Last week, Wisconsin’s Gov. Jim Doyle visited our plant and made some great comments about Allen Edmonds. While he spoke, I was able to see his staff-prepared notes and noticed he wasn’t really using them. So his remarks were especially impressive and uplifting, given that they were so well delivered in his own words. Our production people take great care and pride in what they do. Having the Governor praise their efforts the way he did was just terrific for them to hear. Below is the link to a video of his visit…

The occasion was to announce a $1.5 million Economic Development Loan that the State of Wisconsin and Ozaukee County together have awarded to Allen Edmonds to help fund investments in our manufacturing capacity and increased employment in Port Washington. If we hire 200 or more people, the loan will be converted to a grant. Currently, we have about 285 full time employees in our Port Washington facilities, so an additional 200 represents significant growth in jobs in the area. Here’s what’s happening:

We’re expanding manufacturing capacity with an entirely new shoe production line that will be located in our building on the west side of Interstate 43. This line brings handsewn shoe production to Port Washington for the first time (it’s a different construction than our existing welted shoe manufacturing), and we’ll be able to produce some 50,000 handsewn pairs a year. With the growth in demand for our welted American Classics dress and casual shoes, we will be expanding employment on our welted line as well. We’re also adding employment in Wisconsin to our Recrafting, shipping, inventory management and headquarters operations as we grow our business.

None of this would be happening, of course, without the support of our loyal customers. We’re grateful to the Governor, the State and the County for helping us make these investments more aggressively than we might have otherwise. And we’re grateful to you, our supporters, for the momentum that makes this growth possible. It’s a great feeling to be growing American jobs again. Thank you!

Best wishes,



Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation



Read the Press Release

With the leaves turning color and fall upon us, I thought I’d revisit some themes of this summer one last time for this month’s blog.

In mid-July I wrote about learnings from my various travels during the first half of the year. I can say that the three months since then have reinforced those experiences. First, about the economy. There continues to be a dire tone to newspaper economic reports these days. But one of the apparent advantages of being close to actual daily consumer activity is that we can read the economic pulse pretty well, maybe better than the newspapers that seem always to be looking back a few months and highlighting bad news. Based on what we’ve seen, I feel confident that the erudite (yet very pragmatic) economist I heard in L.A. in May was right – the average employed American consumer is recovering to a New Normal of spending behavior. The craziness of a few years ago has not returned, of course, and most likely never will in my lifetime, but the consumer is again driving economic growth.

A week ago, I was in our store in an upscale mall in suburban Detroit – a place where economic woes have hit especially hard. Well, our store there has had an upsurge in the past few months and the entire mall was much busier than I expected on a late Saturday afternoon in early October. The Starbucks upstairs from us had a constant line of people extending out the store’s doors, despite it being past the time to switch to decaf. The entire mall had almost an early-December vibe to it. Improving consumer confidence with 90% employment seems a powerful force, and that’s good news for everyone in the U.S., I hope.

Second, I mentioned in July that international fashion trends have turned decidedly toward authentic American Classic styling. The Fall Collections that have now made their debuts in stores across the nation certainly bear that out. Pictures tell the story better than I ever could. Here is a link to some photos of a Spring 2011 runway show by fashion designer Marlon Gobel, who used Allen Edmonds shoes throughout his collection. You see plainly here the trend toward traditional brown dress shoes paired with very casual apparel, even shorts. I had a customer ask me recently what to wear with khakis and jeans and I told him to look at walnut Strands or McAllisters, burnished brown San Marcos or the Players Shoe that we made for the PGA Championship.

Speaking of the PGA, the golfers in that tournament liked our shoes so much that the PGA asked us afterward to makes shoes for the entire U.S. Team competing over in Wales. If you look at photos of the opening ceremonies a couple weeks ago, you can see the team wearing our walnut Lombards with their suits. At the closing celebration, when tuxes were the order, the team wore black Park Avenues. Some men like patent leather shoes more with a tux, but Park Avenues work just as well or better at today’s formal events, and they’re much more versatile additions to the wardrobe.

Best wishes,



Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation

This week, the best golfers in the world converge for the 92nd PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, just north of our manufacturing plant and headquarters. It’s a tradition for the host course to give the competitors a gift and, couple months ago, the Director of Golf Operations for Kohler Co. and the Head Pro at Whistling Straits came to us to talk about Allen Edmonds being involved. They said they were hoping to give the players something special and custom-made, rather than the typical engraved glass dish that often gets left behind. Colin Hall, our head of marketing and international business, led our effort. He and I and a bunch of us here at AE are big golf fans, so we were particularly delighted to be asked and to be able to help out such a great neighbor.

Together with our production and product design teams, we chose a new shoe style that’s pictured below and named it, “The Player’s Shoe.” As I mentioned in my last blog, American classic styling has returned to the top of the charts, here and internationally, and suede is also “en fuego” as they say on the golf course. We chose our popular blucher wing tip pattern, added a new “toasted” treatment on the double-oak sole and offered it in five different colors of suede for the players and tournament executives to select their favorite. In the various colors, it’s a shoe that transcends age – as attractive to one of the flashier newcomers on tour as it is to those whose class has epitomized the great traditions of golf throughout their illustrious careers.

We’ve been taking sizes and choices all weekend and into yesterday, and hearing great reactions from the players. Our factory is suddenly like the short order breakfast kitchen on a Saturday morning, whipping up shoes from scratch in rapid fire. The shoes will all be delivered by the opening rounds on Thursday, placed in the players’ lockers. We’ve added custom shoe trees to the gift, each one engraved with the Whistling Straits PGA Championship logo and the player’s name underneath it.

It was clear we had a winner when a certain UK player, a great guys’ guy who sometimes plays with a cigar in hand, asked to order a second pair in blue as he was selecting his first pair in white. If you’re wondering….the overwhelming favorite is the Dark Chocolate (slate colored) version. Second is the Sand color, but all five are well represented in the field.

We’ve really enjoyed working with the Kohler people. They have been great. As Harvey Penick famously said, “If you play golf, you’re my friend.” I also always liked Ben Hogan’s mantra, “The harder I practice, the luckier I get.”

See you at the Tournament,



Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation

Since about 1983, I’ve always traveled more than I’d like as part of my work. Despite the delayed flights, stiff knees and time away from home, I know there’s nothing like travel for interesting conversations and observations about what’s really going on. Travel’s value seems even higher now that we live in the proverbial “interesting times.”

I’ve had a chance to be in several diverse places in the past few weeks: Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Florence (Italy), Houston, New Orleans and New York. I’ve connected with old friends and new acquaintances in the process, and I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve learned, from macro to micro…

On the Economy: The consensus on three continents is that the worst is behind us. However, there is definitely now an enduring “new normal”, which consists of a flight to quality in all things and also of value-focused individual consumption. Consumers fear getting back into too much debt and there’s general risk-aversion in all economic life everywhere. Somebody told me that last year almost everybody was scared and paralyzed, but now two-thirds of the U.S. working populace knows their jobs are pretty secure and they’re comfortable coming back to shopping (but at the “new normal” rate). The other third is nervous and very reluctant to spend. A distinguished, private-sector economist I heard speak in LA laid out a convincing case for optimism about the economy, though. He said the housing crisis is gradually being resolved with home prices moving up, houses selling again and mortgage defaults in major decline; manufacturing employment and productivity are growing; financial institutions are safer again; and the international economy is improved, not much in Japan or as much in Europe as in the USA, but improved (a view substantiated by our shoe manufacturing partners in Italy). So, this economist posits that the likelihood of a double dip recession is very low. The financial crisis in Greece and the Gulf oil spill, while serious problems, are not the threats to our economic livelihood that we may perceive.

On Fashion Styles: Having had the lucky privilege of living in Europe in the mid-1980s, when you could often tell people’s home country just by their shoes , it is now amazing to me how much more homogenized fashions have become across Europe and the U.S. The good news for us at Allen Edmonds is that international styles have swung definitively toward authentic American classics. That trend was even more obvious in Florence this summer than my last visit there in January. Tokyo also looked like any large U.S. city in terms of clothing, store windows and shoes. After 20+ years of European (particularly Italian) styling dominating the global palette, it’s now the Europeans who are following America again, perhaps at a level not seen since the 1960s, with round-toed brogue wingtips a part of every company’s new collections … for men and for women.

On Leathers and Soles: Suede is all the rage this summer from Florence to Beverly Hills. Elvis’s blue suede shoes are everywhere. Lighter-colored calfskins and distinctive burnishings are also much more prevalent. It’s no longer a choice between black and dark brown for dress attire, not at all. Newly designed unit soles that stake their own fashion claim are also big.

On Colors:
Last year I came back from Florence’s major fashion trade show and joked about purple fabrics adorning every mannequin in every booth there. Well, purple seems to be “so last year.” Various bright colors of blue (not so much navy, but brighter) have taken purple’s place. Orange is out there, too. And I can’t believe the number of yellow cars I’ve seen lately. Maybe the brighter economic outlook and bright colors -- the creeping new optimism and the light blues, orange and yellows – go together somehow. So, what am I supposed to do now with the purple shirts I’ve only worn once or twice?

Other Things I Learned: (1) Refs in the World Cup are as error-prone as major league umpires and NFL officials. The crisis in confidence in leaders’ judgment has obviously spread to the sports world. (2) Large groups of American high-schoolers on a two week tour of countries with no drinking age are crazy. (3) We have a growing group of international representatives in several (for us) new countries; American classic dress is spanning the globe. And (3), every place I went I met devoted Allen Edmonds fans eager to tell me how much they love our shoes and our company. (The impressive economist in L.A. was wearing black calf Randolphs, by the way, but he asked me to bring out the Delray in suede….Even the economists are getting hipper these days.)

Interesting times, for sure.

Warm regards,



Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation

One of the things I like best about my job is reading letters from people I call “Allen Edmonds Men” – stand up guys who invariably take their multiple roles in life very seriously, and themselves less so. They always have interesting, often entertaining and even inspirational tales to tell about an experience with their Allen Edmonds shoes. We’re honored to be associated with these men.

Earlier this month I received a great letter from Bob Moore, a business executive from North Carolina. Finishing a work trip to New York, Bob was wearing a pair of Allen Edmonds when he boarded that fateful U.S. Air flight that ended up making an emergency landing on the Hudson River.

With his permission, below is Bob’s inside story of what happened that day,which he prepared for family and friends. If you’re looking for some reassurance about the American spirit of goodwill amid today’s scandal epidemic, read on…

Best wishes,



Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation


“Flight 1549.

The Airbus was a little late leaving LaGuardia airport. Nothing unusual with that. Leaving LGA on-time …. now that would be unusual. About a minute or so into the flight, I heard a loud “BANG” coming from what I thought was the right side of the plane. The plane was shaking. Then it seemed all the mechanicals stopped because the normal noises ceased. We started a slow turn to the left and I figured we were returning to the airport because something was really bad. I don’t think any of us on the plane realized for certain we were going down until the pilot announced for us to brace for impact. I then assumed the position of doing my best to inspect the shoes of the guy sitting behind me. It seemed forever between the “bang” and the captain’s announcement and an equal lifetime between his announcement and the impact.

In that position at that time is when I had the calmest moment of my life. I realized we were going to crash and die. I asked the Lord to let me in and that I was looking forward to seeing Him. I prayed for Him to watch out for Manchie and the kids and be with them. I hoped we would miss any heavily occupied buildings (that was a just a thought, but apparently He looked after that too).

Impact was not at all bad. My hands were on top of my head since I was doing shoe inspections and my right hand was slightly scratched and is swollen. No damage to my other hand or my head. I then thought, “Well, Bob, seems you may have a thing or two left to do here on earth.”

As soon as we stopped, and that doesn’t take long when you land on/in the water, we started our herd mentality to exit the plane. I think this was about the first time I heard “women and children first”. It was repeated often and was actually followed as best we could in such confined spaces.

We exited onto the right wing. The water was up to the top of my shoes when I got on the wing or shortly after. Our raft had inflated, but was upside down and pushed back against the side of the plane. Men closest to the back edge of the wing were trying to wrestle the raft closer and turn it over so folks could get on. Well, the guys were having no success with righting the raft, but had managed to get it closer to the wing as the water reached our knees and then someone yelled…“get on the raft…. The bottom is ok…. It will work that way.” That’s when the women and children rule kicked in again.

Then eureka…!! A guy noticed a ferry heading our way. The ferry’s ladder had a small platform at the end just at the water’s surface. When my turn to leave the plane/boat came, we had to jump for the ladder as it was not always right at the wing. The ladder only accommodated one at a time, so we stayed there until each “right wing” person got aboard. Aside: was I on the correct wing or what?

I was soaking wet and slightly cold. Being immersed in freezing water and standing in freezing air tends to chill a person. Some gentleman draped his suit coat over me and a lady asked if I wanted to use her cell phone. Turns out, they were two of the passengers on the ferry when our plane went in.

Of course the ferry terminal was not prepared for large influx of cold, wet non-passengers. The two kids running the small snack shop in the terminal opened it up to us, giving us coffee, tea, hot chocolate, snacks…. whatever we wanted. Later, the owner showed up in a tux and wearing shades. I thanked him for what he was doing and he said: “hey man, it is the only thing we can do. We have to do this, it’s the right thing”. Or something close. He echoed the sentiments expressed in words AND actions by literally every person who was there…

…Got a few hugs and kisses from Manchie when I walked in the house. Guess an extra day in NYC made her miss me even more than usual. Not long after getting home, Manchie’s phone rang -- it was a USAirways customer service rep checking up on me. She said they would return any personal items they recovered and reimburse for medical expenses and lost items. Wish I could claim that new iPod, the brand new computer, my two Italian suits, Blu-Ray dvd player, those three pair of Allen Edmonds shoes (actually the ones that got ruined were Allen Edmond… drat.), the 42” flat screen TV, and the 2009 Escalade….

The overall experience was actually very positive. Seeing people at their best and coming to know that our life on this earth is fragile is rewarding. It tends to focus you on the important things.”

Bob Moore (fourth from the left below)

Last year, in the depths of the Great Recession, we came up with the idea of a promotional discount on our Recrafting services so that our loyal customers would have the chance to keep their favorite shoes in great shape, at a discounted price. We knew many customers were postponing buying new shoes until the economy improved and we wanted to help. We also wanted to keep our people occupied and to avoid further layoffs.

The results were astounding – we were inundated with shoes, so many in fact that the local U.S. Post Office in Port Washington called to ask, “What are you guys doing there?!” They wanted us to come see the boxes piled up on their dock. We ended up receiving about 8,000 pairs in three weeks. It took us about 6 weeks to catch up to the onslaught.

This year, we decided to do it again, but we expected reduced demand with the economy improving and sales of new shoes recovering. We were wrong. We’ve taken in well over 16,000 pair this year. While we’ve added to our Recrafting staffing to handle increased demand, we’re still going to need a few weeks to catch up again. Our apologies to those who hoped to receive their shoes back in the normal timeframe.

Here’s a picture of our Recrafting team surrounded by a fraction of the shoes that have been sent. John Bittner in the center heads the team and does a great job. He has spent his whole career in shoemaking at Allen Edmonds. Recrafting involves some different skills than are required to make new shoes, so we have this team dedicated to nothing else.



We’ll recraft some 50-60,000 pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes this year. Some of the shoes we’ll do are 30 or 40 years old and still in great shape. It’s like a walk through the archives to see these shoes come in for Recrafting, which is especially fun for our longer tenured employees and a real pride-builder for all of us at Allen Edmonds.

Best wishes,




Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation

Greetings –

As you may know, the shoe industry is an extremely price-competitive, global business. Fifty years ago, almost all shoes sold in the USA were made in this country. But today, over 90% of the shoes that are sold onshore are manufactured offshore, most often in China.

American manufacturing is a steadfast commitment that we have here at Allen Edmonds. We employ over 380 people in this country, mostly in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Sustaining and building that U.S. employee base is a big part of what drives our entire management team. We’re proud that we’re still able to sell hundreds of thousands of shoes per year that are Made in the USA, despite our higher U.S. labor costs. In fact, we strive to make superior quality products that represent the best value of any company manufacturing shoes anywhere.

Our hard work is paying off -- the robust strengthening of consumer demand for our products since November has us adding to our USA headcount in 2010 and we’ve hired about 25 production people just since January. As our Timeless Classics, new Executive Collection, Rugged Casuals, boots and other welted shoes continue to attract a wider customer following, we plan to hire more people here throughout the year and beyond. I tell you, hiring grateful new people sure beats the layoffs forced upon us by the global recession.

Another trend in the shoe industry over the past few years is that men are dressing very casually on the weekends. Competitors are matching consumers’ desires with simple boat shoe designs, flat lasted slip-ons, sandals, and… well, you know what kind of shoes you have in your closet that you like to wear around the house and yard. We call them ‘garage door’ shoes because men leave them by the garage door and slip them on before rushing to do an errand, getting the newspaper or walking the dog. They’re much simpler shoes to manufacture than our Timeless Classics with our 212-step USA manufacturing process. Boat shoes require low-cost manufacturing to sell at low prices.

Rather than continue to forfeit this substantial business opportunity to our 100% offshore competitors, we’ve decided to stand up and compete directly against them. Recently, we’ve begun producing a handful of lower-priced slippers and casual rubber-bottom slip-ons in our small company-owned plant in the Dominican Republic. We have developed this plant and trained the employees over the past three years. All of the people there are Allen Edmonds employees, working closely with our manufacturing and quality control executives in Wisconsin. These new products help us to sustain and improve our overall market share, to broaden our presence on the shelves of our dealers, to cover some of our U.S. overhead costs and to grow our company, which secures job growth in both the U.S. and the D.R. in the process.

What products am I talking about? The new BOULDER slip-on is one of them, as is the WINTHROP driving moccasin, the BANFF slipper and a couple styles of simple boat shoes that we’re introducing this summer. Our new Major League Baseball®-licensed “BASEBALL SHOES” – that we just introduced for Opening Day 2010 -- also are being made in our DR plant so that we can keep the price low enough for fans of all ages to enjoy them. Our next Fall catalog will note which shoes are made in the DR for those of you who prefer American Made shoes. Likewise, our website will provide similar notation.

Our Made in USA shoes will remain 95% of our production this year and in the future. A handful of simpler styles we will make with our good people in the Dominican Republic, and thereby provide jobs and economic opportunity just a few hundred miles off of Florida (which is also good for America).

Many of you will not want to buy any shoe made outside of the U.S., which we really respect and appreciate. Others of you will make an exception for these simpler shoes, and we hope you’ll choose ours over the competition’s. Rest assured, all of our products will offer an incredible value, superior quality, and great American styling, backed by our commitment to superior customer service.

Thanks for your support of Allen Edmonds.

Warm regards,



Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation

Across the country, today is one of the most important days of the year, at least in my book… Opening Day of the pro baseball season. Today is also Opening Day for Allen Edmonds and our new licensing relationship with Major League Baseball® and we’re excited about it.

We’re introducing three new styles of boat shoes that carry the logos of your favorite teams. They’re intended to be fun and not taken too seriously (Facebook posts, please note). They’re good shoes for a tailgater at the ballpark, for relaxing on a casual weekend or for sharing a common love of the Great American Pastime with friends. They’re also great shoes for a father to share his passion of baseball with his son or daughter, which why we made them as small as size 5.

The BALLPARK is the shoe reminiscent of the today’s kids’ elite traveling teams and the pros – and like their bags of brand new baseballs, it’s all white and unscuffed. The SANDLOT has the look of a baseball that many of us spent hours hitting and tossing around in games of hotbox, 500 and pick-up ball in the street, at the local park or in some vacant lot. It’s made of distressed leather that looks like it has seen a lot of action in the long grass, the dirt and a mud puddle or two. The TEAM SHOE is the shoe for today’s hometown fan. My sons and I will be wearing the Minnesota Twins TEAM SHOES at Opening Day in the new Twins Ballpark. Those shoes will have sentimental value for years to come.


We’re also introducing Major League Baseball shoe trees and bat-themed tie hangers and belt hangers. They’re great gift-giving ideas for Father’s Day or any fan’s next birthday. How about taking a mundane closet article and giving it that something extra that puts a smile on your favorite fan’s face each day?

There’s something about baseball. Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones) in Field of Dreams had it right…"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America is ruled by it like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will come most definitely come."

Play Ball,



Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation

Shoes are a basic human need. When poverty or disaster strikes, people often think immediately about the suffering caused by a lack of clothing, but the pain of not having the protection of a decent pair of shoes can be overlooked. Enter Soles4Souls, a charity that collects new and used shoes for distribution in places struck by tragedy and disaster around the world. At Allen Edmonds, we’re pleased to have been a partner with Soles4Souls for years, holding an annual collection in our stores and making donations from our factory.

This year, when the need is so immense, we’re dedicating our annual Soles4Souls event to the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Just bring a pair (or more!) of still-wearable shoes into one of our stores and we’ll make sure they get to Soles4Soles, who’ll then make sure they get to Haiti. As a thank you to you for helping us help this great organization, we offer a $35 discount on a purchase of a pair of new shoes through March 14th.

America has always led the way in helping others in times of tragedy around the world. Normally, our stores do this shoe collection event in the fall, but we moved it up to March to help meet the incredible need in Haiti. Soles4Souls, which was founded in the immediate aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami, has already distributed over 7 million pairs of shoes to people in need. An incredible track record.

Supporting charities and the greater good is something we know Allen Edmonds Men do every day at an exemplary level, often in key leadership positions. We’re extremely proud to be the shoe of choice for countless men who give back so much. We consider it an honor to be associated with you.

Our company’s thanks and my personal thanks to all who help us collect shoes for Soles4Souls and the victims of the devastation in Haiti.


Best wishes,



Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation

Spring is always an exciting time of year. After the sports pages have covered the Winter Olympics, enthusiasts and columnists will quickly turn again to baseball and spring training. Even in the depths of the Snow Belt, February and March usually bring a few days of sunshine when rubber-coated baseballs and trusty mitts are brought out, only to be returned to the closet when the proverbial March Lion roars again.

Spring this year is especially exciting at Allen Edmonds. We have a talented line-up of new shoes just now hitting the stores. Here are a few highlights:

As mentioned in my last blog, it’s the PARK AVENUE’S 30th Anniversary as The Great American Business Shoe. The new walnut pebble grain P.A. responds to the current movement to “Authentic Americana” (as Newsweek called the new fashion trend). Now the P.A. not only looks great in black calfskin with a dark suit, it also looks fantastic with jeans or khakis in walnut grain.

The early results in our retail stores tell us that we’ve once again connected with our loyal customers with the re-introduction of two additional Timeless Classics – the BENTON and the WALTON. The WALTON, with its double oak sole retro-profile, seems especially exciting to new and younger customers given the fashion momentum toward authentic and classic Americana. In the same vein, the MACNEIL long wingtip has become more versatile in its new navy, walnut and burgundy leathers. The LOMBARD is a blucher wingtip on the tasteful Executive Collection rubber sole.

The younger man’s “look” in business casual settings or at social gatherings today is an untucked white shirt with a patterned inside collar and cuffs, a pair of dark blue jeans and a pair of brown or walnut WALTONs, MACNEIL s, LOMBARDs or STRANDs. To see why, try our new pants comparison feature on our wwwallenedmonds.com website with the STRAND.
The CHARLESTON, AUGUSTA, BOSTON and WESTCHESTER offer fresh new takes on some classic leather-bottom silhouettes – a mocc toe, a medallioned balmoral, a monk strap and a classic penny loafer.

To our collection of Italian-made shoes, we’ve added a couple new winners. The FIRENZE is a comfort-first, rubber-soled slip-on with a bit more fashion-forward toe shape and the RIMINI is a penny with that sleek, thin Italian leather sole and superb ultra-soft leather. Both are perfect under khakis or other lightweight pants in spring and summer, with socks or without.

Finally, take a look at a couple new Weekend Collection shoes. The WINTHROP is an incredibly supple but durable driving moccasin that we’ll put up against any in the field in terms of leather quality and construction. And the BOULDER Venetian slip-on promises to be the power-hitter of this roster. It has a thicker drop-in sole with ergonomic cushioning built into the sole’s interesting pattern. The BOULDER’s mudguard rim with the sole’s side extensions, plus the water repellant leather treatment we’ve added, make this the perfect transition shoe – it’s great in spring but also fully capable to handle winter’s last roar.

Lots to like this year….

Best wishes,



Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation

This year, Allen Edmonds’ all-star performer, the Park Avenue, celebrates its 30th Anniversary as The Great American Shoe for Business. Our company couldn’t be more proud. After 30 years in the marketplace, the Park Avenue still remains our #1 selling style. Thirty years at the top of any “bestseller” list is an incredible accomplishment. From coast-to-coast and in business centers around the world, men heading to board meetings, C-suites, corner offices, important client calls, closing courtroom arguments and the first day on the new job have been trusting the Park Avenue to help make the right impression.

Sometimes 1980 seems like just yesterday, at least until I realize what was going on in 1980. Jimmy Carter was finishing his last year in office, Americans were still held hostage in Iran, the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Summer Olympics, CNN went on the air to revolutionize television, Christopher Cross cleaned up at the Grammy Awards, Ordinary People won Best Picture, and Al Michaels asked and immediately answered that unforgettable question, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” as a bunch of young bucks from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Massachusetts beat the great Soviet hockey juggernaut at Lake Placid.

I began my business career in 1980 and I can’t tell you how many pairs of Park Avenues I’ve seen on impressive leaders in all walks of life over the many years. Although we fell short in January 2009, Park Avenues had been on the feet of every President since Ronald Reagan when taking the Oath of Office. In my first few months on-the-job here at AE, other heads of state ordered up Made in USA Park Avenues before meeting their cohorts. The next time you see a photo of global leaders lined-up for a photo opp at a summit meeting, take a look at their shoes and notice the Park Avenues.

The Park Avenue has set the standard for long-lasting quality across the shoe industry. Many a man still has the first pair of Park Avenues he ever owned and they’re still in good shape. They may have been recrafted a couple or even several times, but they’re as sturdy, comfortable, tasteful and impressive as ever.

In celebration of 30 great years and to help the next generation of Park Avenues last well into the middle of the 21st Century, until March 12th 2010, we’re offering a free pair of commemorative shoe trees to absorb harmful moisture and help the shoes hold their shape for many years to come. If you don’t have a pair of these shoes, they belong in your collection in black, burnished brown or maybe the very versatile walnut pebble grain appearing beneath jeans as often as blue suits these days. That’s the nature of classics -- they speak to succeeding generations in both familiar and new ways.

Happy Birthday, P.A.!



Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation