Thursday, August 13, 2009

EverLASTing | The Alden 966 Wing Tip Blucher

Lately there has been one shoe that has gotten the blogging world back to American made shoes rather than the Italian and English shoes that have inundated the market as of late. That shoe is by the same company as the one that made me think twice about my career and wanting to be a stylish and adventurous archeologist. The same shoe by the last remaining New England shoe maker having been created in 1884. That shoe is the Alden 966 Wing Tip Blucker Oxford. Okay, so all that build up and you already knew what it was I was talking about. You had to have looked at the title. Nevertheless with Fall right around the corner I have been looking for good alternatives to my Vans and my Sperrys. I could think of nothing better than switching out my sneakers for something more formal with a casual aesthetic.



In Los Angeles there is no room or season change to warrant the layering and the outerwear that the Fall/Winter seasons usually brings along with them. The worst that L.A. gets is the usual Winter rains and for that I have my waxed Moncler Conder. But besides the rains the weathers tends to become timid and dry in which case my Vans and Sperrys will no longer be acceptable (well, I could wear them but why waster my Summer shoes on Winter). That is where the Alden 966 comes into play. They are an acceptable shoe to wear sockless with a pair of khakis, an OCBD and a baseball jacket or with a pair of jeans, a flannel BD and a Belstaff International.



The part that attracts me to the Alden 966 is not that they are made in America but that they are made in America using some of the finest leathers and tanneries around. The insole is made of a heavy duty leather and tanned using specially made pure vegetable tannage. That the shoe is fully lined using a special stock of high grade glove and kip leather. That specially designed lasts and steel shanks are designed to unsure comfort. That each shoe is hand stained and polished to get that perfect patina. And this whole process is done for you and your satisfaction. Not for them, though I am sure they wear their own shoes and for good reason. If you have tried on a pair go and do it I can assure you that you will never take them off.

For some great pictures of a pair of Alden 967s check out Ryan's new pair at [you_have_broken_the_internet] | Arrived: Alden 967


1 comments:

Blank Label said...

god i love wingtips! so sexy and sophisticated