Allen Edmonds Recrafting – Wear In, Ship Out

One of the great things about investing in high-quality classics is the prospect of having them for years to come.  Most serious shoe-makers do their bit to help and offer in-house repair and recraft services to keep your hooves in tip-top shape.  I just got a pair back from Allen Edmonds, and here are my thoughts.

People often scoff when I talk about buying clothes with the intent of having them for ten, twenty, or more years, but if you properly maintain your things these decade-long predictions aren’t far off at all.  Good shoes for instance wear in, not out.  In this particular case, I didn’t do the wearing in myself, but I was just as happy to ship them off to Allen Edmonds for fixing.

I picked up a few pairs of Allen Edmonds on eBay earlier this summer for next to nothing.  I wrote about polishing up the Norwegian Split Toes a few weeks back, and that same week I sent a pair of beat up monkstraps back to their maker to get a proper tune up.  When the shoes arrived, the soles had a handful of soft spots, the heels were almost nonexistent, and the leather was sort of dirty looking all around.  A coat of Reno wasn’t going to be enough to bring these back to life alone.

So in the box they went, and a trip to UPS later they were on their way to Wisconsin for sprucing up.  That was just over three weeks ago, and Friday my stretched, patched, and polished kicks arrived back on my doorstep.  I’ve got to say I’m thoroughly impressed.

From the moment I opened the heavy, corrugated shipping box, it was clear careful attention had been paid.  In the first box was a heavy-duty shoebox holding the neatly wrapped shoes with tissue for padding.  You can opt for flannel bags and trees, but I’ve got more than I need as is.

The shoes themselves look almost brand new.  Not that I don’t want a patina, but I want it to be mine, not some other guy’s.  I don’t like pre-distressed clothes, and why should my shoes be any different.  The hardware has a pleasant dull shine, edges are nicely inked, the leather has a uniform color again, and the soles are sturdy and neatly finished.  AE even replaces the welting, which means that the damage done by the previous owner waiting a little too long without resoling is as good as new.

Now the service isn’t cheap, no matter which manufacturer you’re going to.  In fact, it’s more than many men pay for a new pair of shoes these days.  But if you’re serious about keeping your footwear for the long haul, I can’t recommend it highly enough.  Now to get out that tin of Saphir and make these properly mine.