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Getting quality yet stylish shoes is not a hard thing to do, but pitching your tent with a reputable brand speaks volumes of how much you will delight in your footwear.
It eventually boils down to the quality and cost of the product, as you can only choose a product that satisfies your quest for a fashionable shoe, be it a luxury or premium brand.
I will be reviewing two renowned brands in the business of shoe production, that has made a name for their selves.
I’m talking about the Aldo and Steve Madden shoe brand, so read on to find out more about them.
Difference between the Aldo and Steve Madden
The major difference which stands between Aldo and Steve Madden shoe brands is their style, which makes them unique and outstanding.
While Aldo is more concerned with matching up to the current trend in the fashion circle, Steve Madden has their eyes on setting up a standard.
Their style of shoes especially those for men reeks of vintage fashion, while Aldo’s products live in the moment.
Nevertheless, even with their similarity as contenders in the same niche, there exist disparities. Other forms of differences that set these brands of shoes aside from the others are their price and quality.
Steve Madden maintains a more high-end position than Aldo, but the latter stands to be priced higher than the former.
Similarly, the quality of Aldo is in no way contending with Steve Madden shoe brands, which have a record of quality products.
Aldo Shoes Review
Aldo is a premium brand of Canadian roots which specializes in the production of footwear and other leather-made materials, including bags.
The brand was founded in 1972, in Montreal by Aldo Bensedoun, who named the brand after his name.
The name ‘Aldo’ means ‘old and wise’, and the brand seeks to be living that status with its timely designs and evolutionary ideas.
These shoes are laced with a great and nice design and accommodate a lot of tastes and preferences.
I would say that if you want to remain on a budget and stay stylish with a pair of nice shoes, the Aldo is your best bet.
The brand was initially using faux leather in making their shoes, which made them look perfect and well crafted but it started the use of real leather in its production of shoes in 2010, gaining them more ground and status as a quality brand.
However, I’d recommend these shoes to anybody who is looking forward to storming a party looking dashy because they will deliver.
Pros:
- Comfortable
- Affordable rate.
- Made with trendy designs and innovation.
Cons:
- They tend to run small.
- More focused on-trend than quality.
- Can be uncomfortable due to a lack of stretch.
If you want to check our latest information on Aldo Men Shoe Clearance click here
Steve Madden Review
The creation of Steven Madden still lives on and is waxing stronger with every year going by.
That is the name of the man who founded Steve Madden shoes in 1990, which was operated on the level of a small-scale retail business.
In the same year, the now-renowned brand became formal incorporation in the creative city of New York.
The brand now has production plants in Mexico and Brazil, having pulled off from China after issues with low-quality products.
The brand is regarded as a maker of luxury shoes because of the style of their shoes and their market value. However you can still catch some offers here.
These shoes have a specialty in boots, heeled shoes with high platforms, and vintage-inspired dress shoes for both males and females.
They have the stretch effect which makes them fit like a glove after one or two times of wearing them.
They have products like loafers for men, boots like Troopa for both males and females, and equally comfortable Chelsea boots for women.
The cap-toe feature makes Steve Madden shoes stand out because it protects against the destruction of toenails.
Pros:
- Produce boots made with a cap-toe design, for toenail protection.
- Made with quality leather material and synthetic outsoles.
- Stylish and evergreen.
Cons:
- A tad expensive.
- Lacks arch support.
- Incessant complaints on poor customer care service.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Head-to-Head Comparison
This is the part where I get to analyze the Aldo and Steve Madden shoe brands, by putting them up to each other, and then determining which has more credits.
To do this, I will use a variety of factors to scale these products. Let’s get to it.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Build Quality
Before a finished product is determined as whether a quality product or not, the build quality is a determining factor.
If it does not go down well during the construction process, it will certainly come off badly.
In comparison, Steve Madden tends to have a better build quality over the Aldo shoes.
This is because their focus on making long-lasting shoes improves their input in the production process, while Aldo on the other hand is mainly into the design, making their build quality on or below average.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Quality
Aldo shoes are very cute, I don’t disagree, but their quality is nothing to write home about.
The brand is more after maximizing profits by producing many stylish shoes just like most brands, but they lack the quality which should make them more formidable.
You can get them from any store because of how gorgeous they look, but in the real sense these shoes do not make up for the style in which they are portrayed.
The brand was even making use of faux leather in producing shoes, not until 2010 when they incorporated real leather but their products still reek of incompetent craftsmanship.
On the contrary, Steve Madden’s shoes are made from quality materials which save them from always being the brand to reckon with when it comes to shoes with a lack of quality.
They remain committed to serving you with shoes that rarely disappoint just like most shoes do.
Even in the presence of heavy criticism, Steve Madden’s shoes are authentic, at least compared to other shoe brands like Aldo.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Price
From my evaluation, I discovered that both Aldo and Steve Madden shoes run in the same similar market value.
But sometimes, Steve Madden tends to be a step further in price than the Aldo brand shoes, due to its status as a luxury brand and because of the use of quality materials in its production.
Aldo is known as a fast-trend shoe brand, which means that they are more into the current trend in fashion.
However, they still occupy a top spot in the ranks of shoes that are priced above $100, just like the Steve Madden shoes too.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Durability
Which one of these shoes lasts long? How do they look after 3-4 months of wearing? Should I be more cautious of them?
These and many more questions are thought and uttered by both customers and equally those who want to get any of these shoes for the first time.
Before I move on I would like to say that, the long-lasting effect which you desire in any shoe depends on how well you treat them.
And the same thing goes for brands like Aldo and Steve Madden because your level of care and maintenance determines whether they last long.
But judging from the production process and the quality of the material used, I believe the Steve Madden shoes have more life than the shoes made by Aldo.
And I’m saying this out of experience. Because I had the opportunity to try out these shoes, owing to my inquisition as a shoe freak.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Design/Style
Both Aldo and Steve Madden have good and creative designers within their workforce and I know these people have been trying to picture the customer’s taste and style in their work.
As I already stated, the Aldo shoe brand has its eyes on the lookout for new trends which it will key into, produce a shoe and make the most profit out of it.
That is why they were even accused of copying other people’s styles at some point, just to make sales.
Steve Madden, on the other hand, caters to the footwear need of their customers, even now and in the future hence their fusion of vintage appeal in most of their shoes.
And it explains why their design resonates with a life-long project, which does not only dwell in the present.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Leather
Aldo shoes are made with a combination of both real and faux leather. While the brand started with faux leather to cement its name as a stylish brand, it introduced the use of real leather after over 30 years of operation.
Even at that, the company is still using faux leather alongside real leather to produce shoes.
Meanwhile, Steve Madden shoes have had the record of using real leather for their shoe production even in their earlier years.
The only flaw that is evident in the material used by Steve Madden is the use of synthetic outsoles instead of pure leather, which tend to split, break or wear off.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Fit and Sizing
The sizing pattern of Aldo shoes makes them stand out in the business of shoe production, simply because they often run true to size. And
I think this is also their way of scaling up their engagements by making sure that their stylish shoes fit well.
While, Steve Madden shoes run small, which is why the advice of size up whenever you want to purchase their new shoes.
The fitting of Steve Madden shoes which is why they run small is in a bid to manufacture shoes that fit a lot of people, even narrow feet.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Brand Popularity
Well in the world of fashion and trends, no brand is entirely remote. Both Aldo and Steve Madden shoes are great shoes, but their individual brand’s relevance bolsters their sale and presence in the market.
While Aldo is on the level of a fast-fashion brand, Steve Madden is a luxury brand popular for designer shoes made with leather.
But Aldo has more experience than Steve Madden in the industry and has more outreach than them too.
This means that the brand is way more influential than Steve Madden, both in sales and also in the establishment, as they currently have over 1,600 stores and outlets in 80 countries.
Steve Madden on the other hand is averaging only 220 retail stores all around the world.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Customer’s Review
Like the marketing, axiom says, ‘customers are always right, I believe their comment also has a stand in this comparison.
I have heard comments and read reviews of customers from both sides and they all seem to be heading in one direction.
Most men who prefer durable shoes pitch their tent with Steve Madden and then the women who are concerned about looking fly are going with the Aldo shoes because of their timely designs and style.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Stitching
The stitching pattern used in both of these shoes looks similar, which is the Blake stitching or the closed sole stitching.
The closed stitching is usually that kind of stitching that doesn’t show on the back of the outsole.
This form of stitching is also visible in both the Aldo and Steve Madden shoes. When you turn over the back of each of these shoes’ outsoles, you will not see any threads running along it, as these brands make sure that their products stay stylish and high-end.
Aldo vs Steve Madden Shoes: Insole/Outsole
The insole of Steve Madden shoes is relatively stiff, but they have the stretch feature which makes them fit in like a glove after wearing for some time.
The same with the Aldo shoes, but they have a more comfortable footbed like the Steve Madden shoes which might pose as uncomfortable for the first or second time wearing them.
As for the Outsole, Aldo is mostly made with rubber outsoles which makes them resistant to elements like water; while Steve Madden pitched with leather outsoles in their bid to maintain their quality standard.
However, the leather outsole which is used in most Steve Madden shoes is breathable, which makes it permissible to elements like water, and even break open from hitting on rough surfaces.
Final Verdict
I would normally go with a more durable and long-lasting shoe brand, but the course in the world of fashion has changed and I’m in no way against the change.
Therefore, my verdict is that the Aldo shoes meet the immediate needs of every shoe lover, which are style, design, and comfort, not to mention their lower cost than Steve Madden. And as such is preferable by me.
Conclusion
Fashion is a field of diversity and creativity, and I believe these two brands of shoes are never to be found wanting in those expectations.
They are stylish and convenient, easy to maintain, and overly nice. I would advise that the usual caution of rotating footwear should be practiced if you want them to last longer than expected.
