Allen Edmonds Shoe Corp. remains a fashion icon
Manufacturing in the Milwaukee area usually conveys the image of motorcycles, mining machinery, giant gears, or other heavy equipment related imagery.
However, one of the country’s best-known manufacturers of high-end men’s footwear has been based in Port Washington, about half and hour north of Milwaukee, for almost 90 years. The shoes made by the Allen Edmonds Shoe Corp. are legendary for their quality, fit and durability – and many styles sell for $300 or more.
Allen Edmonds sells 75 different styles of shoes, all available in three or four colors and leather finishes. Ninety percent of Allen Edmonds’ shoes are made in the U.S. The company also has a small manufacturing facility in the Dominican Republic, where it makes its slipper-style shoes.
Because of its reputation for quality, Allen Edmonds is able to sell many of its shoe styles at $300 and higher, said Paul Grangaard, president and chief executive officer of the company.
“With the kinds of shoes we sell, at the upper end of the market, there is more room to get American craftsmanship and value into the shoe,” he said.
The company’s employees in Port Washington follow a 212-step process while they are making shoes. The company makes virtually every piece of its shoes itself in its facility – from soles to tongues to cork-injected inside soles that mold themselves to the wearer’s foot over time.
“That 212 step process gives us time (to add the value) that allows us to sell our shoes at that price,” Grangaard said.
Read more in the latest Made in Milwaukee profile in BizTimes Milwaukee.
