If you never saw all the posts about Fortnite and K-Pop and duck faces (do people still do those?), you might think that Instagram was created specifically so for pictures of Alden shoes and boots. While countless niche communities give hungry shoe lovers their daily footwear fix, it’s very arguable that Alden’s is the strongest of them all.
I recommend following as many as you possibly can! I certainly do. But there are some that should be part of your required scrolling diet. So here are 29—some with already big followings, and others that deserve plenty, plenty more eyeballs.
Like many stories on Stitchdown, this is a living piece that will get updated as time goes on. So if there’s anyone I missed that you personally love and is doing fantastic work—whether artistically, or maybe they just have an unreal collection that needs to be seen—definitely hit me up on the @stitchdown Instagram.
And no, I have no idea why the @ in the font below shows up all weird. Anyway…to the ‘grams!
@inn8chiro
Dr. Andrew G. Carr is possibly the world’s most stylish chiropractor, a walking tattoo, and one of the world’s most prolific Instagrammers of a vast range of Alden shoes from his personal collection. Indys, chukkas, rare shell, gunboat long wings, more saddle shoes than you’ll find too many other places—the whole gamut. He also does the photography for @aldenofcarmel‘s very wonderful, also must-follow account. Get ready for train tracks (you’ll see).
@aldenmadison
@AldenMadison—the account for the iconic Alden store of the same name in Manhattan—is a font of raw, wonderful Alden information. Curt, Aniello, Anthony and crew use their shop and the Madison Avenue sidewalk outside as their canvases to announce new releases, restocks, and pre-orders, and often do polling to let customers lend a sense of what they’d like to see on their feet in the future. If you pay attention to this one with any regularity, you will 100% end up buying shoes. Which is good, since that’s kind of an important aspect of loving them…
@mdubsonsf
Mike is one of the first people I started following from my personal account when my own crippling Alden addiction began about a half-decade ago. His shoes are amazing, but that’s only part of it. He also runs AldenOfSanDiego.com, one of the most wonderful informational resources that I’ve ever found on Alden—and from which I received about eight college courses worth of knowledge on rare shell.
On Instagram, his photography is wonderfully consistent and to the point. You know what you’re getting: multiple photos of his simply jaw-dropping collection of shoes and boots, all of which you’ll desperately, desperately want (which can sometimes happen—he puts stuff up for sale on the AldenofSanDiego.com site from time to time).
@kpdarb
It’s not all Alden (also expect some beautiful Edward Greens), and he doesn’t post nearly as much as I’d like, but I’d honestly follow Kevin’s account for his AF-26s alone.
Alden Indy 403C Review: A Three-Year Look at a Near-Perfect Boot
@mattgray405
Matt Gray may or may not have invented The Matt Gray Step—but it’s zero stretch to say that nobody steps better. For years, Matt’s shots were of his simply insane Alden collection, including what’s possibly the deepest assemblage of rare shell Alden boots anywhere. Since he’s opened the wonderful @ealdwine_raleigh (another absolute must-follow), there’s been an influx of makeups the shop is bringing in, too. Which is not a bad thing—even if they’re on a table, not on Matt’s feet, stepping iconically.
@broguemenlopark
Bay Area shop Brogue announces some of the best Alden makeups in the entire game via photographic art. Get involved.
@tichoblancoshoes
The Jersey Boy himself is far from all Alden (expect Vass, and Crocketts, and Vibergs, and his simply wonderful Ostmos). But when he posts rare shells in his signature side-shot…hold on tight, my friend.
@matthews.grail
If you love rare shell and split-toes, welcome to your new home.
@jdsasso
Lots of Indys, lots of shell, lots to be jealous of. And he writes stuff, too!
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@shellcordovans
@shellcordovans mostly posts—this may come as a large shock—shell cordovans. Mostly Aldens, mostly boots, and all wonderful. He also runs an eBay shop that sells all sorts of stuff, but the bulk of his feed is not-for-sale stunners that honestly, people might pay just to gawk at.
@kutsuhiko9
Rare shell, snuff Indys, excellent, simple composition. Can’t go wrong.
@jeffdepano
Inventor of the #depanogrid, Seattle menswear icon Jeff Depano is far from all Aldens—but when he does post them, it’s a moment worth savoring. It’s also possible that he’s never once smiled except for this photo. But my guess is, knowing his collection, he’s extremely happy on the inside.
@jso1._
Consistent aesthetic, feet consistently shrouded in shell. And while it’s not necessarily why anyone follows a shoe Instagram, his pants game is pretttty tight.
@theshoemart
One of the premier Alden retailers out there, Connecticut-based The Shoe Mart has been upping its artistry game through its own work and customer photos. Function+form=follow.
@marvaments
The man knows how to wear shoes—and wield a camera.
@deshoeguy
One of my favorite guys in the entire game to talk shoes with, and excellent ripper-offer of The Matt Gray Step (wink emoji).
@kleinbrett
Alden rep Brett Klein (see what he did with the name??) is abominably well-dressed, and he’s always sounding the alarm on new Alden makeups. But his feed is perhaps most notable for his creation of #thefadedboot: an Alden color 8 shell cordovan plain-toe boot that he’s left in direct sunlight for about a year now, which has introduced a remarkable fading effect that makes them, in some ways, the rarest shell of them all.
@leffot
It’s very hard to argue that Manhattan’s Leffot is anything but the greatest high-end men’s shoe store in the world. And while owner Steven Taffel’s delectably curated offerings are a must-follow for any shoe lover, on the Alden front it’s especially worthwhile to track because of Leffot’s very excellent selection of pre-owned shoes. Superbly tended-to examples come in fresh every week, they’re sold at remarkably tempting prices, and many, many of them are Aldens.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjeIIHDH2hm/
@takei0201
His signature shot is a distinctive one—the shoes basically lunge out of your phone to attack you (personally, if I’m going to be attacked, I’d prefer it be by shoes). And a man after my own heart, outside Alden he’s also got a bunch of Tricker’s (and Lobbs, and Carminas, and…)
@stylebyvoltaire
Before opening his own shop in Philly (@stylebyblain), Voltaire Blain managed New York’s famed, dearly departed CitiShoes. Now, he is more than happy to show you a debilitatingly deep lineup of rarely-seen Aldens from those two stops and elsewhere (and plenty of other stuff, including these Edward Green Galways that just commanded me to look at them for an hour straight). In all these time periods, he’s had the best name of anyone, possibly ever.
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@shogo.r
The shots are straightforward, and the shoes are wonderful.
@patrick_byr
His overall collection is impressive—many, many 5+ year-old Alden shoes and boots, many, many of which are shell—but the above boots alone have had me following for a long time. No frills, all clean craftsmanship and hard wear and raw beauty.
@rrl_alden
It’s tough to find shell (including plenty of rare stuff) with higher shine than you’ll get from @rrl_alden. Dude’s polishing forearm must be jacked.
@itokutsumigakiten
Ok there are some pretty shiny Aldens here too.
@brickmortarseattle
Seattle shop Brick & Mortar sells all sorts of wonderful stuff, including belts, wallets, and an incredible range of bags. But their Instagram feed is almost entirely their new Alden makeups, which are doubtless some of the best in the game—and prove, given the amount they stock, that rain is no match for great suede.
@jay_dot_z
No frills, just tons of great shell. May or may not actually be Jay-Z. WHO KNOWS?!?!? (It’s probably him.)
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@shoepac
Another rapper! Shoepac is on here for all sorts of reasons. An obvious one: his name is ShoePac, which somehow, nobody had taken. Even better reason: two years ago he was wearing Mephistos—then he broke his leg and the doctor told him he needed better shoes. Since then, he’s accumulated 40 pairs of Aldens (plus plenty more from other makers) and the affection of a small corner of the shoe-loving community. I’ve called him a legend, to his face, and he barely reacted. All eyes on him.
@mouldedshoe
Moulded Shoe, on 39th St. in Manhattan, is one of my favorite places—not just shoe stores—in the world. It’s a miraculous time capsule of a better time for footwear, and its owner Ron is one of the most knowledgable people about Alden’s obscure but beloved Modified Last on the entire planet. If you want to get your Modified fix, this is how you do it
@taemika08
Love the collection, love the simplicity of the shots. Get in there.
@aldenshoeco
Duh.