ST. LOUIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 4, 2022–
America’s leading men’s footwear brand, Allen Edmonds, a Caleres (NYSE: CAL) portfolio brand, celebrates 100 years of time-honored craftsmanship and design this month. With this milestone, the luxury cobbler joins an elite rank of authentic American legacy brands.
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Allen Edmonds celebrates his 100th birthday; Bones the Machine, Dancer, wearing the Park Avenue sneaker (Photo: Business Wire)
Allen Edmonds, the company, was founded in 1922 in a small town in Wisconsin by American inventor Elbert W. Allen. Allen envisioned creating a shoe unlike anything else on the market. It would be the very first patented construction without nails and rods. Allen’s very simple brand promise, create premium men’s shoes made from the finest leathers and created by America’s finest craftsmen, continues to carry the Allen Edmonds brand. Today, Allen Edmonds is the largest manufacturer of luxury men’s footwear in the United States with consistent operations ashore for 100 years.
“Reaching 100 years is one thing, reaching this milestone while maintaining our relevance and status in men’s luxury footwear is a point of pride and commitment for the brand’s management and its craftsmen,” said Jay Schmidt , president of Calères. “From one generation to the next, we believe that goods made to last will always reign supreme. There is no expiration to this logic. He continued, “We have proven our ability to grow and strengthen the business.”
Allen Edmonds continues to champion the craft of shoemaking. Their apprenticeship program, which includes 135 artisans, many of whom started their careers with the company and are now qualified 2nd and 3rd generation makers who are training the next generation in the craft. The company continues to manufacture the majority of its footwear, rooted where it began in Wisconsin, celebrating a cumulative of more than 12 million pairs made over the past 100 years.
Inherent sustainability has always been part of the brand’s DNA. The lifespan of an Allen Edmonds shoe exceeds its competition with classic design intent and quality standards that go the distance. The life of their shoes is further enhanced through the company’s proprietary remanufacturing initiative (which restores shoes to near-new condition, while using original materials and manufacturing techniques) and prevents shoes from going to landfills. To date, the company has restored over one million pairs.
“What defines an Allen Edmonds shoe is the pride that goes into making each pair,” said Enrique Gallegos, Allen Edmonds Senior Director of Production and Sustainability and 3rd Generation Craftsman. “Allen Edmonds shoes are in a class of their own because no other brand is built with such integrity that shoes can be restored to near-new condition. We also pride ourselves on offering personal customization of each of our handcrafted shoes for our customers who need them I learned the very detailed craft of shoemaking from my mother who has worked for over 24 years right here in the same factory where the Allen Edmonds story has begun.
“Our Wisconsin-based plant embodies our spirit and passion and is what inspires our future,” said David Law, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Allen Edmonds. “We have a strong and ongoing commitment to continue to provide the same hand-crafted high quality footwear, service and value Allen Edmonds has always symbolized with the quality our customers know and expect. Authenticity, durability and quality are finite values that never expire. This makes us authentic.”
Established in 1982, Allen Edmonds’ Park Avenue cap-toe oxford dress shoe is still the company’s best-loved and best-selling style. With over two million pairs made, each touched by 48 pairs of hands in its making, it’s one of the most popular shoes that’s handcrafted in America using only the finest imported materials in the shoe category. luxury shoes. The Park Avenue franchise has expanded in recent years to include hybrid sneakers and shoes to meet diverse and changing customer needs.
“Classic status has to be achieved in an authentic way, you can’t force it,” said Matthew Marden, editor, stylist and Allen Edmonds enthusiast. “Something only becomes iconic by proving itself over time through form and function. There is no better example of this than the Allen Edmonds Cap-toe Oxford Park Avenue.
To commemorate their 100th anniversary, Allen Edmonds commissioned legendary photographer Billy Kidd to film 100 people, each wearing the iconic Park Avenue. Designed to be a study in style and culture, an organized group of 100 creators, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, activists, dancers, mothers, fathers (and the occasional dog) were photographed over three days in New York City as part of a ‘a portrait series designed to recognize a century of fashion in America. Symbolic of Allen Edmonds’ legacy and the legacy they have chosen to carry on, the campaign’s dynamic cast spanned generations, genders, ethnicities and sizes, each passionate about their life’s work and his personal heritage, united in culture through the lens of Kidd – an American heritage brand celebrating the foundations on which this country was built.
“We owe this honor to every Allen Edmonds customer over the past 100 years,” Schmidt said. “No one builds and maintains a legacy by standing still – It’s our life’s work, and we’re just getting started.”
For more information on the Allen Edmonds 100th anniversary celebration and to get involved in the company’s anniversary initiatives, visit www.allenedmonds.com or on Instagram @allenedmonds #AE100.
About Allen Edmonds
Founded in 1922, Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation is an American manufacturer of premium men’s shoes and accessories. We’ve been creating timeless, bespoke men’s dress and casual shoes since 1922. Our shoes use only premium leathers and are handcrafted in a 212-step process.
About Caleres
Caleres (NYSE: CAL) was founded in 1878 and is home to today’s most coveted footwear brands and represents a diverse portfolio spanning all styles and life experiences. Every shoe tells a story and Caleres has the perfect fit for each one. Our collections have been developed and acquired to meet the changing needs of today’s diverse and growing global audiences, with consumer insights guiding all aspects of innovation, design and craftsmanship that go into our distinctly positioned brands including Famous Footwear, Sam Edelman, Naturalizer. , Allen Edmonds, Vionic, Dr. Scholl’s Shoes, and more. The Caleres story is most simply defined by the company’s mission: To inspire people to feel good…feet first.
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CONTACT: Christine Walston
cwalston@caleres.com
KEYWORD: MISSOURI UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER CONSUMER LUXURY OTHER RETAIL MEN SPECIALTY FASHION CONSUMER RETAIL ONLINE RETAIL
SOURCE: Calères
Copyright BusinessWire 2022.
PUBLISHED: 05/04/2022 09:52 AM/DISC: 05/04/2022 09:52 AM