Sentimental, But… Meh.
Few brands split opinion quite like Alden. On one hand, it's one of the last major East Coast classic Americana institutions in this hobby still manufacturing a product in the U.S. - and that's absolutely laudable. On the other hand, having a former CEO illegally treat the company like a personal piggy bank for his alleged sugar baby, rather than addressing reasonable concerns about declining quality, cost-cutting measures and inconsistent construction, is also laudable… but only if you count Patrick Bateman among your personal heroes [author's note: which I do - so yeah, laudable].
These boots were a Christmas gift from my sister during a visit out to see her. We picked them up together in Seattle at Brick + Mortar. I walked in intending just to get sized, as I'd never worn Aldens before, and she flat-out refused to let me leave without them. So there's a sentimental (and thankfully non-acrylic) layer attached to this pair that will always make me smirk. (As an aside: Brick + Mortar is fantastic. Great shopping experience, passionate staff, genuinely helpful. Huge fan.)
The real selling point here, for me, is the last - the Plaza is criminally underrated. I love the chiseled toe and slim profile; it dresses up easily with wool trousers in the office and pairs equally well with my usual Outlier Strongdarts on a casual day out. The austere pattern does an excellent job of showcasing the leather (which is both great and not-so-great in this case - see below). And, true to Alden's orthopedic pedigree, they were very comfortable straight out of the box. Zero break-in.
Beyond that, though, the negatives start to pop up. Horween makes, in my opinion, the best shell cordovan in the world, but the acrylic coating Alden applies over it is, bluntly, shit. It makes a premium leather feel plasticky, muting the shell's color depth and subtle variation and it's a migraine-level headache to remove. In fact, I'm fairly sure I damaged the underlying finish trying to strip it off. A few of the speed hooks were installed in such a way that they began rotating in their sockets after a few wears. The stitching where the quarters meet the vamp is a bit sloppy - not structurally concerning, but disappointing on a boot that cost nearly a thousand dollars. And whatever rubber Alden uses for its "Commando" half soles wears very, very quickly. I'm easy on my footwear and a bit of a zealot about rotating pairs between wears, and even so, these soles are showing noticeable wear and minor separation.
None of these issues are catastrophic. And I understand that value, especially as it relates to construction quality, is subjective and a function of the boot's intended use. It's pretty clear these were designed more for climbing into the elevator at Pierce & Pierce [author's note again: what's with all the Patrick Bateman references?] than for climbing Pikes Peak. But with Alden shell now pushing past the thousand-dollar mark (and annual price increases baked in) the value proposition starts to feel a bit questionable. They're fine. Sentimental, but… kinda meh.
Eventually, I'll probably sunfade the shell the way Lefke did with his pair, then send them to Unsung for a rebuild in the spirit of a shell "Roy" boot on the Plaza - same features, but upgraded materials. That would probably render them unwearable in a business setting, but I can fill that gap with something more formal while these spend their days wrapped in polyethylene sheeting and listening to Huey Lewis and the News [author's note again, again: seriously, man, seek help].
