Santoni and Allen Edmonds are two top brands of shoes made in Italy and the USA respectively. Allen Edmonds started decades before Santoni. These two are really competing for the best quality of shoes.
The major difference is that while Allen Edmonds uses Goodyear welt construction to seal the sole of its shoes, Santoni does not noticeably do so.
Another big difference I’ve noticed is that Allen Edmonds is mainly made for men. There are just a few unisex shoes made by them, but they have a greater part of men’s stock.
Before now, Santoni was priced way more than Allen Edmonds, but it seems that is changing now as there are shoes in the same range as Santoni and even more costly.
We will consider all of the features that make Santoni and Allen Edmonds different or similar in this article.
History of Santoni
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Just as I’ve said earlier, Santoni is an Italian-based shoe company. This company was created by Andrea Santoni in 1975 and was later handed over to his son, Gruseppe.
Santoni is focused on refining the cultural heritage of craftsmanship and upholding Italian excellence.
You know how Italy is known to produce excellent wear. So, Santoni aims to maintain such excellence. Santoni shoe company has now become an international icon when it comes to making the best shoes.
Pros:
- Made in Italy
- Fashionable
- Comfortable
- Durable
- 100% leather
- Comes in various styles and patterns
- Made for both men and women.
Cons:
- Very expensive
- Some are not water-resistant.
History of Allen Edmonds
Allen Edmonds started in 1922. You can find the company at Port Washington, Wisconsin, USA.
Allen Edmonds is a handcrafting shoe-making company that pays careful attention to details.
Its philosophy is quality, service, and integrity. They are so generous as to share their making process with us. The processes involved are:
- The first thing is to hand-select the leather to be used.
- Then, build on their signature lasts.
- Constructing their 360° Goodyear bench welt.
- Attaching the soles.
- And then finally adding the finishing touch.
Pros:
- Goodyear welt construction
- Made in USA
- Affordable
- Embedded with cork footbed
- 100% leather.
Cons:
- Recently, there are complaints that it doesn’t last long.
Santoni vs Allen Edmonds: Are there similarities?
Santoni and Allen Edmonds do not share a lot of similarities together in the business of making shoes. One similarity between them is that they make use of leather, mostly hundred percent leather for the making of their shoes.
Santoni vs Allen Edmonds: Comparison
Features
In order to adequately analyze and compare these two brands, we will consider a few examples of shoes from each of them to check for their features and other factors.
Santoni
Santoni Rouge High Heel Sandals Shoes
This pair of shoes can be found at the rate of $254 specifically on the Amazon store. It is made of a hundred percent leather fabric and the sole material is also leather.
The outer material is leather also. The closure type for this shoe is the buckle. It comes in different colors, but you will find it mostly in red. Of importance is that it is made in Italy.
If you’re a lover of Italy-made products or shoes, then I suggest you consider getting this. Let’s summarize the features for better understanding:
- 100% leather fabric
- The sole material is leather
- Buckle closure type
- Country of origin – Italy
- Heel height – 7cm
Santoni Men’s Loafers
The price of this pair is as high as $574 (See on Amazon). It has a synthetic sole material and the closure type is pulled on. What you should know is that this particular shoe is not water-resistant.
It has an Almond-toe silhouette. Also, it has a leather upper with decorative leather stitching.
This Santoni product is specifically made for men and I’m sure it must be worth it considering the price. The features are summarized below:
- Sole material is synthetic
- Pull-on closure type
- Almond-toe silhouette
- Leather upper
Santoni Taupe Women’s Leather Moccasins
This pair of Santoni shoes can be gotten at a price tag of $234 (See on Amazon). The fabric used in making this shoe is a hundred percent leather. The sole material used is rubber and the outer material which is leather.
It has a high sole suitable for stylish women. This particular shoe has no closure for easy slip-on.
Looking at the picture of the show above, you will agree that it is fashionable. Also, this shoe is comfortable to wear. Note that it is made in Italy. Let’s summarize the features for better understanding:
- 100% leather
- Sole material – rubber
- Outer material – rubber
- No closure
- High sole
- Fashionable and comfortable
Allen Edmonds
Allen Edmonds Men’s Park Avenue
This pair is made in the USA and it is hundred percent leather. It has a sole material which is leather and an outer material which is leather.
This shoe is of welted construction for support and durability. It is embedded with a cork footbed which shapes the foot for a more personalized fitting.
Most important is that this shoe has been a best selling shoe for over 3 decades. It can be found at a price range of $200 – $726 according to size (See on Amazon). The features are summarized below:
- Made in the USA
- 100% leather
- The sole material is leather
- Welted construction
- Outer material – leather
- Durable
- Cork footbed
Allen Edmonds Men’s Hamilton Oxford Boot
This pair is a hundred percent leather and it is made in the USA. The sole material is rubber and it has a shaft height which is 6 inches.
It is embedded with a custom cork insole for comfort. It is also made with a speed dainite and seven eyelets.
It is a cap-toe Balmoral boot. It has a mocha milled lining. You can find it at a price of $424 (See on Amazon). It is summarized as follows:
- 100% leather
- Shaft height – 6 inches
- Custom cork insole
- Sole material – rubber
- Speed dainite
- Cap-toe Balmoral boot.
- For men only
Allen Edmonds Unisex-Adult Strandmok Oxford
This is made with hundred percent leather with a sole material which is leather. The closure type is lace-up (See on Amazon).
It is made with a 360° bench welt construction for durability and stability. It is embedded with a custom cork insole. It has an All-weather olive Dainite sole.
This shoe is handcrafted. It has a blue rubber Daintier sole.
Features in summary:
- 100% leather
- 360° bench welt construction
- Lace-up closure
- Rubber sole material
- Custom cork insole
- Handcrafted
Leather
From the features, we have realized that both brands make use of 100% leather fabric for their shoes. We cannot say which is better as there is no specified type of leather in the product descriptions.
Both brands use good leather material as fabric.
Sole
Allen Edmonds uses rubber sole material for some of their shoes and uses leather for others. In one of their shoes, they used blue rubber Daintier sole.
While Santoni sole materials vary from synthetic, rubber, or leather. They make use of any of these sole materials depending on the kind of shoe they are making.
Durability
For the record, Allen Edmonds has received a good number of reviews against the durability of their shoes.
Despite the fact that it is made with Goodyear welt construction, there are still some Allen Edmonds shoes that do not last. Santoni, being an Italian-based shoe, is made to be durable and still fashionable.
Price
Before now, Santoni is known to be more expensive. But, the story seems to be different now as Allen Edmonds has raised their game. Santoni’s pricing is between $200 – $650.
While Allen Edmonds price range between $150 – $700. So far, Allen Edmonds has the highest pricing.
Insoles
Allen Edmonds has consistently used custom cork insole. It cannot be said what type of insole Santoni uses since it is not included in the description.
For comfortability, Allen Edmonds takes the lead because of the presence of the cork insole.
Overall Quality
From the comparison above, the major downside of Allen Edmonds is the doubt about the durability of the shoes.
While the major downside of Santoni over time has been the expensive pricing. Both brands produce high-quality shoes.
But, the most used and the most popular is Allen Edmonds. For now, they still take the lead in high quality.
My Overall Verdict
Having considered and compared these two brands, you must be wondering which one is better.
You must be waiting to know which one I consider the best for you. Regardless of the popularity of Allen Edmonds, they have begun to receive lots of complaints about the durability of their shoes.
Santoni has maintained their standard and quality to date. I’ll advise you to go for Santoni if you’re looking for style and something that will last.
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