Alden of New England
America's premier shoe & boot maker
What makes Alden shoes the best American-made shoe?
Here are some of the high-quality features Alden of New England utilizes in the construction of their footwear :
- Shell Cordovan and Chromexcel are top-quality leathers from the famous American tannery Horween based in Illinois. Check out Horween’s website here.
- Alden uses supple English calf suede with a durable weatherproof treatment.
- Regina and Alpine calf which are pebble grain textured supple leathers, therefore they age beautifully.
- Reverse chamois suede that ages with highlights similar to the way raw denim breaks in.
- Oil-treated leather soles that resist water and are long-lasting.
- Natural “Plantation” crepe rubber for supportive cushioning. Learn more about natural rubber on Wikipedia.
- Combat or Commando lug sole that is a hybrid of leather with an outer protective rubber bottom gives the Alden shoes a rugged apperance.
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A quick history of Alden
Founded in 1884 by Charles Alden, the Alden Shoe Company is now the only original New England shoe and bootmaker remaining of the hundreds who began so long ago. Still owned by the founding Alden family, with each generation carrying forward their American made shoe tradition of quality genuine-welted shoemaking that is exceptional in every way. As a result, Alden of New England has become America’s premier shoe & boot maker.
Khakis of Carmel, located in Carmel, California, has carried Alden shoes for over 20 years. In short, we stand by the quality and style that Alden is committed to.
About Alden's Goodyear Welt Construction
To create a feeling of flexible comfort, Alden prefers a supple leather upper. But for durability for holding a stitched-on sole, the desired characteristics are strength and firmness. As a result, Alden realizes repeated stitching of soles directly to the softer upper leather of a shoe would soon render the leather both un-stitchable and unrepairable. When a strip of firm leather (the welting) is stitched to the flexible upper leather, and then the sole is stitched to this welting, a superior combination of materials is created. Therefore, welt construction provides a stronger, renewable attach point for soles with a supple leather upper.
How to care for your Alden boots & shoes?
We suggest weekly care of your Alden’s with help from our article “Shoe Care – Khakis Style.”
Complete Restoration of your Alden shoes & boots
As mentioned, the Goodyear-Welt construction of Alden shoes provides the best in comfort, support, and wearability. This construction is designed to allow rebuilding, but the process requires the utmost in skillful craftsmanship and shoemaking experience.
