Alden of Carmel

Alden of Carmel

An Independent Shoe Store Selling Only Alden Shoes Since 1994

In 1994 we opened the shop which has grown to become Alden of Carmel.

The mission Alden of Carmel serves is simple: to sell only high quality shoes which provide the experience of craftsmanship expected by the intelligent customer.

Alden shoes are important to us. We care about the Alden Shoe Company of Middleborough, Massachusettes, and believe that only Alden in the United States still makes shoes at the high level of craftsmanship valued by gentlemen around the world.

That is why we decided to become the first shop in the world opened to sell only Alden shoes.

Since those early days, we have had many occasions to talk with the people at Alden, and to re-affirm the commitment we both have to Alden shoes, and what makes them special. As years pass, Alden strives to maintain quality standards, while other companies sacrifice product quality to reap short term profit and growth.

As the great tie maker Robert Talbott once said: 'With each new year we put something in the way of a plus into our tie, while others are taking something out in order to reach a lower price bracket and increase profits. We think our policy is the better policy and today,........we feel that nobody is making a better tie in America....'

It is this philosophy applied to shoemaking that has made Alden the best American shoemaker.

The rich quality of craftsmanship one experiences when first taking a pair of Alden shoes out of its box is due to the character of the people who make Alden shoes. They have continued for years to practice their craft, resisting the pressure to eliminate difficult or time consuming processes, and resisting the temptation to use less expensive or lower quality materials. Thus, the pair of Alden shoes which leaves the box, and goes onto your feet, preserves to some degree, the tradition and culture of earlier generations.

In addition to the intrinsic quality of Alden shoes, there are three practical and apparent qualities:

1) Visually, Alden shoes are balanced and classically proportioned.

2) Alden shoes are comfortable. (comfort due to shoe construction, and comfort due to last shape)

3) Alden shoes are durable.

The Alden name stands for a belief in old world craftsmanship. Aside from the need to do business and make money, the people at Alden are thinking about the quality of the product, and small improvements are continually being made, bringing Alden shoes closer to an ideal combination of form and function.

The Alden Shoe Company of Middleborough Massachusettes has chosen Alden of Carmel as one of the independent shops through which its shoes may be sold. We are proud to be an authorized dealer of Alden shoes, and one of the very few Alden dealers specializing in Alden shoes alone.

Question? Please e-mail us at: question@alden-of-carmel.com