Allen Edmonds is an American upscale men's shoe company based in Port Washington, Wisconsin. The company was established in Belgium, Wisconsin, in 1922 by Elbert W. Allen as Allen-Spiegal Shoe Company.[1] The company is one of the few companies to maintain manufacturing in the U.S. and was the choice for every U.S. president on inauguration day from Ronald Reagan until George W. Bush.[2]
History
In 1922, Elbert Allen began crafting men's shoes by hand in Belgium, Wisconsin, but did not know how to effectively sell his shoes. In 1931, Allen partnered with Bill Edmonds, a salesman, and formed the Allen Edmonds Corporation. Allen ran the company until he died in 1946 and the company was passed onto Allen's son, Elbert "Bert" Allen, Jr. Upon Bert's death in 1968, the company was handed down to Bert's younger brothers. In 1980, the company was sold out of the Allen family to John Stollenwerk, who was committed to continuing the Allen family's history of American production.[3]
Allen Edmonds gained much of its following after providing shoes to the US Army and US Navy during World War II