While on mention of Horween leathers, what do I spy in this image? Many and many pairs of shoes in cigar and whiskey shell cordovan sitting in Alden’s factory. It’s part of a scan of a special edition magazine called “All About USA” put out between Popeye (a Japanese clothing magazine) and Beams (a Japanese clothing retailer).

Alden Factory Visit - Beams - Page 2

I wonder what lucky store all of those are going to.

This next scan shows an interesting part before the soles are attached.  If you notice closely, there is in fact a large piece of metal laid on top of the cork bed which is usually referred to as a steel shank.  To loosely quote one of their salesmen, the steel shank is part of what makes an Alden shoe so special (and heavy :) ) as it helps provide support for your feet.

Alden Factory Visit - Beams - Page 1