The Park Avenue from Allen Edmonds is perhaps the standard to which all other American dress shoes are compared. In this installment of our ongoing series Is It Worth It?, we take a closer look at the iconic cap toe footwear and share our thoughts on whether or not it’s worth it.
History of Allen Edmonds
In 1922, Elbert W. Allen Sr. founded a shoe company in Belgium, Wisconsin. Ralph Spiegel was an initial investor and partner to Allen but he was later bought out by William Edmonds. Therefore, the company was christened Allen Edmonds. The company quickly gained notoriety for their innovative manufacturing processes such as removing nails and metal shanks from their construction to create a more flexible and lightweight shoe, referred to as Osteopathic in its early years of production. The shank of an Allen Edmonds shoe would often be made of wood to maintain durability while increasing comfort.
After providing shoes to the US Army and Navy during World War II, Allen Edmonds gained a major following as many of the soldiers from these branches of the military became lifelong customers of the brand. Thereafter, founder Elbert Allen died in 1946 at which time, his son Elbert Jr. took over control of the company. He was followed in turn by his brother Boyd in 1968 and then by John Stollenwerk in 1980. The original factory in Belgium, Wisconsin burned to the ground in January of 1984. Following both a literal and metaphorical rebuild, Allen Edmonds opened a factory in nearby Port Washington, Wisconsin where they still operate today.
In 1987, the subsidiary company Woodlore was launched, manufacturing shoe trees and other accessories. The 1990s were a period of great growth and expansion for Allen Edmonds during which time, they purchased the main shoe company of Lewiston, Maine and began to diversify their product range incorporating other products such as umbrellas.
In 2003, the company invested $100 million to refit their factory in order to cut down on production costs. This may have been assigned that the boom of the 90s was coming to an end. By 2006, they were again concerned with rising manufacturing costs and wanted to enter other shoe markets. As such, they closed their Factory in Lewiston, Maine and opened a factory in the Dominican Republic. While the factory in Port Washington still produces the classic lines of dress shoes, some of the other lines such as boat shoes are now produced in the Dominican Republic. Additionally, some leathers for other models are cut in the Dominican Republic and then assembled in the United States. Also in 2006, 90% of the company’s shares were purchased by Minneapolis based investment firm, Goldner Hawn Johnson and Morrison for $100 million.
In 2013, the company was acquired by private equity firm, Brentwood Associates and in 2016, Brentwood sold it to shoe conglomerate, Caleres for $255 million. The current president today is Malcolm Robinson who has previously worked for a variety of other menswear brands including Phillips-Van Heusen.
Today, Allen Edmonds pride themselves on their history and status as an iconic American shoe company. Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush are just some of the many American presidents who have worn Allen Edmonds shoes and Park Avenues, in particular. Allen Edmonds also differentiates itself from many other shoe companies by offering a recrafting service whereby customers can send in old or worn pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes to be largely rebuilt for a fee. As part of this recrafting, the welt will be replaced and a new cork lining inserted, the soles, heels, and laces will also be replaced and the uppers will be polished. So long as there are no deep cracks or tears in the leather of the uppers and linings, Allen Edmonds will generally be able to recraft a shoe two or three times. While you could, of course, take a pair of Allen Edmonds shoes to your local cobbler to be repaired, sending it to Allen Edmonds means that the shoe will be stretched over the original last shape again ensuring that it maintains its original dimensions.
Despite Allen Edmonds heritage and reputation for quality, however, they do find themselves today at a bit of a crossroads. Their attempts in recent years to reach a younger, less formal clientele with more avant-garde designs haven’t necessarily fared well. This approach also alienated some longtime customers meaning that Allen Edmonds was somewhat stuck in the middle. Also, other longtime buyers and fans within the menswear community both on online forums and YouTube, among other places, have begun to notice increasing issues with quality control.
Park Avenue: The Iconic Cap Toe Oxfords
Their signature model, the Park Avenue, is a lace-up cap toe Oxford dress shoe. Allen Edmonds refers to it on their website as a cap toe balmoral. While Balmoral is a term often used, especially in America, to refer to Oxfords, it most technically refers only to a kind of boot. And what’s an Oxford? The shortest answer is this, Oxford shoes have a closed lacing system where the vamp is sewn on to the quarter whereas derby shoes have an open lacing system where the quarters are sewn onto the vamp.
Like many models of Allen Edmonds shoes, the Park Avenues are Goodyear welted meaning that the uppers are stitched to a cork filled welt and then to the sole. The Park Avenue receives an assembly method that Allen Edmonds refers to as their 360-degree bench welt construction. A 360-degree welt holds no real advantage over the more conventional 270-degree welt, in terms of quality, but it does allow Allen Edmonds to more easily replace the welt and the sole when shoes are being recrafted.
The shoes feature a single oak sole with rubber top lifts on the heel, lined calfskin leather uppers made from premium Horween leather, and six pairs of eyelets for the laces. They are welted on the 65 last which is Allen Edmonds’ most popular shape and also used for many other models including the closely-related fifth avenue. This particular last is known for being slightly longer than the typical American dress shoe last adding some sleekness to the overall shape. With that said though, the overall styling of the shoe is very traditionally American. While it’s not exactly chunky or unattractive, the shape isn’t nearly as refined as what you might see from many other British or Italian shoemakers today. In addition to this, the toe cap is a good deal shorter than many other brands.
A Closer Look at the Park Avenue
For this review, we purchased a new pair of shoes online directly from Allen Edmonds for a retail price of $395. We decided to go with black which is perhaps the most signature and conservative shade. In addition to this new pair, we’re also featuring a pair in brown that I’ve personally owned for about a year now. My pair are factory seconds meaning that I purchased them at a discount with the understanding that they didn’t necessarily meet the quality control standards to be sold at full price, which I got for $250. Furthermore, as I have poor balance due to a disability, I had rubber half soles added to my shoes by a local cobbler.
Workmanship
Allen Edmonds does offer a variety of other sole styles in addition to standard leather including dainite rubber. Overall, we found the workmanship on this new pair of shoes to be of high quality. Stitching on the uppers was uniform with a pleasing stitch density and very few loose thread ends and the welt stitching was largely uniform with a few minor imperfections. There was a slight notch where the welt meets the heel on the left shoe but this wasn’t major. The leather did have creases or imperfections in some areas but these were all quite minor and could likely be covered or even removed with proper care and polishing over time.
One somewhat unattractive feature is the slight hump where the vamp meets the toe cap, this could be mitigated during production by skiving or trimming away at the underside of the leather at the seam to a greater degree. The sides of the soles received a uniform black painting that didn’t greatly spill over onto the undersides of the soles.
My factory second pair did have more imperfections in the leather of the uppers and the soles and some uneven stitching on the welt. Still, this was to be expected given that they were factory seconds and they’ve been holding up well over a year’s worth of occasional wear.
Comfort
Regarding fit and comfort of the Park Avenues, we’ll start with my own personal pair since I’ve obviously worn them quite a bit more. I will say that they did have a bit of a break-in period, perhaps two or three wears, where I did find them to be slightly uncomfortable, particularly in the heels where I experienced some irritation and mild blistering. After this initial break-in period though, I’ve had no further issues and I now find my shoes to be quite comfortable.
I wear a size 8 and ½ D in most dress shoes and that’s the size of both my personal pair of Park Avenues and the ones we just purchased. I find that both pairs fit relatively well though the quarters do gap somewhat and there is a bit of space in the heel. I could certainly try a different fit, in fact, one point of pride for Allen Edmonds is the wide variety of different fit options they offer. Many models will range all the way from size 5 Triple A at the smallest and narrowest to 15 Triple E at the largest and widest. I was fitted to a size 8 and ½ D, however, when I visited an Allen Edmonds store locally so it may just be that the 65 last on which the Park Avenue is built isn’t the ideal last shape for my foot.
As a side note, I’ll also mention that I do own a handful of other pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes in different styles and made on different lasts and I’ve found that the initial break-in period and overall fit of the shoe has varied somewhat from pair to pair. After these varying break-in periods though, I have again found that the shoes fit well overall and are generally quite comfortable. Raphael also owns a handful of Allen Edmonds shoes, as well as boots, and his experience has varied from pair to pair. Some pairs he likes more than others.
A Note On Quality Control Issues
In addition to the overall quality control issues we alluded to earlier, while we didn’t experience any major defects with the pair we purchased for this review and I also didn’t experience anything major with my factory second pair, it’s becoming an increasingly shared opinion in online menswear spaces that Allen Edmonds has begun to cut back on quality control to some degree. This should be taken with a grain of salt, however, as demand for premium quality calfskin continues to increase worldwide and even reputable brands like Horween can sometimes struggle to find enough perfect leather pieces for every single pair of shoes they produce. Other brands, for example, fellow American company, Alden, have managed to keep up their extremely exacting quality standards. With this though, their prices are substantially higher, as much as $600 per pair and discounts on their shoes are rare.
So you may have to be a bit more cautious when buying from Allen Edmonds today but we’re not going to go so far as to suggest that the overall quality of their product has dramatically decreased. With that said though, the Kavalier has also done a video on the current state of Allen Edmonds as a company today and you can find it here.
Are They Worth It?
Ultimately, the answer is likely going to depend on your budget as well as your taste. As we said before, Allen Edmonds currently sells Park Avenues on their website for a retail price of $395 though they do often run sales so you should be able to find them for less. The shoes are well made with no major flaws and durable construction.
If you properly care for them and wear them in rotation with other shoes, they should last you for a good many years. Remember also that you can send them back to the factory in Port Washington for around a hundred to a hundred and fifty dollars per pair to have them re-crafted extending their life even further.
Even so, their overall look is definitely conservative and not quite as elegant as some other British or Italian models that you might find today. If you’re looking for a more flattering silhouette at a similar price point, you might want to consider spending your money elsewhere. Speaking personally, I don’t mind the slightly stodgy or old-fashioned silhouette of the shoes, in fact, I find some more modern European models to be too bold so this isn’t a downside for me.
If you haven’t purchased from Allen Edmonds before and you’d like to try out some of their styles including the Park Avenue, you might want to do as I did and try factory seconds first. Currently, seconds aren’t available on the Allen Edmonds website all the time but you will find them occasionally. If you do decide to sign up for their email list, they’ll notify you when seconds go on sale.
So while they may not be the most elegant dress shoes on the market today and quality control is perhaps a bit more of a gamble than it was in past years, the models from Allen Edmonds and the Park Avenue, in particular, stand as quality American dress shoes. They’re durable, comfortable, recraftable, and made in the USA with a few exceptions on each of these points.
Our Verdict
Are they the best shoes on the market today? Not necessarily but they are a dependable shoe that should serve you well as a sort of base model and for that reason, we think they are worth it.
Outfit Rundown
I am wearing a pair of Allen Edmonds Park Avenue cap toe Oxfords. These are the brown models that I’ve had for about a year now. To go for a more conservative and traditional look, I’ve chosen to pair them with a charcoal Brown suit that features a fine pinstripe in tan and light blue. The jacket is ventless and the trousers have pleats as well as suspender buttons.
As such, I’m wearing suspenders today which happen to also be blue, harmonizing with the overall yellow and blue color palette which I’ve got going. I’m also wearing a pastel yellow dress shirt with French cuffs in which I’m wearing the gold-plated sterling silver Eagle Claw cufflinks from Fort Belvedere featuring lapis lazuli as the stone.
Fort Belvedere
Product Name
The cufflinks harmonized well with my other accessories which are also from Fort Belvedere. These include my boutonniere which is an Edelweiss model, my socks which are shadow-striped models in navy and yellow, my madder silk tie also in navy with a repeating diamond motif in red buff and orange, and my silk wool blend pocket square in a color we’re calling antique gold ochre featuring a pattern of printed geometric medallion in beige, red, and blue with a cream contrast edge.
Oh, they’re having quality control issues and they know it. I had one of their customer service supervisor admit it to me when I had manufacturing issues with a pair (that they fixed).
Also, the recrafting process does make the shoes a bit smaller, because they essentially tighten the upper down to the new sole. If the shoes fit you perfectly pre-recrafting, they will be a bit snug post-recrafting.
A couple of years ago I was looking to save my money and buy a “nice” pair of dress shoes. The Gentlemansgazette’s site pointed me to Allen Edmonds among others maker. I chose them because of the price. A 550CDN$ pair was (and still is) a lot to me.
I’m in Quality Assurance (ISO stuff, you know… procedures, forms, etc.), and quality is a way of thinking for me.
I was afraid to have quality issues, but I’m pleased to say that my pair is pretty nice, without any noticeable defect (I remember having picked my magnifier…), more comfortable than I thought, and I feel really happy about it. (Their customer support is nice, too.)
There is one sentence in this article that is, to my point of view, well written and should give us something to think about : “…demand for premium quality calfskin continues to increase worldwide…”. The way I understand this sentence is, also, that people are getting more conscious about quality, and more picky, or say demanding. Allen Edmonds might have quality issues (I really cannot say), but some comments about quality control issue might just be noise.
But as I said, I don’t have any experience with “quality dress shoes”. I might be all wrong, and just be lucky with my pair.
Thanks
Thanks for sharing, Thierry!
I’ve owned my Allen Edmonds Park Ave. cap toes for 10 years now. I had them serviced back in the factory two years ago and they came back good as new. These shoes will last a lifetime with care. They are so comfortable I hardly know I’m wearing them.
Love Allen Edmonds shoes. I recently had a pair re-soled at my long-time shoe repair shop run by a venerated craftsman. He commented on the fact that the shoes (Park Avenues) were “great quality.” He obviously appreciates working on good shoes. I share his views. Have never had a problem with AE shoes. Will continue to go back.
Preston, your presentations are a delight to watch, and this one is spot-on. I have four pairs of Allen Edmonds in the closet. Two pairs are just for work. I’m an airline pilot, and that is a brutal environment for shoes. Cockpits are full of sharp aluminum edges, ramps covered in oil and kerosene.
A pair of Rockports used to last me maybe a year. The Allen Edmonds oxfords go about three years, then get recrafted to use for another three. They may not be the most glamorous name in the business, but their quality/price combination keeps me going back. Even my wallet and belt came from one of their stores. Great products in my estimation. Thank you for the details on this old American company.
Thank you for your comment, Steve!
I’ve been wearing Park Avenues (and other AE styles) for over 30 years. My original Park Avenues are still going strong after 2 recraftings, but I don’t wear them every day (I’ve got them in several different colors).
I just bought my first pair of 2nds last month (at a very good price), which had a noticeable variation in the leather. I’m hoping that I can convince myself that the $$ I saved will overcome the imperfection, but the jury is still out. Being a big man (over 6′ 2″ and 275 lbs.), the sturdiness and good fit I have always found in my AE collection has stood the test of time. I sincerely hope their QC issues are in fact over inflated, because the country needs to continue to have an American-made shoe alternative to Alden.
I have about 20 pairs of AE. I find them to be very comfortable, without a break in period. They are always classically stylish. I think for a moderately expensive shoe, you get your money’s worth.
I have had the Park Avenue for 40 years, my first pair, and they are now due for resolving. My personal observation is that many wearers over-use the shoes I would rather have several pairs which can be rotated. I find that this adds life and comfort to the shoes. I recently tried a pair of seconds which I felt were not quite of the same quality.
The bottom line is that AE provides the best American made classic men’s dress shoe.
Allen Edmunds generally do not hold a high shine as other good brands.
I own several pair of AE shoes and am a big fan. I like both their classic styles last, and their newer styles. I do like their distinctive American look even though it is not as refined. In some sense, that is culturally very American and I am proud of that. In my opinion, the greatest value comes in the recrafting. I have had a couple pairs done. I have been amazed at the fit of the recrafted shoes. Both pair I had redone fit nicely and were very comfortable as originally manufactured, but upon return from recrafting, felt like they were formed exactly for my feet. Honestly these are the most comfortable shoes I own and I can wear them even on long days of walking. They came back beautifully refinished as well. Recently, I went up and down the Duomo and Campanile of Santa Maria Del Fiore in Florence in a pair of recrafted McAllister wingtips and I was the only one in my family who didn’t have sore feet. In my mind, AE still has an excellent balance of quality and value in an affordable shoe.
I don t believe they are worth the price. As a semi low budget shoe entusiast, I know how to make every cent count. Brands like Carmina ate the aproximate same price point offer much more refined design detail quality and leather. The best advice I can give, is to discover PATINE POLAND SHOES. They are FAR superior to AE and bellow 300 euros. They will do any MTO with no surcharge. Lasts are inpecable, very balanced and elegant, leather is top quality etc etc it just goes on, they put many 500+ shoes to the ground. I have thought about AE many times, but their declining reputation and too simplistic bulky designs and medium leather keep putting me off. Other better brands at the same price point, include Yanko and slighlty pricier TLB mallorca. Nice video like always !
I’d love to get your take on whether Alden Cordovan shoes are worth it.
I have about 12 pairs of AE shoes. No issues with quality, fit or break-in. I use tree shoes in every pair which goes along way to keeping the shape and finish of each shoe. They wear really well. AE is my go-to when I look for shoes.
Good review on Allen Edmonds. I have a number of their shoes and all have been of very good quality and fit. I’m a 9.5 3E and many makers do not offer anything that wide. As for value, If you pay full (list) price they may not be worth it but I’ve purchased all of mine, over the years, from Nordstrom Rack at considerable discounts which has made them a very good value. I like them because of the quality and after a short break in period they are quite comfortable. Years ago I wore Florsheim Imperial’s but their quality & fit isn’t very good these days. Same with Johnson & Murphy, at one time they were good not so great now and I recently picked up a nice looking pair of Nunn-Bush oxfords which are very comfortable but not very well made and as others have said, they won’t last long. So, thank you again for another fine review. By the way, Allen Edmonds has a number of different lasts so they can fit just about anyone.
Greetings,
Now retired, I relied on AE shoes in many styles to pair well with both suits as well as sport coats/blazers and dress pants.
Not only does Allen Edmonds provide shoes in a variety of sizes and fits, their footwear is built to last.
Allen Edmonds is also admirable for their customer service, and pride in their American craftsmanship.
Sincerely,
Andrew Gregg,
Palm Springs, CA
I used to wear Florsheim Imperial wingtips. I sold them in the Chicago – LaSalle Street store during the summer. I would send my old pair to be repaired at the factory in Chicago. The third time I had it done for free. But when they were no longer available with the quality I was accustomed to, I started wearing Allen Edmonds. I thought and still believe they are finer quality than the old Florsheim shoes. I have two pairs, one black and the other cordovan color pair of one-piece leather oxfords made of shell cordovan leather. The Allen Edmonds store in Oakbrook, Illinois, gave me a proper education on using the correct shoe polish. These shoes are very comfortable and durable. They aren’t flashy, but look perfect with a suit or Blazer.
I have been enjoying my Park Avenues. Did not take but a week to break in . I first used the Saphir products on them before I wore them, maybe this helped some with total time breaking in .I also have some Itilian ,some made in Spain. I enjoy my Park Avenues more than the other brands. I also have 3 more pairs of Allen Edmonds. I hate to say this but I have 40 pairs of shoes,but love the park Avenues!
My Allen Edmonds wingtip black/white GOLF shoes are my MOST PRECIOUS possession, comfortable and classy !
I won a BEST DRESS award once at a golf tournament, just because.
No one can beat AE sizing options in RTW. Maybe Northampton makers are sleeker but these guys can’t do two widths for the same model. As good value in its price point as bespoke.
I have 4 pairs of A.E. shoes and while they are excellent shoes I would never pay full price because of
the number of sales they run. If you are lucky enough to live near an A.E. store as I am it makes it easier
to get the best because you can check out several pair and chose the best. I highly recommend the Higgins Mill boots.
I will continue to purchase their product as needed (or wanted).
I would like you to do an article on Alden Shoes. I have been wearing them for 40 years and feel they are superior to Allen Edmonds. Their shoes are all manufactured in this country. I wear their cap toe Oxfords, tassel and Penney loafers.
Regards,
Larry P. Burton II
I own several pairs of Allen Edmonds, from loafers, wingtips, cap toes and monks, they are comfortable and great looking. I’ve had many compliments and even the fifth ave. Can be dressed down. Great shoes company
Yes it is classy in look. Also, look beautiful when you wear.This is a good company and great brand. But unfortunately very hard material and heavy shoes. Difficult to wear. I bought it on retail price very expensive $395. But I couldn’t wear it because of its weight and hardness. I started using insole but didn’t work. So now just under the dust at my closet. Now I have contacted the company, let’s see what they are doing.