Allen Edmonds steps out with new store concept

Allen Edmonds has opened a new concept that celebrates its heritage and expertise in recrafting shoes.

The iconic, 101-year-old men's footwear and accessories brand, part of the Caleres portfolio, has opened a new store concept on Newbury Street in Boston. The location includes an in-store shop, called Port Washington Studio (named after the location of its factory), that offers recraft services and help in creating a custom shoe.

Allen Edmonds is one of the original architects of the process of recrafting shoes, which allows the footwear to be worn for a lifetime and/or passed down. The company offers recrafting services out of its factory in Port Washington, Wis., where it has saved more than 500,000 pairs of shoes from landfills during the last 10 years.

"We believe that quality is the original form of sustainability — only the very best made shoes can be recrafted," said David Law, senior VP and general manager for Allen Edmonds, which is part of the Caleres portfolio.

The brand's expertise in customization is on display throughout the space, along with historical images and tools of the trade. Classic wood cases showcase iconic styles such as the Park Avenue, which ranks as the industry's best-selling cap toe oxford.

The wood evolves into a more modern wall system with metal shelves and glass. This area acts as the backdrop for Allen Edmonds' expanded sport offering, which has been essential to the brand's recent success and will play an integral role going forward, the company said.

Additional styles are presented in a series of residential-styled living rooms, each detailed with warm wood casing, end tables and seating areas that feature the brand's signature material, leather. The material is also celebrated in a tactile display of swatches from tanneries around the world and carried through the space in banquet seating.

Images throughout the store accent the brand's connection with the old and new, with a balance of historical photos and graphic, and black-and-white photographs lensed by the legendary Billy Kidd. Kidd documented the style and culture of over 100 people for the brand's 100-year anniversary in 2022.

"Our American heritage, luxury position and commitment to making the highest quality shoes in Port Washington, Wisconsin, have created a strong foundation for evolution and growth," Law said. "There is a quality and classic revival going on - we did that first and haven't stopped."

Caleres is a diverse portfolio of global footwear brands that include Famous Footwear, Sam Edelman, Vionic, Naturalizer, Allen Edmonds, Lifestride, and more. The company operates nearly 1,000 retail stores, with its products also sold in hundreds of major department and specialty stores.