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Shoes have been an important part of so many persons’ life for so long, that you hardly see them step out without having one on.
Grenson and Allen Edmonds shoes are great staples to rely on, to provide you with adequate foot support and that stunning appearance.
Be it a formal function or a casual event, wearing a pair of shoes adds glamour to your outfit in its little way.
And these brands of shoes have been on the affair of producing quality shoes for far too long, numbering decades while still maintaining a culture enshrined in quality, simplicity, and classic fashion.
This article presents a comparative view of these two shoes, weighing their uniqueness, and offers you the opportunity to validate the better shoe between Grenson and Allen Edmonds shoes.
Differences between Grenson and Allen Edmonds Shoes
The outstanding difference between the Grenson and Allen Edmonds shoes is in their style or shoes.
Grenson is mainly known for the production of brogues, a type of shoes with exquisite design with punctured hole detailing, and chunky soles; while Allen Edmonds does more casual-dressy shoes that can pass for formal footwear.
With the stylish, fashion-intended, and vintage detailing in the Grenson, the shoe has a distinct place as a bespoke shoe.
All these details are not entirely absent from the aesthetics of Allen Edmonds shoes, but my point is that they are more pronounced in Grenson shoes.
This distinctive feature makes the Allen Edmonds have a more casual and dressy appeal.
Similarly, Grenson shoes are made in the UK, drawing their inspiration from the English culture and classic gentleman dress sense.
On the other hand, Allen Edmonds shoes have American roots having been founded and produced in American soils.
Also, Grenson shoes were already produced for many years before the Allen Edmonds shoes, signaling a production formula deeply rooted in retro fashion than the Allen Edmonds that came into existence in the early 1900s.
Another interesting difference between the Grenson and Allen Edmonds shoes is the customer satisfaction package they operate on.
While Grenson offers free shipping to most of their customers in the US, Allen Edmonds offers re-crafting services for their shoes.
So, if you bought any of their shoes and the shoe turns bad over time, you can get them re-crafted into a newer state.
Brief Review of Grenson Shoes
Grenson shoes have proven to be a hard-headed footwear product with quality, style, and detailing as its watchword.
Grenson shoes started as a small leather shop that gradually evolved into a big establishment, producing shoes that cut across individual styles.
The staple was founded by William Green in the year 1866, in Rushden, Northamptonshire, in the working class neighborhood of London.
At that time, shoes were handmade because the method of shoe making revolved around hand craftsmanship.
Grenson shoe incorporates various variations of embellishments ranging from decorative signatures that are mainly done on the toe, to English-inspired designs.
The Grenson shoe company produces the Grenson shoes, and it does this with the much popularized Goodyear welting method of shoe production.
The shoes also feature the use of the ‘Silhouwelt principle’, which is the fusion of welting and cementing in their shoes with an intent-driven at durability.
The crucial attribute of Grenson shoes is that they are handmade, which speaks volumes of their quality and bespoke agenda.
Although there are diverse styles of Grenson shoes, they are mainly known for their brogue-styled shoes.
Brogue is a prevalent English style of shoe that features stylistic punctured holes on the upper body of the shoe to allow for breathability and fewer water logs.
Grenson shoes now have styles in sneakers, dress shoes, casual dress shoes, and boots, but still, maintain their flagship production of Brogue shoes.
Most of the shoes from the stable of the Grenson company are made from 100% leather, usually sourced from calf hides.
The exquisite nature of these shoes is a reflection of other types of leather raw materials used in their production, like those sourced from the hides of antelope, camel, sea lion, and water bison.
Most of the materials are sourced from American factories, cut by skilled designers, and made with keen attention to quality.
Pros:
- Stylish and fashionable.
- Sleek design.
- Quality and age-long construction.
- Made from 100% quality leather material.
- Classic appeal.
- Rich English culture.
Cons:
- On the higher end.
- Hard to break in.
- Fits slightly wider.
- Too dressy for a casual outfit.
Brief Review of Allen Edmonds Shoes
The prided American shoe staple won’t be a thing to be celebrated without the ingenuity of Elbert W. Allen.
After 4 years of intense study of shoes and shoemaking, Allen moved to start his shoe factory, leading to the birth of prestigious footwear.
He founded the shoe company handling the production of Allen Edmonds shoes in 1922, in Belgium, Wisconsin.
Allen collaborated with Ralph Spiegel to establish the company named Allen-Spiegel shoes at that time.
The name change to ‘Allen Edmonds’ came years after the demise of the founder when his children brought in Willaim Edmond as a partner.
The rise of Allen Edmonds shoes into the footwear production spotlight, started after it produced shoes for the US Army and US Navy during the 1st World War.
Most of the returning war veterans were delighted with the shoe’s standard. They embraced the shoes and have been doing that to date.
The Allen Edmonds shoe was born out of American heritage, drawing its inspiration from the casual, dressy style of most American gentlemen.
Notably, these shoes have been worn by Americans for ages and were also worn by some American past presidents like Clinton and H.W. Bush during their inaugural ceremonies.
Allen Edmonds is a high-end shoe, which focuses on the dress and dress casual shoes, with enough flair to bring down an onlooker’s gaze down to your feet.
They built their shoes to last and are resistant to wear and tear, using the Goodyear welting formula for shoe production.
Instead of disposing of old Allen Edmond shoes, you can recraft them because they are made to last forever.
Some styles of Allen Edmonds shoes include the famous Park Avenue, Addison Penny Loafer, the Strandmok Brogue, and also the Strand Cap-toe Oxford.
Pros:
- Value for the price.
- Proven longevity.
- Easy to break in.
- Easy to wear and take off.
- Casual and dressy.
- Made from high-quality leather.
Cons:
- High market cost.
- Partial aesthetic construction.
Head-to-Head Comparison of Grenson and Allen Edmonds Shoes
I will place these two shoe brands on my comparative scale at this juncture.
I will cover their strengths and flaws in the preceding texts, as this will help you decide on a better investment between the two of them.
The factors on which I will build my comparison entail.
Price
Grenson and Allen Edmonds’ shoes are both high-end shoes. They are not regular dress shoes with too much branding and little attention to quality.
Instead, these shoes are made with high-quality leather and a construction process that costs a lot to maintain.
Thus, the quality and high standard of the shoes, coupled with their brand name, reflect the market value.
None of them falls below the $150 threshold and lots of them, especially Allen Edmonds shoes, are way above $400.
It does not mean that they are priced higher than Grenson, which also has some of its pairs in that price range. However, you should know that these shoes are worth every penny you spend on them.
Build Quality
One important, if not the most important feature of both Grenson and Allen Edmonds shoes is quality, and it is a product of a firm production process.
It takes up to 8 weeks or more to make a pair of Grenson shoes, right from the sourcing of leather to the design, stitching, construction, heating, finishing, and final polishing.
The Grenson shoes are a reputable brand name when it comes to a good production process and evident build quality.
In the same vein, the virtue of quality does not elude Allen Edmonds shoes because they hold a top spot in the American footwear production circle.
The company which makes these shoes is among the few American companies that did not outsource their production to Asian factories where production cost is lost.
Alternatively, they continued production in America, for the fear of relapse in the quality of their shoes and it explains their commitment to offering high-end extremely quality shoes.
Design and Style
I find the design of Grenson shoes to be flamboyant and highly stylish. The style of the Grenson shoes says a lot about the infusion of rich English heritage in their design.
Engineered with the traditional Goodyear welting formula for shoe production, these shoes are the perfect pair you should have if your style involves always making a fashion statement.
I find them very good to be worn with formal outfits, as it places you on a pedestal once you step out.
The same cannot be said for the Allen Edmonds shoes, which are basically developed to cater to the footwear need of a typical American gentleman.
Simplicity, subtle style, and durability seem to be the code of Allen Edmonds’ shoes.
Though the brand has in stock some shoes like Grensons’, they do not uphold them as their flagship style.
Construction and Stitching
The Goodyear welting method is the basic construction method used by Grenson and Allen Edmonds.
This welting method gives a lot of advantages like a resoleable shoe, a comfortable footbed, and water resistance.
Stitching in these shoes is done using a system that conceals threads from showing under the outer sole.
The system produces neat, durable, and stylish shoes, which the Grenson and Allen Edmonds shoes fall under.
Durability
Grenson shoes are durable, the same goes for Allen Edmonds shoes. Their durability is a result of the strong build quality, standard material, and commitment to produce shoes that are equal to their price tag.
You can wear these shoes for as long as you feel like it, and they will still hold up efficiently. The durability rating for both of them ties, so I don’t think anyone is more durable than the other, citing their high quality.
Material
Leather is the predominant material used by Grenson and Allen Edmonds’ shoes.
This leather is usually gotten from calf hides, with an exception in some Grenson shoes, which are made with hides from antelope or camel to reiterate quality and style.
The leather is sourced from factories and transferred to the shoe industry, where it is treated and prepared for use. They mostly used leather in both the upper and sole bodies of the shoe.
Popularity
It is natural for the Grenson shoes to be more popular than Allen Edmonds shoes because Grenson has been in existence for 50 years before them.
Since the new world order revolves around social media, I looked into it and found out that Grenson also has a better coverage gathering over 142k followers on Instagram while Allen Edmonds has 118k followers.
Final Verdict
Drawing a final decision between these two shoes is hard, citing their striking similarities and compelling uniqueness.
Nonetheless, my verdict favors Allen Edmonds, and I know you didn’t see that coming. But that is my choice and it shouldn’t derail you from making yours.
Allen Edmonds is simple, durable, and fairly stylish, exactly how I love it. The price might be outrageous, but if I’m picking between it and Grenson, I will go with it because it is more functional than the Grenson shoe.
Conclusion
Most times, shoes tend to define a man’s personality. They either make you or mar, and I believe both Grenson and Allen Edmonds are on the path of making you.
These shoes are awesome, high-quality, and culture-inspired inventories. I encourage you to get one of them for an upgrade in fashion sense and a better appearance whenever you step out.
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