Harrison Ford was
a carpenter before he hit it big in Hollywood.
His shoes of choice were orthopedic ankle boots
known as Alden 405s.
Alden has been
making boots since the early 20th Century in the
United States. When production on Raiders
began, the costume called for Redwings
to be worn on Indy's feet. Ford, who had
become a big fan of the Alden
boots in his carpenter days, opted to use those
instead.
The Alden
boots, purchased in 2001,
from the late Fritz. |
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Ford and allegedly the production
team on Indiana Jones, purchased all of their
Alden boots through
a man named Fritz at Frederick's
Shoes in Sherman Oaks, California. Ford
had purchased his other pairs there from Fritz.
Up until a few years ago, Fritz was still sizing
and selling Alden
boots to customers from the same shop in Sherman
Oaks. Sadly, Fritz and his wife were tragically
killed a few years ago while on their morning
walk when a vehicle hit them, allegedly accidentally,
and fled the scene.
(Author's
Note: I had the distinct pleasure of knowing
Fritz briefly before he was killed. He was a fine
fellow and one of the kindest men I have ever
met. I was able to purchase my Alden
boots from him about a year before his death.
He will be missed. - MF)
Indy's Alden
boots in Raiders
of the Lost Ark. |
The Alden
405 boots, used in all three Indiana Jones
film, can still be acquired at www.aldenshoes.com.
Specific sizing is important and the exact color
of the current boot changes every year it seems.
While Indy's were a weathered deep brown,
Alden 405 boots
have since come in brick red and pumpkin orange
and are currently more of a truer brown.
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