Late one evening in July 2010 I was unpacking my clothes in the Atlanta Hilton while mentally preparing for the week of meetings and trade show walking that would begin in the morning.  My shirts and pants would need a little ironing, but for the most part Delta had been gentle, so they went directly into the closet.  Tee shirts, underwear and a my shaving kit were next out of the luggage, and for some reason something didn't feel right... it was at this moment that the sight of my leather shoes covered in florescent green EDGE shaving gel caught my eye!

Off to the sink for some desperate scrubbing, but within seconds it was clear that these shoes would either need professional help or a proper burial. 

So what would YOU do next?  It's 10:37pm in downtown Atlanta and you need dress shoes on your feet for a 7am meeting.  I think I did what a lot of people would do: I called my best buds a few floors away and said "Wanna make a Wal-Mart run?"

Yes, you can imagine that the rest of this story writes itself.  For months after this one week in off the shelf leather-like shoes my feet hurt so much that I had to visit a podiatrist for the first time in my life.  As the only  bread winner in a family of four I've never spent much on shoes, but after this experience it was clear that I needed to pay a little more attention to my feet.

A perpetually well-dressed broworker learned of my misery and one afternoon filled me in on a little secret: Yes, he always wore nice, brand name shoes, but he bought them used on eBay!  His brand of choice is Allen Edmonds, and if you've ever priced them you'd know that they sell new for up to $550.  Few shoes have as strong a reputation as Allen Edmonds and his experience with his shoes was that they outlived several soles, so my friend buys used shoes in his size, and sends them directly to Allen Edmonds to have them "Recrafted" for a fraction of the price of a new pair.  Here's a video about the process:


Here are a few of the current Allen Edmonds listings on eBay, and you can find them in your size by typing "Allen Edmonds" and your size in the search bar below.  Good luck, and leave a comment if you have any experience with this wonderful shoes.