Photo by Muffy Aldrich
The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy

Friday, February 10, 2023

Alden Shoe

 A reader question:

I used to buy from Alden's New York store (across from Grand Central.) Are Alden shoes still worth buying?  What are their best products today?   

29 comments:

  1. I would say the short answer is Yes. Their quality has not suffered a similar fate to Allen Edmonds or Florsheim (RIP to what they were). Any of their offerings are great and their greatest strength is their recrafting service. Leffot, which is one of the premier shoe stores in NYC often does collaborations with Alden. If you were to get any shoes I would start with their black captoe for the Boston shoe look (cordovan if you can spare), LHS loafers in Cordovan 8, the 975s for a more flashy gunboat, the Indy boot is great for casual days, and of course their white bucks for the summer. The quality is phenomenal and they are still a highly regarded shoe brand internationally. One of the benefits is that their recrafting service is currently at around $189. If your shoes need the extra love, they have their own lasts to rebuild on and they return with shoe trees and shoe bags. A phenomenal service and deal. I would be remiss without mentioning The ShoeMart which sells Factory Seconds for those that wish to approach an Alden purchase more frugally. However make sure you know what your size is in which last. I would get fitted at an Alden store to be safe and to try on if that is the route you take.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree. I would add only that Alden will make custom models for particular Alden retailers, so once you know which Alden last or lasts fit you best, you might browse Alden retailers online to see if any have any custom models that you like in addition to Alden's standard models. I have worn Alden shoes four to six days per week for the past fifteen years and the shoes have only improved with age.

      Delete
  2. My late great aunt was the special orders secretary at the Alden factory in Middleboro, MA for 25 years, retiring in her late 80s. She used to give my father a pair of Aldens every year at Christmas, purchased with her generous employee discount - beautiful shoes that, as the commenter above mentioned, only improved with time. We used to joke that if anyone broke into our house, they'd steal the TVs, the computer, etc., but the real assets were in my parents' closet in shoe boxes!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I too would like to bang the gong as loudly as possible for Alden. They are absolutely up there with, and in some cases exceed, the best English made shoes.

    I would also second the mention of Shoemart. They carry a staggering collection of Aldens, including "Bootmakers Editions" not available anywhere else. And the nice thing about the Factory Seconds, mentioned above, is even though they are discounted to about 2/3 of the regular price they are still returnable. Sometimes the flaw is invisible, and other times it more visible and not something you want to live with.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have tried on Aldens and they are inferior to the best English made shoes such as John Lobb, Edward Green, George Cleverley and Graziano & Girling. The quality is simply in a different class.

      As an alternative to Alden's, I recommend Crockett & Jones, the best English mid-market brand. The quality of the leather and construction, especially the Hand Grades, is superior. The lasts are more classic and elegant too. The new range boots is outstanding, better than Tricker's. It's worth paying the shipping charges and Joe Biden's import tariffs to get a few pairs.

      Delete
    2. I downloaded the latest Alden brochure last night. My perception is that the quality is closer to the cheaper English brands such as Loake, Cheaney and Grenson. Btw, I had forgotten that Crockett & Jones has two stores in New York which would be worth a visit to check sizing/fit and avoid shipping costs.

      Delete
    3. You made that observation from a brochure? How's their fit?

      Delete
    4. I shopped at that Crockett & Jones store in Manhattan, and there is no way they could fit me. I take a 13 EE in a laceup dress shoe and no shoe in the store would fit me properly. The salesman tried his best as he really wanted to make a sale; he even had me try on a pair of thinner socks, but no dice. So I advise people to go directly to the Alden store on Madison Avenue, and not waste their time on higher priced British shoes that don't have the quality or array of sizes and lasts that Alden has.

      Delete
    5. I too wondered how you could assess a shoes quality from a downloaded brochure

      Delete
  4. I have owned a pair of Alden’s cordovan tassel loafers for over thirty years, and have had them resoled three times. I believe they cost under $300 at the time, which considering the longevity is great value compared to the disposable junk that cannot be recrafted. As my great grandfather said “good feet deserve good shoes and bad feet need them”.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think they still make excellent shoes. The company experienced financial distress after a CFO they hired turned out to have looted company accounts - he's currently serving a 70 month federal prison sentence. Google Rick Hajjar or look for the Boston Magazine articles.

    I wear three pair of Alden shoes: Model 990, a plain toe Color 8 shell cordovan blucher - Barrie last; 986, Color 8 shell cordovan penny loafers without the 'roll,' Van last; and Model 9432S, brown chromexel plain toe blucher, rubber sole (rubber soul?), also a Barrie last. The shell cordovan shoes are both well over a decade old, the more casual pair more like 3-5 years. The design, materials and manufacturing quality are all top-notch. I think all their leather-soled shoes still have a steel shank, so they feel heavier than many alternatives, more substantial. The leather sole material they use wears well too. Lower-quality leather soles wear out much more quickly, so it's important to find a cobbler who knows the difference when you need a resole, if you don't send them back to Alden to do that.

    I think their shell cordovan shoes are the pinnacle of what they offer. Shell cordovan is made from horsehide taken from the hindquarters. It takes longer than many types of leather to break in but wears extremely well. It doesn't crease like most tanned cowhide used in men's dress shoes; it flexes, looks more like ripples. They cost more; they're well worth the price, in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Got 6 pair of em. Maintain & shine them myself. Source Alden San Francisco or Alden Washington D.C. . You had better know the last, length, & width & do not deviate. Salesman shut me down on the Van Last...stick to your knitting.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Alden has certainly expanded its offerings, but for this TNSIL type, the tassel loafer and the leisure hand sewn are the all time best. I have gotten over thirty years of heavy use from cordovan LHS. The replacements are Chromexcel, and it is superb. I also love snuff suede LHS. The one essential is to learn your preferred last(s) and sizes. Shoemart is wonderfully helpful. Yes, they are still impeccably good. For the dyed in the wool Ivy/Trad type, there is no substitute.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I had an outstanding pair of Alden dark brown cap toe dress shoes for a number of years. They felt like they'd have lasted a lifetime, and I'd certainly have kept them for the duration, but for my feet increasing in size just a bit. Now I have my sights on their Cordovan #8 LHS (leisure hand sewn) model. I'm crossing my fingers that they bring back the unlined version someday.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Alden is a substitute for Barrie’s.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Alden shoes are great but I wish they made a casual camp moc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Try quoddy or rancourt

      Delete
    2. Seconded on the Rancourt suggestion. Their Gilman camp moc has performed admirably for me over the past few years. It’s a shame that Alden’s Cape Cod H15x series mocs are unobtanium.

      Delete
  11. Brooks Brothers tassel loafers used to be made by Alden. There was a different decoration on the heel, so you could tell if the shoe was purchased from Brooks or someplace else. Now they’re made in Italy and are much cheaper and don’t look anywhere near as elegant as the old Alden’s. Typical of the new Brooks.

    ReplyDelete
  12. There are thousands of Aldens on Ebay

    ReplyDelete
  13. I agree that Alden is the only domestic men's shoe manufacturer that has maintained high quality. Two other retailers that have shown me excellent customer service are Sherman Brothers in Philadelphia and the Alden Shop in San Francisco. I am not geographically close to either, so most of my interactions have been online and by telephone.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I agree that Alden is the only domestic men’s shoe manufacturer that has maintained high quality. Two other retailers that have demonstrated excellent customer service are Sherman Brothers in Philadelphia and the Alden Shop in San Francisco. I am not near either so my interactions have been online and by telephone. The Shore Mart in NYC sells Alden seconds at substantial discounts.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have no doubts about the quality of the English shoes, but I dislike the tapered and/or chiseled toes on so many of their dress shoes. I prefer the more muscular look of Alden's shoes and many of the Allen Edmonds. I shop the latter because AE makes several models in 14B or 15AA for my stupid feet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tapered or chiseled toe shoes are a small fraction of the ranges offered by English shoe manufacturers. They are aimed at the younger market which is heavily infuenced by the slimmer European styles. Mature Britons prefer the classic rounded toes. If you want a more muscular look, try Tricker's which is popular with young people too.

      Delete
    2. I simply do not find this to be true. I own C&J, Lobb, Cleverley, and Tricker's and except for Tricker's they all lean toward a more chiseled or "almond shaped" toe and a more shaped or contoured look in general -- perhaps not "European," but definitely different from the classic Ivy style as embodied by Alden. (Tricker’s are great if your work involves kicking in doors or carrying things that might crush your toes if dropped like, say, an anvil. Mine came with a pair of oars.)

      Delete
    3. Sir, I'm sorry if I upset you, but I didn’t post my comment without a little checking online.

      I was referring to these Crockett & Jones models on the first few rows, most of which are surprisingly pointed/chiseled: https://us.crockettandjones.com/collections/all-mens-styles

      In Edward Green’s Classics section, all are pointed: https://www.edwardgreen.com/shop/the-classics.html

      However, Church’s Icons have a wonderful rounded toe: https://www.church-footwear.com/us/en/explore/collections/churchs-icons.html

      There is nothing necessarily wrong with more pointed toes. I think some would say they are more elegant, less clunky than American "gunboats." However, they are not for me.

      Delete
  16. Aldens is truly a superb shoe!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Is there a women shoe company comparable to Alden? Are there any women's shoes made in USA?







    Are there any women shoe company comparable to Alden

    ReplyDelete
  18. Top notch. I don't know of anything domestically that compares.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated.