Though I never bought shoes from CitiShoes when I lived in New York, I often passed their handsome and humble shop on Park Avenue and East 57th Street. Merely looking in their window in my Holly Golightly reveries, I was always impressed that they carried two of my absolute favorite shoemakers in the world: Alden from Massachusetts and Church’s from England.
Both Alden and Church’s come from traditions of superlative craftsmanship on both sides of the Atlantic with exquisite classic designs that will always stand the test of time. While Church’s was acquired by the Prada Group in 1999, enabling them to expand with standalone stores, Alden has remained a family business since its founding in 1884, sold exclusively through authorized retailers.
CitiShoes is a retailer that carries both of these benchmark brands. Though I bought both pairs of my Alden chukka boots elsewhere, my next purchase of Alden’s (I have my eye on those plain toes and long wings) or an investment in a gorgeous pair of Church’s will be from CitiShoes. While there are many other resources for Alden and Church’s, both online and on pavement, CitiShoes offers free shipping in the U.S. as well as… wait for it… free cedar shoe trees.
As I’ve written before, cedar shoe trees are essential for good maintenance of your shoes. And when someone sells shoes of Alden or Church’s considerable caliber and price, a complimentary pair of cedar shoe trees would be nice to include in the bag. At full retail, Church’s cedar shoe trees cost about $100 U.S.; a pair of Alden brand cedar shoe trees will set you back $37; Woodlore shoe trees (from Allen Edmonds) are the best deal, ranging between $18 and $35. CitiShoes is the only business I’ve seen that includes a pair with your purchase. For that, they’ve certainly got my attention.
CitiShoes was founded in 1993 by Ben Khoudari, a former electronics design engineer. Almost 25 years later, he’s still at it as President of one of Manhattan’s smartest shoe stores for the discerning wearer.
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