80 Percent Of Hiring Managers Believe The Right Shoes Are "Extremely Important", Yet Only 50 Percent Of Job Candidates "Wear The Right Shoes"

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis., Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ever wonder why a great young guy can't seem to land that big first job...or why he seems to drift from internship to internship? A new study from Allen Edmonds, the men's business and casual shoemaker, indicates that potential bosses are looking at shoes much more critically than young men are...and that might have some frustrating consequences for male job seekers.

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Allen Edmonds interviewed more than 1,000 professional men and women this spring in an online survey. It must have been a popular topic, because the study sample was reached in half the time allocated to it. In just three days, 585 professional women and 507 professional men with significant personal incomes ($50,000 - $200,000+) participated in the survey. The results were as revealing as they were intriguing to the analysts.

So here is what's happening to our young executives:

Young Men are Losing Points at the Office Because of Their Shoes

• Hiring managers agree (80 percent say shoes are "extremely important"), but say only 51 percent of young men interviewing for a job wear appropriate shoes.
• In fact, young professional men seem to be fooling themselves when it comes to appropriate office shoes.
  • Seventy-five percent of young professional men say they wear appropriate shoes in a business formal situation (77 percent in business casual situations).
  • But only 44 percent of male executives and 54 percent of female executives think young men wear appropriate shoes in business formal settings.
• Hiring managers say shoes are more indicative on a man's attention to detail (75 percent), confidence and cultural fit.

Young Men: Shoes More Important than Suits to Making the Right Impression

Young professional men believe shoes are 30 points more important to making a good impression than wearing a suit (76 percent to 46 percent).

Men Prefer to Buy American Made Shoes; Comfortable Fit and Look Key Purchase Decisions

Eighty percent of executive men and 69 percent of young professional men prefer to have their shoes made in America.

About Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation
Founded in 1922, Allen Edmonds Corporation is a privately-held, U.S.-based manufacturer of premium men's footwear and accessories. Taking shoemaking to the level of an art form, Allen Edmonds footwear is handcrafted in Port Washington, Wis., using a 212-step production process. Allen Edmonds products are available at upscale stores worldwide, including 46 Allen Edmonds stores across the United States, and online at www.allenedmonds.com.

SOURCE Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation