Hi all...
I was recently into Harry Rosen's at Yorkdale in Toronto. I had an interesting conversation with the salesman who happened to target me for his commission.
I suggested I wanted to look at the shoes, and asked specifically for the AE display. I then asked if Rosen's carried Alden as well. His response shocked me: "Alden? I've never heard of Alden." He previous declared that shoes were his specialty. When I suggested they were in a similar league to AE, he added, "I've been in the shoe business for 20 years and I've never heard of an Alden shoe" with a rather skeptical voice. I suggested to him that I was not looking to buy, and he promptly left me to sit in awe of his lack of knowledge with respect to Alden shoes.
Given the frequent banter around this place about Alden vs. AE, or which Alden/AE is your favorite, or which AE/Alden goes with which Zegna fabric, etc., I just expected him to know what I was talking about. I'm a novice at all of this, and have never touched a pair of Alden's, and met my first pair of AE's today (nice shoes!).
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Are Alden's sold under a different brand, or perhaps not sold at all in Canada?
I should note that Rosen's is the most well recognized name in quality menswear in Canada, and carries Zegna, Samuelshon (sp?), and many other labels I hear about here.
---
"Hey - you want to feel really handsome? Go shopping at Asda."
- Brendon Burns, The 2004 Edinburgh Festival
I was recently into Harry Rosen's at Yorkdale in Toronto. I had an interesting conversation with the salesman who happened to target me for his commission.
I suggested I wanted to look at the shoes, and asked specifically for the AE display. I then asked if Rosen's carried Alden as well. His response shocked me: "Alden? I've never heard of Alden." He previous declared that shoes were his specialty. When I suggested they were in a similar league to AE, he added, "I've been in the shoe business for 20 years and I've never heard of an Alden shoe" with a rather skeptical voice. I suggested to him that I was not looking to buy, and he promptly left me to sit in awe of his lack of knowledge with respect to Alden shoes.
Given the frequent banter around this place about Alden vs. AE, or which Alden/AE is your favorite, or which AE/Alden goes with which Zegna fabric, etc., I just expected him to know what I was talking about. I'm a novice at all of this, and have never touched a pair of Alden's, and met my first pair of AE's today (nice shoes!).
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Are Alden's sold under a different brand, or perhaps not sold at all in Canada?
I should note that Rosen's is the most well recognized name in quality menswear in Canada, and carries Zegna, Samuelshon (sp?), and many other labels I hear about here.
---
"Hey - you want to feel really handsome? Go shopping at Asda."
- Brendon Burns, The 2004 Edinburgh Festival
