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Affordable Men's Style

Win it: The Allen Edmonds Neumok

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The Splurge:  Allen Edmonds Neumok – $250.00

Allen Edmonds has been a standard setter for classic American made shoes since the Harding Administration. Started and still based in Wisconsin, they exist in a part of the country that doesn’t change just for the sake of change.  Yes the upper Midwest can innovate, but if something is working well, people there won’t blow it up just to play with a shiny new toy.  It takes guts to try something new, and it’s especially hard when you’re like Allen Edmonds, who’s been so successful filling their niche for such a long time.  That makes the didn’t-see-this-one-coming Allen Edmonds Neumok so overflowing with chutzpah, that it’s hard not to strut a bit after putting them on.

The Neumok is an obvious departure from traditional, boardroom ready Allen Edmonds oxfords, but they’re different with purpose.  They’ve tweaked some details to acknowledge the brighter colors and more showy style of younger shoe aficionados, but the designers stayed on course just enough to prevent these from getting clownish.

The Neumok is one of the sleekest Allen Edmonds out there.  It’s already built on the slim 5-65 last, but the taper of the toe is noticeably trim for AE.  If they were to come out with a standard dress shoe sporting this toe shape, say with just a medallion and little else, there might be riots akin to the sneaker-heads fighting over the latest Jordans.

The materials and construction are what you’d expect from Allen Edmonds.  Just because they appear to be going after a younger demo here, that doesn’t mean shortcuts were taken.  The suede is especially nice.  It’s soft, thick, and strangely flexible.  “Smushy” even.  The leather options are also more flexible than you’d expect.  AllenEdmonds.com notes that “each is extremely malleable.”  Leather options come in red, blue, brown, and the greenish olive shown here.   Also available in a dark and light suede.  Each pair of shoes comes with a set of bright and colorful laces, as well as a second, more subtle, standard looking earth-tone set .

50-years-back your Grandpa’s favorite shoes were from Allen Edmonds (and maybe they still are today) but the Neumok is proof that Allen Edmonds isn’t afraid to take a well thought out risk.  They’re also proof that Allen Edmonds will not go quietly into the night when it comes to pursuing younger customers, even those with more aggressive fashion forward preferences.

Win it: Yeah, so, they’re pretty friggin’ impressive.  To enter to win a pair of the Neumoks in your size and your choice of color, send your first and last name in an email to contests@dappered.com with the subject: Neumok.  One entry per person.  Deadline is 11:59pm E.T. on 3/7/12.

UPDATE:  Congrats to Daniel K. who won the drawing for the Neumoks.  Thanks again to Allen Edmonds!

Comments

  3. Not only are these great, a trip to the AE website shows some great looking stuff coming up. The Flatiron wholecut, and the Neumora double monk look superb.

  6. I love the Independence Day reference. Greatest movie president of all time (perhaps tied with Harrison Ford in Air Force One). Oh yeah, the shoes are beautiful too.

  10. On my last trip to Goodwill, I found a pair of Allen Edmonds Park Avenues for $30.  Not in my size and a little piece of me died that day.

  11. I have been lusting after these with inappropriate zeal ever since I saw them on the AE website about a month ago. I’ve been going back and forth as to weather or not to pull the trigger on them. Hopefully, I won’t have to. Not sure which color I would go for, though. I’m thinking either the green or the blue.

  12.  Sure thing!  Might take a little longer to get them to you if you win though.  Not months or anything, but we pick up the tab on shipping.

  13.  Totally depends on what’s being given away.  I’d imagine there’s going to be quite a few entries for these.

  14.  I was definitely hoping that link would go to Rodney Dangerfield reciting Dylan Thomas in “Back to School”

  17. Not crazy about the suede options, but I love all the leather ones. Want want want.

  22. Tip: If they’re in good condition you can sell ’em on eBay.  Start the bidding at $30 so you don’t lose your money.  They should sell easily.

    It heals the pain a bit.

  23. These would compliment, just about any possible outfit I could pick out from my wardrobe…easily!  I’m buying….if I don’t win! 😀

  25. If I don’t win these, I’ll definitely be looking for a pair at their next summer tent sale in Port Washington. I highly suggest any nearby midwesterners to make the trip out there. I bought a pair of Strands for $250 or so last year. It’s like shoe-heaven.

  28. Best. Contest. Yet… Period.

    AE must be really proud of these because they’ve spent a lot of time on their homepage lately. I really like them.

  29. Amazing shoes. Amazing contests. Thanks once again to Dappered for making it happen.

  30. If I win will they special make in my size (17) :-)….. Shoes are the hardest part of my wardrobe to get. 

  32. On a related note… any thoughts on the Allen Edmonds Ridgeway? I like the brown, but am afraid the rubber sole might stick out too much for business attire or jeans… Anyone?

  33. For contests like this it might be fun if you included a poll with the different colors to see which ones people would go for.

  35. The only reason that I haven’t bought a pair is that I don’t have a clue how to take care of them.  I get suede.  But the more finished leather with contrasting stitching and different color sole must be tough.

  36. How about NZ? I always skip these competitions with a pang of envy under the assumption that it’d be too cost inhibitive to send it down the bottom of the world. For these however, I may be cheeky enough to consider it!

  39. Crazy warm weather we had today. Weird to have inches of snow on the ground and 54 degrees at the same time.

  40.  That’s perfect.  Cam can wear one shoe, and Jessy can put both feet in the other shoe.  Then switch.

  41. Love the site. Thank you for a perfect blend of great taste and meaningful frugality.  Would love to win these because as a size 11 I never find shoes I want on sale.

  43.  We update at the bottom of the post once we’ve drawn a winner.  Haven’t hit the deadline yet though (patience my friend… people still have until 11:59pm ET tonight)

  44. These may not be my grandfather’s Allen Edmonds but I do wear pairs of his from the middle 60’s on a regular basis and love them… AE has and continues to make great shoes!

  49. Does anyone know if the custom Neumok leather is roughly the same in terms of leather hardness of the originals?