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.

The Port Washington and Lake Church facilities up I-43 serve as process points for the leather used in the shoes, as well as finishing soles and packaging them for distribution. A facility in Lewiston, Maine, the only manufacturing plant outside Wisconsin, makes the company's emerging line of casual shoes, a response to the "casual dress" trend of the 1990s.

"Business is very strong," Stollenwerk says. "People are dressing up again, and that helps out dress shoe lines. We plan to open more stores worldwide, and that means production expansion, especially in Milwaukee. We've been able to tap a great labor pool there and that's helping us expand."

Celebrities gobble up Allen-Edmonds shoes to compliment their carefully crafted wardrobes. Throughout television, movies and in-person appearances, celebrities from Sir Elton John to Tom Selleck to Danny DeVito sport Allen-Edmonds on their feet. Craig T. Nelson in "The District" wears the shoes. George W. Bush wore Allen-Edmonds shoes during his inauguration -- and he was not the first president to do so. Martin Sheen also wears them in "The West Wing," so apparently real and fake presidents alike wear Allen-Edmonds.

In upcoming movies, Allen-Edmonds shoes will be on Tom Hanks in "Road To Perdition" and Leonardo DiCaprio in "Catch Me If You Can." While in the darkened theater, feast your eyes on the actors' stylish footwear, made in Milwaukee!

Years ago, Allen-Edmonds shoes were available only in finer specialty stores (by the way, if you're wondering which specialty or department store sells the most Allen-Edmonds shoes, the answer is Nordstrom.)

More recently, Allen-Edmonds stores have been sprouting up, stocking many of the nearly 100 styles of dress shoes and casuals the company offers. Currently, 23 stores operate in the U.S., from Chicago's Michigan Avenue to New York's Fifth Avenue; from Beverly Hills, California to an upscale mall in Plano, Texas (outside Dallas).

Internationally, a large warehouse in the Netherlands serves European speciality stores as well as two stores that recently opened across the Atlantic: one in Italy, the other in Spain. More are planned.

Future growth of Allen-Edmonds may also mean growth in the city's manufacturing base. The company has looked at constructing a new, larger plant in the Menomonee Valley to create additional capacity. Pending environmental analysis and demand for its expanding line of styles, Allen-Edmonds' presence in Wisconsin, and right in Milwaukee, continues to be strong and looks to get even stronger.