2023: The Year of Refinement
When I take a quick gander back at the last few years along my Alden journey, wow did I have incredible Alden filled years! However, my closet just can’t handle more and more years like them and so my focus has really been on refining my collection and getting the absolute best that Alden has to offer. 2023 did not disappoint.
2023 also marked, with a very late arrival, the return of one of the most incredible shades of Shell Cordovan, Color #2! Color #2 is a remarkable shade and is the lightest shade that Horween offers in the “#” family, using just 1/4 of the dye in the finishing than the classic Color #8 Shell Cordovan uses. The Color #2 from Alden was finished for the first time and it has a vintage Color #4 kind of look to it… and that is not a complaint, since vintage Color #4 is essentially the most desirable color ever made by Alden (and I managed to get a lovely used pair of from a friend!)
In the order that I received the pairs this year, here is what I was blessed to have received.
- Alden Color #8 Shell Cordovan Stitchup Boots (David Wood)
- Alden Color #4 Shell Cordovan Jumper Boots (Alden Madison)
- Alden Ravello Shell Cordovan PTBs (Alden Madison)
- Alden Color #4 4×4 Plain Toe Bluchers (LeatherSoul)
- Viberg Scuffed Color #8 Shell Cordovan Service Boots
- Viberg Scuffed Black Shell Cordovan Service Boots
- Alden Ravello Shell Cordovan V-Tip Bluchers (Alden of San Francisco)
- Alden Smooth Tobacco Chamois Indy Boots (Ealdwine)
- Alden Ravello Shell Cordovan Saddle Shoes (Alden of San Francisco)
- Alden Color #2 Shell Cordovan Jumper Boots (Ealdwine)
Impressive as always Mr. Mayor. Congrats on some really rare and unique pieces that were added to your collection. And again, thanks for the work you do on this incredibly enjoyable site.
Good Morning Shawn, thank you so much!!! 🙂
Hey Mike, thanks for sharing your passion with us! I’m drooling over Alden’s again after a hiatus due to the need for an orthotic friendly shoe for the past few years (fortunately for about 4 years, Sperry made some fairly nice though “disposable” dress shoes with a very comfortable removable insert that I could swap with a custom orthotic in one shoe, which they’ve now stopped making).
Since my foot is better thinking i could get back to some nice shoes again. My question to you is this: What lasts are more generous in the toe box in the Alden line? I would imagine you know a lot about the different lasts given your expertise.
Good Morning S Portis, I am sorry to hear about your foot woes, but glad to hear that you are on the mends!
The most generous Alden lasts in the toe box would be the Barrie and TrueBalance Lasts. I would recommend that you also look into their more orthotic Lasts such as the Modified and 379x Lasts. Moulded Shoe in New York City has a healthy offering of shoes on those lasts as they focus on Orthotic shoes.
I hope that helps and best of luck!!!
-Mike