Review on Discover the Classic Elegance of Allen Edmonds Grayson Tassel Loafers for Men by Nicholas Dobson

I've been an AE customer for over 30 years - probably closer to 40. Some of the classic shoes I own are over 20 years old, they look good and are very comfortable to wear. In the last 10 years the quality has decreased significantly. Curious as to why, I did a little research to see if the company had changed hands. Of course, it's had three buyers since 2006 (one of whom is a venture capital firm -- and we all know what happens to venture capitalist buyouts) -- and in 2016 it ended up with Caleres. If you google them you will find that they own many labels, most of which are owned by low to mid tier companies. On AE's own website, there are many customer complaints about lower quality than in the past. I saw it too. I've also seen that while AE does charge top-notch prices ($250-$500) (but honestly not at the level of some well-known quality shoemakers), their responses to customer complaints on their own website do not accept fees, do not offer replacement goods with a clear one deficiency, and they are clearly mothballed. At one time, the style of AE shoes ranged from the conservative standard business style to the sophisticated style, particularly in casual shoes. While dress shoes remain their conservative default style (nothing wrong with that if you want those kinds of shoes), their casual style ranges from the mundane to the outrageously average (and I'm not promoting styles that are popular today and today). coming out tomorrow - but rather an updated classic - which used to be the bread and butter of AE). I thought I would always be an AE customer. But too many quality issues have led me to conclude that the current management no longer has the values of the venerable AE shoe company (AE really caught on after making very durable shoes and boots for the military during WWII, what to which led many returned). Soldiers become lifelong customers). Unfortunately, unbridled capitalism, in which CEOs are rewarded for ongoing profits rather than long-term success, sadly results in another major American brand being belittled for squeezing every last penny of profit out of unsuspecting customers who were attached to the quality of AE - Used to shoes.