We received a new delivery of our GreenwichBoot by Alden. If you missed them the first time you might want to check them out this time. The boots are made by Alden to our exact specifications and we thought you might like to know the level of detail that goes into creating a new model with Alden.
To begin with we chose the last, in this case the Barrie last arguably the most comfortable and best fitting of all Alden lasts. The uppers are Horween Chamois* a fat liquored, mill dyed leather, that is incredibly soft and supple. Next we removed the speed hooks and went with agatine eyelets all the way up for a simple unified look.
We built these boots on Flex Welt soles, which are oil soaked for flexibility but also have a high degree of water resistance and often referred to as double water-lock soles. We then requested a mid tan pre-stitch reverse welt** to give it some muscle, and had the welt continue around the back of the heel rather than stop at the breast ***. The last step was the laces and for that we chose flat waxed.
And there you have it. That and a great shoe company to work with and you got yourself a real beauty, a boot the New York Timescalled “strapping” and made “Exclusively for Leffot, a stylish downtown men’s shoe store”.
Greenwich Boot Barrie Last, Navy Chamois, Flex Welt Soles – $475
*oiled nubuc leather
**storm welt
***a term that refers to the front edge of the heel
Arthur Tarlow President of Alden Shoe Company discusses the company’s philosophy, American traditional shoes, the current trend among younger customers seeking value and quality in their footwear, and what we can expect form Alden in the future.
Beams Plus Harajuku, the Japanese clothing shop and a long time Alden stockist, which is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, conducted this interview.
Our latest version of the every lovin’, every popular Alden Longwing is here. We chose black Alpine Grain and put it over soles of plantation crepe for all weather wear-ability and comfort. These have the heft and guts to take on the foulest days and the cushion to keep you bounding along.
Longwings have been around for years because they’re classic and versatile. They are time tested and proven and belong in every wardrobe. Fashion goes in and out of style but classic is forever.
Longwing Barrie Last, Black Alpine Grain, Plantation Crepe Soles – $455
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the summer season at least when it comes to beach rentals and white shoes. If you haven’t yet gotten around to it now’s the time to get yours.
Church’s Consul White Deerskin 173 Last
Alden White Suede Blucher’s Flex Welt Soles Leydon Last
Alden White Suede Chukka’s Flex Welt Soles Leydon Last
Seems like we’re over the hump and safely into spring, if your struggling with footwear options we’d like to offer a few suggestions. Casual doesn’t have to look sloppy in fact a smart casual shoe is an excellent choice for a dress down workday. Suede chukkas or a cordovan loafer for instance with slacks and a blazer is classic, sporty and appropriate. And a pair of deck shoes with shorts or khakis is an excellent alternative to sneakers or flip-flops. There are a lot of options out there so don’t be surprised when you see work boots with cargo shorts.
Church’s Sahara 3 Navy Castoro Suede Plantation Crepe Soles
Alden 1491 White Suede Flex Welt Soles
Quoddy Deck Chukka Khaki Calico Suede
Carréducker Winker Grey Raver Tweed
Leffot Ivy Loafer Dark Cognac Unlined Shell Cordovan
Leffot Ivy Loafer Natural Unlined Shell Cordovan
Church’s Kaber Brown Nevada Calf
Church’s Consul White Deerskin
Alden Dover White Suede Flex Welt Soles
Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots Rust
Wolverine Addison 1000 Mile Boots Tan – Coming Soon
One of the great things about our visit to the Alden factory in March was seeing two of our makeup shoes in production. They’ve recently arrived just in time for spring and summer.
White Suede Blucher Leydon Last Flex Welt Soles
White Suede Chukka Leydon Last Flex Welt Soles
I’m sure a lot of you are saying WHITE SUEDE! I’ll trash these, good I think they should be worn in, I like to see some wear on these. Of course we want to make sure you’re able to maintain them in a reasonable way with the least amount of effort so we include a white Buck Bag with each pair. Buck bags are filled with crushed chalk so you simply tamp it over the shoes, it powders them white. We also have Nubuck Bars to erase scuffs from your suede and bucks.
My son just returned from spring break in Paris where the weather was cold and rainy for ten straight days. His go too shoes were the Alden snuff suede chukka’s (1493) and I can’t blame him. I wore mine all over Paris in February and loved them. These are great traveling shoes; they’re lightweight, soft and pack flat. They’re equally great because they survive all kinds of elements.
They returned in rough shape and needed a good cleaning. I’m not suggesting they don’t show signs of wear because they do, but I prefer these boots with some wear on them.
In my opinion suede gets a bum wrap, a lot of people tell me they can’t wear it because it’s so delicate. For some reason that used to bother me but now I just smile and think to myself “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
If you’d like to watch our video on washing suede click here.
Spring officially begins March 20th; hopefully the weather will cooperate. One of our most comfortable and popular shoes is perfect for a spring stroll. The Alden suede chukkas on the Flex Welt construction are ultra soft, ultra flexible and über cool.
Well we didn’t win an Oscar for our Short Documentary “The Alden Tour” but we really enjoyed making it. It was Filmed over 5 hours on location at the Alden factory in Middleborough, MA this film documents the process of making a pair of Alden shoes from start to finish.
We wish to thank the members of the Academy and the hardworking men and women of the Alden Shoe Company for making this film possible.
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