***The official Alden thread *** Share enthusiasm, reviews, sizing, advice, and photos.

[WhoKnewI]

hey guys. Can a cobbler fix or replace torn stitching on the uppers?

 

[Joenobody0]



hey guys. Can a cobbler fix or replace torn stitching on the uppers?

Yes. You could probably also have them sent back to Alden for a fix.

 

[zazaza]



How often do Jcrew's sales accidentally include the Aldens?

Never

Thats not necessarily the case.

The first week of Dec they had a 30% off sale and some of the styles they've carried for awhile (#8 captoe boot) were in fact on discount, while newer styles (Black shell wingtip boot) were not.
I found I was even able to get this discount in store when I asked politely. (the SA said the sale didn't include alden, I directed him to the website and they made it so)
Of course they put the kibosh on the discount within a day or so, but there was a very brief window where you could get Aldens from jcrew for 30% off.

FWIW, i'm convinced that all of the Alden offerings for J Crew are ****, many with defects that shouldn't have left the factory. (There have been a few examples posted in this thread)
The welt stitch on one of my boots started to come loose after just a few wears, which is a problem another friend had on the exact same boots he purchased a few months ago.
If you get anything from J crew give it a thorough once over and wear the hell out of it the first month to see if any problems develop. (that way you can return in 30days if necessary)

 

[WhoKnewI]



Yes. You could probably also have them sent back to Alden for a fix.

great! Can anyone who has ever sent their shoes back to Alden for fixed stitching post an after pic? Mind you, I'm not talking about stitching in the usual trouble spots but more like torn stitching in a random area on the upper of the shoe.

 

[WhoKnewI]



Thats not necessarily the case.
The first week of Dec they had a 30% off sale and some of the styles they've carried for awhile (#8 captoe boot) were in fact on discount, while newer styles (Black shell wingtip boot) were not.
I found I was even able to get this discount in store when I asked politely. (the SA said the sale didn't include alden, I directed him to the website and they made it so)
Of course they put the kibosh on the discount within a day or so, but there was a very brief window where you could get Aldens from jcrew for 30% off.
FWIW, i'm convinced that all of the Alden offerings for J Crew are ****, many with defects that shouldn't have left the factory. (There have been a few examples posted in this thread)
The welt stitch on one of my boots started to come loose after just a few wears, which is a problem another friend had on the exact same boots he purchased a few months ago.
If you get anything from J crew give it a thorough once over and wear the hell out of it the first month to see if any problems develop. (that way you can return in 30days if necessary)

I am waiting on my third pair of alden captoe boots from j crew. first one had a defect. second one had an even worse defect, and was worn. Third pair was supposed to come in a few weeks, but they misplaced my order so now i have to wait until april. At least now they gave me a pretty hefty discount for the having to wait. I went to the liquor store to see if maybe i could pick up a pair there and have them honor the price. they were willing to honor it, but when i inspected the boots i actually saw a chunk of leather missing from the upper. When I told the SA about the defect, he replied with, "well these are handmade so that just adds more to the charm." lol

 

[zazaza]



When I told the SA about the defect, he replied with, "well these are handmade so that just adds more to the charm." lol

what an idiot.
I was initially told by an SA that the problem with my boots happened "because your foot doesn't fit that last"

 

[MacktasticGDogg]

Breaking in a pair of Cigar LWB's today. On their 3rd wear now. I'm looking forward to the patina developing on these shoes.

 

[makewayhomer]



when i inspected the boots i actually saw a chunk of leather missing from the upper. When I told the SA about the defect, he replied with, "well these are handmade so that just adds more to the charm." lol

to be fair, a good chunk of people here would say the same thing

 

[Alcibiades]

I have no issues with my J Crew Alden suede dover. Great shoe.

 

[WhoKnewI]

i know....its kind of baffling really.

 

[Joenobody0]



great! Can anyone who has ever sent their shoes back to Alden for fixed stitching post an after pic? Mind you, I'm not talking about stitching in the usual trouble spots but more like torn stitching in a random area on the upper of the shoe.

If it's a bad rip, the fix might not be that clean. I've seen people post pictures of really nice fixes (I think NYR had a nice fix on one of his shoes), and really ****** fixes (I recall a black cap toe boot that got a really ****** looking fix). Maybe the owners will post pictures.

 

[Joenobody0]



to be fair, a good chunk of people here would say the same thing

Far too many in my opinion.

 

[WhoKnewI]



If it's a bad rip, the fix might not be that clean. I've seen people post pictures of really nice fixes (I think NYR had a nice fix on one of his shoes), and really ****** fixes (I recall a black cap toe boot that got a really ****** looking fix). Maybe the owners will post pictures.

I think the black captoe was namor, and his was a special case because he actually had a tear in the leather.

 

[kippy]



Here is my impression as a relative new-comer to the Alden brand. I did my research and learned about the sizes, lasts, colors, welts, etc...and when I was ready to buy some shoes, I called Leathersoul first. I asked about a dozen different makeups from their online posts and none of them were in stock and they kept emphasizing they were not an online shop. When I asked "what sizes *do* you have in 9.5e", I couldn't even get a straight response. I realized that unless I was to catch them on a pre-order there would be no way to get any of their custom makeups in a new state. I understand now that their shop is mostly eye-candy for their brick and mortar business and given I live in the Bay Area it did not make sense to buy from them since I don't make it out to LA or Hawaii frequently. They seem to have cut down the pre-orders now as well.
I ended up purchasing at 3 pairs from Alden SF (Color #8 LWB, Cigar PTB and Cigar Chukka), 2 from Alden Madison Ave (Whiskey PTB, Whiskey Chukka), 1 from Shoemart (Ravello WT boot) and 1 from Context (Rough Roy black Chamois boot). I only had to wait for the the Ravello WT boot and the Whiskey Chukka but all the other shops had plenty of makeups in all the various special colors one would want.
I purchased a few non-shoe items from Steve at Leffot and found the customer service to be wonderful. I like the Leffot approach to size availability and would consider purchasing from them. Would I like to buy one of the LS makeups? Sure, but I have tempered my expectations. From where I sit, they lost out on $5K of my business. Why develop the relationship at all unless you are in Hawaii or LA? There are plenty of other shops with great inventories that make the sizes public, have special color makeups and can ship.
my two cents. nothing personal.

I would highly recommend Leffot. I like his first come first serve approach, they make buying as simple as possible and fast shipping.

What is it that turned you onto Alden? Gerald Celente said that in a depression, people still spend money, but they shift there focus to a quality mentality. Also that more and more people will start taking some pride in their appearance/build a sense of style. That is what I attribute Alden's skyrocketing success over the past number of years. 

Perhaps there is something to the idea of a shift to quality but I am in the IT field in the Bay Area and we are in a giant bubble again

I spent years 25-39 of my life overweight and dressed in shorts and overalls. With the exception of a stint at a large financial firm where they required suits I could get away with that and still move up in the ranks. At some point I got bored of the technical work and found that I was a good manager. I realized that whether or not I liked it, people made judgements about my work and personality based on my appearance and I did not want that to get in the way. Over the course of 2 years I lost 50 pounds and spent a good deal of time doing clothing research. I learned about pants, shirts, jackets, materials, how to wear them etc. When I finally got around to shoes I realized that given my large frame and appearance I needed to stay away from sleek looking shoes as they made me look unbalanced. I looked online first and then went to Nordstrom, Macy's, Allen Edmonds and they all had interesting looking shoes but were missing a certain extra style element. Seeing the Alden Cigar Chukka online was love at first sight and I immediately ordered a pair. There is something about the Barrie last that provides a combination of comfort and style that I could not get from other companies. The aesthetics of the Alden cordovan shoes are wonderful. They are classic, stylish and have a deep luster to them that I prefer over "shiny" shoes. I love the idea of wearing them for the longhaul as well and very happy to support an American product despite the fact that the leather is sourced from another American company importing the raw material from overseas.

 

[kippy]



If everything you wanted to buy from them was already sold out, how do you figure they lost anything?

As I mentioned in my post I was willing to consider and purchase other 9.5e shoes from them but the salesperson was not willing to tell me what they had available in a 9.5e in other styles. All the other retailers I spoke with were willing to tell me what they had in stock. So they lost the money I spent at other retailers and possibly my future $$ as I used the lesson in "exclusivity" to buy shoes from other shops. I understand it's just business and they are looking to attract local clientele in Hawaii and Beverly Hills and perhaps the wealthy Japanese crowd. I would love to buy one of their makeups but when people ask me where to buy their Alden's I direct them to the local SF shop and the other stores I mentioned as they usually have something interesting in stock or readily available on order after a few months.

What's the point in making such an effort to maintain a beautiful online presence only to say you are not an online shop? What's the point in previously sponsoring a shoe thread on an online forum dedicated to Alden if one is not an online shop or at least willing to deal with a phone-in crowd? Given that LS always emphasizes "we are a brick and mortar shop", they lost out on my previous business. Again, nothing personal and no hard feelings on my part towards LS - ultimately it is a business transaction. I hope to do business with them in the future but will happily spend my money elsewhere until the opportunity comes along.