Rumor: Is Allen Edmonds about to Raise Prices?

Allen Edmonds to raise prices soon?

If you were thinking about investing in a pair of Allen Edmonds, now might not be the worst time to dive in.

Allen Edmonds first quality pricing has been pretty steady for the last few years. Wheelhouse dress shoe models retail for $395. Boots like the Liverpool and Dalton go for $445. Play your cards right, and you can get 1st quality shoes during a sale for around $300 or under. Sometimes, you can get a pair for closer to $250.

But that might be changing.

Here’s an email I just got from reader Tony G., whose local AE Store Manager spilled some interesting beans to him during a recent visit:

I was at my local Allen Edmonds last week getting fitted for some loafers, and the store manager mentioned AE is going to be increasing prices in the very near future. I headed over to Reddit’s Goodyear Welt sub, and dug up this thread on the rumor mill. 

Have you heard anything on this? If so, sad day for many of us…

-Tony G.

If the rumors on Reddit of a $50-$75 price hike are true, that means Strands, Park Aves., and the like would jump to almost $450 a pair. Boots would be sneaking up on half a grand. I’m guessing the days of big sales dropping 1sts to the mid $200s would be long gone (unless they’re simply raising prices to only increase the size of discounts), and sale pricing would be much closer to $300 if not more.

Ouch.

Will their flagship Strand soon go for $400+ retail, and rarely if ever dip below $300 or $350?

I have no idea if this is just normal business, with materials and costs of labor constantly climbing, or this has something to do with the somewhat recent company sale & CEO change.

But what I am pretty sure of, is that with Meermin slowly getting into the US Market and companies like Jack Erwin making awfully nice shoes for around $200 – $250, then even us hard and fast Allen Edmonds fans might start looking elsewhere.

If the rumors are true.