our Wisconsin roots and Midwestern values, but underscores how being an Allen Edmonds Man is passed down from one generation to the next. For us, there is nothing better than having a father bring his son into one of our stores to get him fitted for his first pair of Allen Edmonds. They may not pick out the same style, but this sharing of wisdom and sense of style-getting the most for your money-speaks to tradition and fellowship, and we are honored to be a part of these moments.

As you can imagine, this sort of loyalty has attracted customers from all walks of life, especially those whose drive to be the best has pushed them to the top of their chosen professions. We credit our strong values and work ethics as the reasons our footwear is consistently chosen by corporate, political, entertainment and community leaders. Whether it is receiving a glowing endorsement from the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, or Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all choosing to wear Park Avenues for their inaugurations, we cannot help but be proud that leaders all over the world are wearing our shoes during the most important moments of their esteemed careers.

Salesman
Salesman hits the road with the mobile showroom

Soldier
WWII soldiers were customers during and after the war

Catalog Cover
Catalog Cover from 1949-1950

President Ronald Reagan
President Ronald Reagan with John and JoEllen Stollenwerk



The following is a reply from Allen Edmonds to our question – "Are your products American Made?"

How do you know the products you have listed are Made in the USA?
Before including products in our database we review the advertiser’s website and/or contact them to ascertain the origin of their products. Some advertisers sell both Made in USA products and foreign ones. Therefore we highly recommend you review FAQ 2.

We immediately investigate any complaints regarding deceptive Country of Origin claims. If we determine an advertiser's claim is not truthful we will immediately remove the product/s from our database and suspend our relationship with the Company making the claim.

To document your complaint, email us by using our Contact Us page. We can only respond to complaints that have been submitted in writing.

What does Made in USA mean?
There is no law requiring most products to be labeled Made In USA, or have any other disclosure about the amount of U.S. content. However, for job creation purposes (see our Big Secret tab), if you have a choice between an imported product and one with no country of origin on its label, choose the product without a country of origin over the imported one. This is true because the product without the country origin on its label has at least some American labor in its content and the imported one most likely does not.

Note: Imported products are required by law to country of origin on their label and products partially Made In USA do not. To answer this question completely reviewing our Labeling Tips 1, 2 & 3. These tips are accessible from scrolling to the bottom of our home page clicking Browse All Tips button.