For the better part of my youth there wasn't much of a decision to be made when it came to what shoes to wear. I pretty much just wore tennis shoes every day except the times when my parents forced me to dress up. Life was simple and easy, and those were great times.

But as I got older I began to realize that shoes were indeed important for a man's overall look (unfortunately many American men do not realize this), so I started to put a bit more thought in my shoe choices. In the process, I made some pretty poor decisions when it came to shoes, but one day I decided to take a chance on a pair of Allen Edmonds to hopefully make up for all those poor choices.

If you are unfamiliar with them, Allen Edmonds shoes are made in Wisconsin, USA, and are one of the last remaining American luxury shoe brands that offer recrafting service. What is recrafting service? Basically, you can send your worn-out shoes back to the manufacturer and they will completely refurbish them to the point where they are practically new, for a small price. This service intrigued me and is one of the reasons I ultimately decided to buy these shoes.

Image from Allen Edmonds

Now, being a luxury shoe brand, these of course aren't cheap. The Park Ave Oxfords set me back $385 (and I bought some cedar shoe trees on top of that for $25, which is recommended if you want the shoes to last longer). The price is daunting for most people, including myself, who are used to shoes costing more in the $100 range.

When you think about it, though, how long do your $100 shoes last you? I have a pair of Rockports that I have had about a year and a half now and they are definitely in declining condition. I try to take care of them by conditioning the leather every now and then, but I think I will be able to get at most 2-3 years out of them.

Allen Edmonds, on the other hand, can last significantly longer. They are very well made with quality materials, and if you take care of them, I have heard they can last over a decade. Since you can refurbish them for only about $50, you will in essence get a new pair of shoes for that price every 5 years (although I think they can only be refurbished twice).

So let's do some math here. I'll be generous and assume that a $100 pair of shoes can last about 3 years, with some care. That's $33 per year you are paying for those shoes, and you will probably see a drastic reduction in quality after about a year of use. Allen Edmonds have been said to last at least 5 years before they need to be refurbished, and if they can be refurbished twice, then you will get a solid 15 years of use out of them! That's quite a long time for one pair of shoes. If the shoes cost around $400 originally, plus $50 for each recrafting, then you are looking at a $500 investment for the lifetime of the shoes, and if you do get 15 years of use out of them, then that is still $33 per year.

In the long term, the cost of Allen Edmonds will be offset by their durability, and you will pay around the same, if not less, than you would for some cheaper shoes. That's not bad at all, and considering how much sharper Allen Edmonds shoes look than your run of the mill bargain shoes, they could be an investment worth making.

That's All Good and Well, But How Do I Like Them?

The above was basically my justification to myself for blowing, I mean, investing $400 on a pair of shoes. So they better as hell last me that 15 years as promised.

So far I've had them for about 6 months and have seen no reduction in quality, so that's a good start.

The first thing that really jumped out at me when I tried these shoes on was just how solid they felt. For my entire life the dress shoes I've worn have been on the pretty inexpensive side, so these were a noticeable step up in quality. The leather was smooth and seemed to hug my foot perfectly, the uppers of the shoe were stitched onto the sole rather than glued, so they looked really nice and I could tell they would last.

Walking in them has its pros and cons. Once I broke them in a little (and scuffed the bottom of the soles so that I wouldn't slide on carpet like it was an ice skating rink) I was able to walk with much more confidence and poise than when I first bought them. The leather soles take a bit of getting used to, as they are firmer than typical rubber soles seen on cheaper shoes. Since I have a typical desk job, I am not on my feet too often, so I am okay with the leather soles, but if you are on your feet all day then they may become uncomfortable. On the plus side, though, the leather soles sound magnificent when walking on hard surfaces. They don't squeak like other shoes I own, they make a very satisfying and loud thud that screams "I'm here, and I mean business!"

The leather uppers found on the shoes are full-grain leather (which is a higher level of quality than found on most $100 shoes), and with the right polishing you can really make them shine. What's more, shining these shoes does not result in a gaudy, super shiny look that less expensive shoes have, but rather a distinguished sheen that is noticeable but not tacky. I was also amazed at how tough the uppers are as well, they don't scuff very easily (even after I have done things like walking down gravel pathways). I have other shoes that will show noticeable scuff marks if you so much as brush them against a chair, so the toughness of the Allen Edmonds is pretty top-notch.

The only downside of the uppers that I can see is that after a few wears there were pretty noticeable crease marks that formed from normal walking. I figure this is to be expected in any shoe, but these crease marks seem extra noticeable since they contrast with the perfectly shined look of the toe caps. When I condition the shoes I try to concentrate on this area, and over time it seems to have diminished, so maybe the won't be too noticeable in the long term.

A Note About Care

These are nice shoes, so if you purchase them then you will have to put a bit more effort into maintaining them if you want to get maximum longevity. Here are some things I do in an effort to take care of my shoes:

• Cedar Shoe Trees: They aren't too expensive and I've heard that they can extend the life of the shoe up to 30%. They do this by preserving the shape of the shoe as well as wicking moisture (from your foot sweat) out of the shoe. They also give the shoe a pleasant cedar scent, which is nice.
• Storage: The shoes came in a shoebox with these little individual cloth bags. I just store them in these bags to keep dust off and light exposure to a minimum.
• Cleaning/Conditioning: Every few weeks (and this is for my wearing them about 1-2 times per week) I will clean the shoes with a bit of water and then condition them using a leather conditioner. The leather conditioner is basically a moisturizer for the shoe, which prevents cracking and keeps the shoes looking fresh.
• Shining: After I condition the shoes, I shine them with a wax shoe polish. This provides a layer of water protection and makes them look really nice.

These care steps are basic, but shouldn't be neglected if you want your shoes to last.

Are These Shoes Right for You?

As stated previously, the shoes can actually be a really good value due to their longevity, so you should at least consider them.

If you frequently dress up and are in a position where you need to look sharp, then these shoes are for you. They have a timeless look that goes well with business casual and business formal attire, so you really can't go wrong. But if you are on your feet a lot then they may get uncomfortable, so you should keep that in mind.

Even if you don't dress up too often, it may still be good to own a pair that you can wear for those times that you want to look good, say for a job interview or presentation. If, however, the only times you will ever wear something nicer than a polo are weddings and funerals, then these shoes may not be worth your investment.

In the end, the choice is yours. I bought mine as sort of an experiment since I am young and have some important career-building years in front of me where I will need to look my best, so I figure I can get a lot of benefit from these shoes. If they do last me a long time, then I think I've made a pretty good choice.