It’s always tough to shop for men in December. Golf courses across the north have taken in the flagsticks, only die-hard cyclists risk the winter wipe-out, favorite hunting seasons are suddenly past and after-work sunlight is a long way off. Some logical gifts for the man’s favorite pastimes would sit for weeks, maybe even months, in a closet before becoming usable. No wonder the guys themselves often shrug, “I dunno.” when asked what’s on their wish list, causing much frustration among would-be gift-givers.

Wives, girlfriends, kids, friends, work colleagues, grandparents, in-laws … stress no more this year! Allen Edmonds has a new line-up of gifts that are sure to put a smile on that man’s face -- not just this month, but even in those dark days of January and February, and then throughout the year. Watch the video below for some great gift ideas.

Batting first (literally), I’m absolutely thrilled to announce here that Allen Edmonds has just entered into a partnership with Major League Baseball. Both organizations thought that “the Great American Pastime” and “the Great American Shoe Company” ought to do some fun things together. While shoes and other products are being prepared for Opening Day, we do have some great new gifts to introduce soon. We have team logoed tie racks, belt racks and shoe trees that will greet the man every morning with thoughts of sunny days, fields of dreams, a childhood hero (our family dog is named after Harmon Killebrew), that impossible catch, a game-winning hit or a championship season. Every guy needs to have these items in his closet, why not give him one that goes way beyond the function? You can hear James Earl Jones right now… “Baseball, Ray. Oh yes, they will come.”

Batting second, French cuffs are back in style in a big way. I’ve been wearing my MLB baseball cufflinks this fall and all sorts of guys are walking up saying, “Cool!” Believe me, “cool” is not a word so often heard at my age. I love the classy yet fun nature of these sterling silver cufflinks. Check them out. My 17 year-old son wants both the baseballs and the Yankee Stadium links.

Batting third, in pockets around the U.S. there are men who wear only Vineyard Vines ties, and with good reason. Made in the U.S.A. of fine silk, these ties are All American. They don’t cost some silly fashion house price well over $100. Not at all. Yet, they look fantastic and there’s often something subtle to smile about in the patterns. (For instance, the key lime pie tie inter-mixes keys and limes.) Vineyard Vines is also a MLB licensee. Their team ties are the classiest looking team ties, even corporate logo ties, that I’ve ever seen – definitely wearable in professional situations. For the true Allen Edmonds fan, how about giving the new Park Avenue tie? 2010 is the 30th anniversary of America’s great business shoe and Vineyard Vines created a shoe tie to help us celebrate. As they always do, they made it both fun and classy.

Batting clean-up, small leather goods made out of the best leathers in the world. Many wallets, money clips and cardholders are made of weak leather and sewn with weak seams. No wonder they wear out so fast (hey, that sounds like a lot of imported shoes today…). Our new leather goods are made in the U.S.A. out of the same strong calfskin and even shell cordovan leathers as our long-lasting shoes. Like our shoes, though, we priced them to be accessible. They’re an incredible value.

Batting fifth, how about custom engraved shoe trees? We all know it’s the thought that counts. Why not engrave that thought in something the man will see every morning? Personalized sayings of affection, appreciation, admiration, congratulations or encouragement – any of these can be put where he’ll see it every day and his name can be added, too. It’s like a great greeting card that doesn’t get thrown out after a few days. And you’re the author, so the thought counts more than ever.

Batting sixth, real shearling-lined calfskin slippers with a driving moccasin sole. Our new Banff style may be the most perfect slipper we’ve ever come up with. There’s nothing second-rate about them – great shearling, great leather, great stitching and a sole that feels great inside the house or out. I wear mine all weekend long.

Batting seventh, Bobby Jones watches. Men like to have choices in what watch to wear, without investing a ton of money. I’ve had a couple of these Bobby Jones watches for the past two years, and I also have a dressy Swiss watch. Nobody ever comments on my Swiss watch, but my Bobby Jones watches get noticed at work as well as on the weekends. I like wearing them. They’re more comfortable, very durable and I don’t have to worry about throwing them in a golf bag, a TSA checkpoint bin at the airport or in my briefcase. I initially called them my “free-time watches”, but now I’m wearing them all the time.

Batting eight, the right belt. Seriously. Most guys think the right belt is something that’s close in color to the black or brown shoes they’re wearing. Typically, they wear some old belt with three different buckle marks in the leather caused by, ahem, adjusting the sizing for their “added maturity”. Just a fresh new belt might be a great idea. If they have favorite Allen Edmonds shoes, the exactly matching belt could be even better.

Batting ninth, a shoe care kit and the right polishes. OK, this is pretty functional but, if he has great shoes, he ought to take great care of them. Many spit-polishers in airports and clubhouses make the world’s best leathers look plastic-coated by the time they’re done. The patent-leather look isn’t right for our great black and brown calfskins. This is a terrific stocking-stuffer idea.

Pitching, Christmas shoes. These aren’t the “Christmas Shoes” in the song that’s being made into a movie. These are great red and green shoes for the neighborhood party, the gatherings of family and friends and the home movies taken around the tree. I wore my first pair to church on Christmas Eve last year and got high fives all around. Talk about spreading some goodwill, good cheer and good smiles on a cold dark night, these are sure to brighten the Season.

There you have it: an All Star line-up for the guy whose most articulate answer to your stressed-out question is, “I dunno.”

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year from all of us at Allen Edmonds!!!

Warm regards,


Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation

I remember that cold day in 1980. I was trainee in Chicago just a few months out of college and standing crammed in an over-crowded #22 Clark Street bus, wearing my winter coat, sweating through my shirt as the malfunctioning heater blasted hot stale air, with the predictable bus-ride headache brewing. My attention turned to the center column of my Wall Street Journal, which back then was where they ran eclectic human interest stories. It was the only page I could get to without elbowing the four people crushed around me.

The article was about how men should dress for work. Owning only a couple of “entry level” suits, five permanent-press shirts, a totally business-inappropriate plaid sport coat that I nonetheless wore once a week, and a pair of really bad dress shoes that I wore every day, I was sorely in need of the advice. “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have” was the main message. A sub-message was to avoid pale green ties that reflect an unhealthy pallor onto your face (I remember that part specifically because I was starting to feel like I could achieve the pallor without the tie). It was just after that ride that I invested in some cotton shirts and decent dress shoes like I had seen on the feet of the Vice Presidents around the office. And I stopped wearing that sport coat – not just to work, but to anywhere.

Fast forward sixteen years: I was now in charge of a department and a good man was in my office gunning for a promotion that was a stretch for him. We were in the advice-giving business where appearance matters when you’re trying to win clients’ trust. He obviously hadn’t read that WSJ article and nobody had ever said anything to him about his misfit wardrobe. It’s always hard to give dress advice in work settings, yet it’s sometimes the difference between deserved success and not-so-much. I finally decided to tell him he needed to invest in higher quality attire if he wanted a better chance at the job. He did invest – that same week – and sometime later he got the promotion he wanted. What’s more, when I spoke to him about his attire, he thanked me for being so candid and unexpectedly helpful.

Why is it that so many guys will invest maybe $1000-2000 for an impressive tailored suit, shirt and tie…and then finish it off with, well, really bad shoes? You’ve seen them, I’ve seen them, all over the country. Yet, their role models have usually figured out that good shoes complete the impressive look. If you’re a boss or mentor to somebody in cheap-looking shoes, maybe it’s time for some candid and helpful career advice.


Best wishes,


Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation

The calendar has turned to November now. Around the country, the various versions of winter weather are about to move in with unstoppable determination. That obviously means hidden puddles of water in most regions and, across the Snow Belt, it means that enemy of good leather – street salt. At Allen Edmonds, we’re passionate about the health of your footwear. We believe that we’re the largest shoe cobbler in the world: Recrafting™ some 50,000 pairs of shoes a year! And we make our fine shoes to last for years, not just several months.

This November we’re introducing two new ways to battle the salt, puddles and slush. First, we’ve introduced the new EXECUTIVE COLLECTION shoes –absolutely top quality dress shoes with a cushioned footbed and impressively tasteful rubber out-sole. Unless you turn your shoes upside down and look closely, you can’t tell that these soles are rubber. But they stay dry and help keep the salt lines away like rubber should, and the cushioning inside gives them “out of the box” comfort. Here are pictures of the Van Ness and the Lombard from the Collection, just fantastic dress shoes. For the man who wants to protect his shoes from the elements, or who just prefers the extra cushioning, the EXECUTIVE COLLECTION is the right choice for sharp-looking attire.

Our second winter offering is a brand new kind of galoshes called SWIMS™. I was up in Toronto last winter (Canadians know a lot about winter) and discovered SWIMS™ in a shoe store there. Made by a Norwegian company (Norway does winter, too), these are the best shoe coverings you’ve ever encountered. Unlike other rubbers that leave a dull residue on your shoes, SWIMS™ are lined with a soft material that actually buffs your shoe while you walk. They’re more sturdy and long-lasting than other products. And they come in different colors if you want to brighten up a grey day. We started carrying SWIMS™ in our New York and Chicago stores in early October and sold out of our initial supply in just a few days!

Winter is a great season; at least I’ve always thought so as a die-hard Minnesotan. My native-Texan wife and I disagree about the virtues of walking on frozen lakes (she clearly doesn’t think I walk on water) or slipping out-of-control on snow (aka “skiing”), but she now agrees that winter has its own charms. You just have to be prepared.

Stay dry,




Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO

It’s a pretty diverse range of shoes that come into our Port Washington factory every week for Recrafting ™. Many of them look like they are at least 20, even 30 years old, and have seen a lot of living. Some are styles discontinued long ago. In today’s throw-away world, we’re proud to make shoes that last so long and are such a great investment.


Recently, we received a pair of shoes that were very unusual – and just plain fun to see. An Allen Edmonds friend from Southern California sent in a pair of Strawfuts that are at least 60 years old. In the days before air conditioning, keeping customers’ feet cool and comfortable also led to a styling opportunity. The air-flow mesh is made of nylon for durability and, at their advanced age, they sure did hold up well. They must have been saved for special occasions because these shoes had never been touched by a cobbler – the soles were the originals and in pretty good shape. The heels were worn down, though, so we replaced them, fixed a couple of tears and loose seams, and then refinished the leather. It’s interesting to imagine these shoes in their early years. I picture somebody wearing a Mark Twain white linen summer suit, maybe a straw hat to ward off the sun, and these Strawfuts. If shoes could talk, I wonder what stories these would tell…

Best wishes,


Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO

Early in my finance career, when the loss of some local business to the “experts from out-of-town” was visibly gnawing at me, one of my mentors said, “Paul, don’t let it bug you so much. It’s just business. It’s not personal.” For better and for worse (mostly better), I’ve never been able to follow that advice. To me, business involves people and people are what it’s all about in life – so it has to be personal. I’ve always believed in taking a personal approach to business, particularly when it comes to management and customer relationships.

So, when one of our biggest supporters in the web-community AskAndyAboutClothes.com asked to see us make a pair of shoes for him -- I jumped at the chance. When he asked to bring his young son along for the experience, I was doubly enthusiastic. Our guest, Gerard Toohey, who drove up from Chicago for the tour, turned out also to be an excellent writer as well as a big fan of our shoes. He chronicled his time in Port Washington better than we ever could have anticipated. If you’re at all interested in how shoes are made, I encourage you to click here to read Gerard’s terrific web journal.

Gerard seems to have struck a chord with a lot of people. Over 8500 people have logged-on to the “thread” and experienced Gerard’s photos and writing. For many Allen Edmonds customers, their shoes are highly personal and the reasons they purchased them are as varied as our many styles. They may wear AE shoes because the superior fit has a custom-made feel or because they remember how their dad or a trusted mentor may have unforgettably introduced them to AE. Wearing Allen Edmonds shoes may be a part of their professional image, or they may have a special pair that they bought for their wedding day and still enjoy after years of wear and a few recraftings. For some it’s just the value found in supporting a great American product with an authentic and rich American heritage.

That day with Gerard was a real business highlight for several of us here at the plant. We enjoyed having the two of them here as much or more than he and his son enjoyed the visit, I’m sure. Having only interacted with him via email before the visit, it was great to put a face, a life story and a name together. He’s a good man and now a friend. It may be business, but it’s definitely personal.

Best wishes,


Paul D. Grangaard
President & CEO
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation