Mae West always said, “A hard man is good to find.” What a tart. I prefer the adage that good men’s shoes are to hard to find, particularly when anything decent costs as much as a month’s rent in a one-bedroom apartment. Bespoke is probably the best form of footwear available, and while considered an investment, often one must forego shoes (or substitute for empty tissue boxes) in the interim.
One such man was Mr Bensadoun, a cobbler who produced and repaired handmade shoes in France. He passed his skills onto his son, “papi” Bensadoun who opened a chain of stores known as Le Pied Mignon, whose son, Aldo Bensadoun established ALDO footwear. While known for modestly priced (read cheap) and not high-end shoes, a new collaboration has piqued our interest.
Mr. B combines old-world expertise to create a line of gentlemen’s shoes the most dapper gent cruising Saville Row would be caught dead in. With brogues, wingtip oxfords and modern-yet-traditional ankle boots, they’re an interesting and well-priced ($190-$210) departure from standard-issue schlock that usually litters cut-priced footwear outlets’ shelves. Available in a limited selection of ALDO stores (in Australia, only Westfield Sydney, four locations across London, and several across the US and Canada), this something we’d happily set foot (all puns intended) for this little co-venture.
Published on 5 December 2011 by Agony Uncle