It's gotta be the shoes.

One of the cool things about Milwaukee and Wisconsin is that here we still make stuff, some of which ranks as the best in its field. Miller beer and Harley-Davidson motorcycles are examples of Milwaukee products famous worldwide. Another popular local product adorns the feet of heads of state, performers and players in some of the world's most powerful corporate boardrooms.

Allen-Edmonds, maker of some of the finest dress and dress casual shoes in the world, continues to expand its product line and reputation while proudly remaining entrenched in Wisconsin and even adding production capacity in Milwaukee's central city.

Founded in 1922 by Elbert W. Allen, the shoes were initially produced in a small factory in Belgium (that's Belgium, Wisconsin). Later, William Edmonds came on board as a partner. His sales efforts earned him the second half of a new company name.

The firm gained loyalty among many men who wore them during World War II, the result of Allen-Edmonds securing military footwear contracts. A reputation for quality built Allen-Edmonds throughout the '50s and '60s, and in the 1970s the company moved into international markets, with John Stollenwerk serving as the international representative. He and a group of investors bought Allen-Edmonds from descendents of Elbert Allen and William Edmonds in 1980, and to this day Stollenwerk serves as president and CEO.

Four years after the purchase, the original Belgium factory was destroyed by fire. The company relocated to Port Washington along I-43, where a brand-new facility houses the corporate headquarters as well as new manufacturing facilities.

The manufacture of Allen-Edmonds shoes still involves more than 200 steps and is completed entirely by hand, unique in this era. That means skilled labor is a must.

To meet demand, Allen-Edmonds needed more qualified people to cut, sew and stitch their shoes. The facility in Port Washington, along with a smaller one in nearby Lake Church, happened to be located a hefty distance from a large pocket of experienced workers capable of performing such duties.

The clothiers, tanneries and shoe factories in and near the Menomonee Valley and Walker's Point had been closing for years and their former workers had skill and experience and a many needed work. So, instead of expanding their existing facilities and attempting to lure them north, Allen-Edmonds fished where the fish were -- and set up a new manufacturing facility in Milwaukee at 8th Street and National Avenue.

Today, about 100 employees stitch together some of Allen-Edmonds' finest brands in an environment that can serve as a model for a resurgent industrial base in the inner city. The company reports that a reliable, productive workforce, coupled with ready access to the freeway system and ample parking, has made its 1997 choice to establish this facility a very wise one, indeed. It has been expanded three times in the five years it has been operational.