Allen Edmonds vs Meermin [Find Your Perfect Pair in 2024]

In the world of quality dress shoes, both Allen Edmonds and Meermin are known for their quality craftsmanship and timeless designs.

You may now wonder, which one would be the better pick then?

Luckily, I’ve had the pleasure of owning shoes from both brands. And here, I’ll share my personal experience with both Meermin and Allen Edmonds and highlight the key factors that set them apart.

So, if you wanna discover which brand might be the best fit for you, read on!

A Quick Overview of Meermin and Allen Edmonds

These two popular dress shoe brands have differences starting from their beginning. Hence, for a piece of deeper knowledge, you should know how these two high-end brands started their journey.

Allen Edmonds

Allen Edmonds is an American shoe company that was founded in 1922 by Elbert W. Allen and Bill Edmonds.

The company is based in Port Washington, Wisconsin, and has been known for producing high-quality men’s shoes for nearly a century.

From the brand’s beginning to the present time, people have loved Allen Edmonds for its traditional handcrafted designs, high-quality and, and incredible customer support.

Meermin

Meermin, on the other hand, is a Spanish shoe company that was founded in 2001 by Pepe and Jose Albaladejo. Based in Mallorca, Spain, this company produces handcrafted men’s shoes.

Recently the brand got popular globally due to its sleek, modern designs, attention to detail, and affordable prices.

Over the years, their shoes gained a massive following among style-conscious men who are looking for high-quality shoes that won’t break the bank.

How Do Allen Edmonds and Meermin Compare in Their Feature?

As formal shoe brands, both Meermin and Allen Edmonds offer premium-quality, durable products for men and have a huge fan following. However, apart from similar features, their shoes vary in price, design, sizing, construction, and durability.

So, let’s find out the major differences between Allen Edmonds and Meermin shoes:

1. Material

As we know, both brands are immensely popular for their leather dress shoes. However, how they make their shoes and the material they use are not the same.

In terms of material, both Allen Edmonds and Meermin use different types of premium leather, such as Calfskin and Shell Cordovan. But the sourcing countries for the leather are different.

While Allen Edmonds uses German Calf leather, Meermin uses French Calf leather which is a bit thinner than the former one.

2. Construction

Both brand offer Goodyear welt technology for the construction of their shoes.

However, the welting technique is different. Because, Meermin uses 270-degree Goodyear welting, but Allen Edmonds makes its shoes by 360 Goodyear Welt technique. And that’s why Allen Edmonds shoes come at a hefty price range.

Yet, in the case of handcrafting, Meermin is slightly better than Allen Edmonds. Because Meermin has expertise in making hand-welting shoes as they have specially trained workers for this process.

Plus, these hand-welted shoes offer better construction and also last longer than machine-welted ones.

Meanwhile, Allen Edmonds also offers some hand-welted designs. But they are not as good as the Meermin ones.

3. Design Quality

In terms of the overall design, Allen Edmond offers dress shoes with a more traditional look.

However, I personally like the Meermin shoes more when it comes to the design. That’s because their shoes are so sleek that they can easily give you a fashionable look. They use welt stitching from the midfoot to the forefoot to make the shoes more classy.

However, when it comes to design quality, Allen Edmonds has the edge over Meermin because the leather and stitching quality they use is different.

For example, the Horween Cordovan leather used by Allen Ed. is better than the Japanese Cordovan used by Meermin.

Even though the welt stitching of Meermin’s looks sleeker, the quality of stitching is not as good as the Allen Ed.

4. Durability

In my experience, Allen Ed. shoes last longer than the Meermins. That’s maybe because of their difference in the quality of material and stitching.

The problem I’ve faced with the Meermins is that the leather creases out very quickly, which is very unlikely for the Allen Ed.

Another thing is that Meermin uses single leather for outsoles. Conversely, Allen Ed. Outsoles are designed with a more durable single Oak leather.

And upon regular use, the outsole of Meermins starts to wear out within months.

So, when looking for dress shoes that you can wear for a long time, I suggest you buy Allen Edmonds. Though they are pretty expensive, it’s  worth the money.

5. Price

Price is another factor you need to consider while investing in a formal pair. Generally, dress shoes are quite expensive, whether the brands are Allen Edmonds or John Lobb.

However, if compared, most shoes offered by Allen Edmonds are pricier than that by Meermin’s.

The price range for Meermins is from $200 to $300. But for Allen Edmonds, the price ranges from $400 to $500.

6. Sizing

Both shoes are available in different sizes. However, Meermin is a Spanish brand, so they use the EU size standard for their shoes, and they offer sizes from 35 to 50.

When it comes to fit, Meermins are true to size. So, go your regular shoe size with them. But what I’ve found from my pair of Meermins is that they fit snugly due to their narrow toe design and need time for break-in.

Also, they only offer shoes in standard medium width. So they may not be the best choice for people with wide feet.

Meanwhile, Allen Ed. runs half a size bigger while giving a roomy fit. So you may need to size down with them if you have average or narrow feet.

Another great thing about them is that they offer a wide range of widths from 4A to EEE. So, no matter if your feet are medium or super wide, you can upgrade your look with a stylish pair of Allen Ed.

Overall, Allen Ed. and Meermin may differ in their features. But both are good in their own way. However, to make the best choice, consider their benefits and drawbacks.

Pros and Cons of Meermin and Allen Edmonds

To ease your decision-making process, now I’m gonna enlighten you with their pros and cons.

Meermin

Allen Edmonds

Verdict

It’s very common to stumble between these two shoes. Because Allen Edmonds is admirable due to their classy look and impeccable attention to detail. On the other hand, Meermin’s Spanish leather and sleek, modern designs are hard to resist.

However, in my personal opinion, despite their high price, Allen Edmonds is better if you want a durable pair.

And for more than a century, people have put their trust in Allen Ed, due to their classy look and quality products. After all, they are on the list of shoes that Trump wears.

Meanwhile, if you are short on the budget yet want high-quality dress shoes, go with the Meermins. Unlike the Allen Ed. you can even find Shell Cordovan leather shoes in an affordable range from Meermins.

Also, their sleek look is ideal for those who cater to fashion over durability.

Wrapping Things Up

Meermin and Allen Ed. are two of the most popular brands that offer quality dress shoes.

And hopefully, with all the things that I’ve mentioned in this article about both shoes, you can now make the right pick.

Also, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts regarding this topic through the comment section.

Happy shopping!