The young and stylish take a shine to classic men's shoes
09.02.64
Even in this flagging economy, the company expects to produce 500,000 pairs of its handcrafted shoes, up from 350,000 last year, according to a story in today’s New York Times . Each pair, which cost about $325, goes through a 220-step process from leather to lace-ups.
“It has not been lost on workers at Allen Edmonds, or those at about a half-dozen shoe companies that still produce in the United States, that the craft of shoemaking is experiencing something of a renaissance,” writes The Times’ Eric Wilson. “Over the last few years, as heritage brands have been rediscovered by a new generation of customers, especially young men, labels once seen as relics of American work wear now have an unexpected cool factor, stocked by stylish boutiques and obsessed about on fashion blogs.”
Hipsters discovering saddle oxfords for the first time aren’t the only ones who favor Allen Edmonds shoes.
The Port Washington, Wis., company has long been a favorite of politicians and the generally well-heeled. Before his inauguration, President Bill Clinton reportedly placed an order for two pairs of 13-Ds, including a black calfskin plain-toe model and black patent-leather lace-ups. Former President George W. Bush and Rahm Emanuel, the new mayor of Chicago, reportedly also own pairs of the company’s footwear.
Source: NOLA.com