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Alden shell cordovan shoelace hole misalignment - is this normal?

post #1 of 91
9/5/10 at 6:35pm
Thread Starter 
Picked up the black Alden 9901s. The shoelace holes on the left shoe were misaligned, but the right shoe was ok. Sent it back. Alden didn't have any more 9901s in my size for two months. So I returned them and exchanged for the 990s (color #8). The 990s had the same issue. Left shoelace holes misaligned. Right shoe ok. In addition, there was some gunk on the heel of the 990s and a dangling string. Are these sorts of things normal for an Alden shell cordovan shoe? The left shoe had shoelace hole issues in both the 9901 and 990 models. See images below. Black 9901. Color 8 990. Glue on the heel? Stitching dangling.
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post #2 of 91
9/5/10 at 6:39pm
That's why Alden is worth the premium over Allen Edmonds, umm - sorry wrong thread.
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post #3 of 91
9/5/10 at 7:03pm
The hole alignment looks f*cked up--I would ask for another pair.

The other two things aren't problems.
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post #4 of 91
9/5/10 at 7:20pm
A face only mother could love.
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post #5 of 91
9/5/10 at 7:21pm
Are you sure those aren't seconds?

You should return them for a pair that are correct.
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post #6 of 91
9/5/10 at 7:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scurvyfreedman View Post
Are you sure those aren't seconds? You should return them for a pair that are correct.
I guess I'm getting a little exhausted as this would mark the 2nd return. Maybe I should just get a refund instead. I already returned the black ones for the color 8 burgundy and they had the same issue as the black pair. I'm beginning to think that there is a quality control issue in recent batches of this blucher style. The left shoes in both the black and burgundy had issues.
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post #7 of 91
9/5/10 at 7:32pm
Bring this up on the Alden thread in SW&D - the pros are there.
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post #8 of 91
9/5/10 at 7:35pm
It is probably not a misalignment, but an idiosyncrasy of your left foot.

A difference in the foot shape (compared to the last shape) makes, in this case, the outside quarter to sink lower then the inside quarter. In a ‘Blucher’ (Derby) the quarters can shift around like the tectonic plates. This cannot happen with a ‘Balmoral’ (Oxford) because the two quarters are stitched together at the bottom, so they cannot move independent of each other.

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P. S.

When I wrote my answer, I hadn't seen that reply of yours. That just confirms my theory.

Quote:
Originally Posted by nurktwin View Post
I already returned the black ones for the color 8 burgundy and they had the same issue as the black pair. I'm beginning to think that there is a quality control issue in recent batches of this blucher style. The left shoes in both the black and burgundy had issues.
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post #9 of 91
9/5/10 at 7:41pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bengal-stripe View Post
It is probably not a misalignment, but an idiosyncrasy of your left foot. A difference in the foot shape (compared to the last shape) makes, in this case, the outside quarter to sink lower then the inside quarter. In a ‘Blucher’ (Derby) the quarters can shift around like the tectonic plates. This cannot happen with a ‘Balmoral’ (Oxford) because the two quarters are stitched together at the bottom, so they cannot move independent of each other.
The problem with this theory is that I tried a pair of 990s on in a store that carries Alden's in my city (which I didn't buy because the stain was not evenly applied to the shoe). The shoelace holes were aligned properly on the left shoe of that pair in the same model. In contrast, the two Aldens I mail ordered per above photos had the left shoe misalignment issue.
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post #10 of 91
9/5/10 at 8:17pm
I don't think vie paid more than $100 for a pair of dress shoes in my life and vie never had any of these problems.

I wonder if you shoe fetishists aren't having your strange desires shown up on this thread, lashing out hundreds of dollars for high end shoes and they cant even get basic things right like lace hole alignment and even dye. Have any of you ever read 'The Emperor's New Clothes'?

And this is clearly a factory error and nowt to do with the shape of you feet. How are you gonna have such a distorted misalignment in a brand new shoe when your feet aren't even in them?
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post #11 of 91
9/5/10 at 8:27pm
Must be a strong union shop at Alden. How many of these kinds of slip up are permissible before heads begin to roll? Also makes me wonder about the "seconds" business model which says, "Whoa, don't throw that out! We can sell it for a good buck as a second." The line between doing it right and good enough gets blurred and pretty soon it's, "We really can do no wrong here." I say to Alden and all the other shoe makers, scrap your junk and don't let defective products see the light of day outside your factory walls.
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post #12 of 91
9/5/10 at 9:05pm
My #8 PTBs, left shoe sort of does the same thing but not as pronounced as yours. Funny enough, I exchanged my original pair because of a large blotch on the heel. I'd say it's pretty typical of Alden at this point. I only have 3 pairs of Aldens and they all have issues whether it be a crooked welt, dent in the welt or botchy color. That said, I still like my shoes. As long as the flaw is not terribly bad and has nothing to do with construction, its really a non-issue for me. They're workhorse shoes, not elegant in anyway. In your case though, it seems the eyes are way off at the top, certaily more than mine. I'd see about an exchange.
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post #13 of 91
9/5/10 at 9:15pm
subscribed.
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post #14 of 91
9/5/10 at 10:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bengal-stripe View Post
It is probably not a misalignment, but an idiosyncrasy of your left foot.

.......

Uhhh no.

I've seen this many times on bluchers of all types, Aldens up to Crockett and Jones.

See example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=110582558696

You are fine to ask for a different pair, but unless you are there to look at them in the store and say "Um, I would like to try yet another pair", you are just as likely to see this misalignment again.
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post #15 of 91
9/6/10 at 11:49am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pebblegrain View Post
Uhhh no.

I've seen this many times on bluchers of all types, Aldens up to Crockett and Jones.

See example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=110582558696

You are fine to ask for a different pair, but unless you are there to look at them in the store and say "Um, I would like to try yet another pair", you are just as likely to see this misalignment again.

It's interesting that two different Alden's had issues with the left shoe only. I wonder if there is a misalignment with their pattern they use to cut the leather on the left shoe?
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