Allen Edmonds shoes meet Hollywood

Liev Schreiber, who plays former President Lyndon B. Johnson in the new movie “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” dons a pair of Allen Edmonds shoes in at least one scene.

A photo of the actor wearing the shoes in the film has been circulating online. The Port Washington-based shoe manufacturer is not sure whether other actors wore its shoes in the film.

Allen Edmonds sent about 30 pairs of its shoes in different sizes and makes to the set of the film, which is about a butler who serves eight different presidents at the White House.

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“As a manufacturer, we can make custom shoes to be specific for whatever time period the movie is showing,” said Colin Hall, chief marketing officer at Allen Edmonds Shoe Corp. “They want authenticity.”

The company often supplies shoes for movies. Hall estimates its products have been shown in more than 50 movies since the 1960s or 1970s.

Since many past presidents have worn Allen Edmonds shoes, filmmakers have approached the 91-year-old manufacturer to recreate presidential outfits.

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“I think people support Made in America as well, so it’s nice to have Hollywood featuring movies about America and using products made in America,” Hall said.

Period films such as “Titanic,” “Road to Perdition” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance” have included traditional Allen Edmonds shoes. “Argo” and “Ocean’s 11” also featured the company’s products.

“They order the shoes for different sizes for actors but they don’t always tell us who’s going to wear them,” Hall said. “They wanted the Park Avenue in black, which is something a lot of presidents have worn historically, and they also asked for the Mayfair.”

Allen Edmonds also has provided shoes for a U.S. Olympics team, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, celebrities and basketball players at the draft.

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