I have been debating making this post for a while now. But I think it's time to put Allen Edmonds on death watch. Hey, I like Allen Edmonds just as much as the next guy and my closet currently has 5 pairs of AEs, but hear me out on this.
The styles that AE has been putting out recently just aren't very appealing. What is their obsession with suede sneakers??? The quality has also dropped significantly in the past 2-3 years and I have had to return a variety of pairs of shoes.
They have sponsorship/promotional deals that have essentially been failures (Baker Mayfield, et. al.) and are really only adding to their burn rate. I have to imagine that they are running at a loss and these failed deals have to be adding to that significantly.
I know, I know, you will point to their flagships like the Park Avenue, and that's certainly a nice shoe. But those flagships simply can't be making up the losses in other areas. Park Avenues are really only for a small segment of the population and how many are you going to buy in a year? In a lifetime?
I see Allen Edmonds ending up in that same "gray" area that Brooks Brothers currently occupies. It's tough times for the American men's fashion brands and I think it will not end well for Allen Edmonds.
It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I love the brand and own several pairs myself although I haven't bought any in the past few years so I'm not sure about quality, but I've read from multiple sources how it's declining. The suede sneaker trend you mentioned seems to be all the craze for previously formal oriented shoe makers. For example if you look at Cole Haan's website as of recently, most are suede or some sort of "hybrid" sneaker dress shoe. When I was looking for a pair of leather drivers I could only find like one or two models on their website.
I can only assume this means they are selling more of the casual hybrid shoes than the previous leather ones and I'm sure their margins are better (less leather). As offices get more casual this might be the new trend. I personally have a few pair of Cole Haan suede shoes that I wear into the office. They are the most comfortable shoes I own and with just a shirt and pants it seems acceptable to wear this nowadays especially with the All Birds trend. Or that some people even get away with jeans/real sneakers in the office. These are a step up.
Yes but that's a tough market. Even on sale, the AE ones are $200+ but so many other competitors are way below that. I don't see AE winning in this space, in spite of how popular the trend is.
I agree. I love the Allen Edmonds brand, but their suede shoes are priced too high. I got both of my pair of Cole Haan suede shoes for 70 bucks each on sale. I'd be paying 200+ for the AE equivalents. I see mostly Cole Haan or Allbirds on people's feet and those are way below the AE price.
I dont disagree. Ever since the pandemic, I've been trying to sell a few of mine on eBay and Grailed. I rarely wear any of mine anymore except for weddings and special events. I'd never wear their sneakers but if they made a sleeker Chelsea boot I would game, but theyre current styles are becoming a thing for old men.
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