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

[lxlfeng]

Originally Posted by NAMOR

thanks man. they look great with the nsts. Actually, I just purchased the same pair in Ravello

naisee, post pics up once you get them!

 

[trunks206]

Originally Posted by geoffmartin17

A few new aldens -

Awesome additions and picture.

@925: I forgot to mention great picture, my GF and really want to travel to Europe this summer.

@ Alcibiades and borderline: Thanks for the input, I cant wait to get my pair.

 

[NAMOR]

Originally Posted by trunks206

Awesome additions and picture.

@925: I forgot to mention great picture, my GF and really want to travel to Europe this summer. @ Alcibiades and borderline: Thanks for the input, I cant wait to get my pair.
Aldens are soo expensive

. If we could own just a few pairs it would be okay but the more i see the more I want. I think I have $3000 tied up in just Aldens. Just Aldens

 

[Simplicio]

Originally Posted by WatchGuy

Can anyone comment on the difference between the Leather Soul snuff suede PTBs vs the J Crew suede bucks? Specifically, is the color of each of these accurate in the pictures? And, what are the differences in color?

Can anyone comment on the individual shoes themselves?

Originally Posted by trunks206

Man with all this talk of suede PTBs, I just cant wait until my tan unlined pair get in to Blackbird. I wish I could have snagged up both pair of recent LS offerings...the blue suede ones are amazing.

J Crew describes this color as "camel", and to my eye it looks different from both the snuff (e.g. at LS) and the standard tan color, which I believe the Blackbird model will be. I have also preordered at Blackbird, and my memory is that the tan suede is lighter than the J crew camel. I'm very much looking forward to them.

I have also just received the same shoes (unlined suede oxford) in navy from LS. Love them. Standard Barrie size fits perfectly.

 

[WhoKnewI]

what is snuff suede actually?

 

[Alcibiades]

Originally Posted by geoffmartin17

A few new aldens -

Alden for AOC cigar longwing, Snuff suede tassle for Leather soul, Frans boone x alden Red brick LWB

Has anyone noticed that cigar is looking a bit better these days? Some of the older cigar had a bit of a "green" hue to it. See the middle chukka in this photo

http://www.leathersoulhawaii.com/wp-...ldenChukka.jpg

I haven't really seen that with any of the new cigar.

I think I need to add some cigar ASAP.... I already have a RL Darlton Longwing, so I'm thinking maybe a PTB or a chukka

 

[HorseHide]

Originally Posted by Alcibiades

Has anyone noticed that cigar is looking a bit better these days? Some of the older cigar had a bit of a "green" hue to it.

I agree - much nicer. I was at the Madison Ave shop yesterday and they have quite a few new whiskey offerings - the whiskey appears to be back to the lighter shade of yore - for a while whiskey was as dark as ravello (and ravello was almost red).

 

[LynahFaithful]

Originally Posted by WhoKnewI

what is snuff suede actually?

"Snuff" is just the name for a particular suede color used by Alden.

 

[Stewbone]

Is there a rule about sizing for unlined shoes?

I have a pair of size 11 cordovan loafers that are unlined from alden and there a little big. I was looking at a pair of size 11 captoe boots that are similar last but are lined. I was just wondering if I should size down for the boots or how much the "Unlining" causes.

Thanks.

 

[ghdvfddzgzdzg]

just a little thing I wanted to mention w/ my new Alden #8 chukkas.

got stuck in a rainstorm, and one shoe did some weird clouding that I've heard can happen. The other one did not cloud. I wiped both of 'em off really lightly when I got inside and found that there were 2 spots on the clouding shoe that looked like i'd wiped off a top layer of polish. I definitely did not wipe hard, so nothing should have come off, but whatever, i said, it's all patina, don't care.

two wears later, i decided to brush w/ a horsehair brush and rub 'em down with an old 100% cotton t-shirt. i did a tiny amount of cordovan wax polish just on the two weird wiped-off spots, and brushed and rubbed like hell. This did both get rid of all the clouding and blended in the wiped-off spots. however, i did create tiny scratches all over by doing this. I tried rubbing with a sock and a towel as well to see if they'd rub back out, but not yet. the scratches are tiny, tiny, tiny, and only I'll ever notice, but i know some people here are crazed perfectionists enough to know something about this. is avoiding these scratches a technique thing? do i need a terrycloth towel or some other material of polishing rag?

 

[lxlfeng]

Shoemart just added one or two new pairs of alden boots! Cigar Indy with commando sole

 

[marg]

the technique is to brush with the hair, not the handle. those scratches are from the base of the brush. if you want to work out scratches that are too deep for polishing regularly, use the deerbone (or even a spoon or your thumb). there are good videos online about how to brush and care for cordovan.

 

[sazon]

Originally Posted by lxlfeng

Shoemart just added one or two new pairs of alden boots! Cigar Indy with commando sole

where? can u pls post link....can't seem to find them.

 

[commodorewheeler]

Originally Posted by mediahound

Hard to tell in this pic but they sorta don't look like cordovan to me. I think black cordovan is much shinier generally. It can almost look like patent leather sometimes.

Originally Posted by s3lam

@ClassyCanuck - they have aldens at both locations.

@Marcellionheart - you are right. I just went by today to take a closer look and spoke with one of the sales associates and confirmed they are NOT Shell Cordovan. I took some closer pics as well. They look really shiny to me but slightly grainy up close. Somebody said here on this thread that cordovan could look kinda like patent leather and the ones at nomad def did not look like that. I still haven't seen cordovan leather in real life yet. Guess I will still have to wait.

I own a couple pairs of black shell Aldens, and comparing them to my wife's black patent leather shoes, I would say that they are not really similar. Patent leather is a lot shinier and more artificial-looking than shell is IMO.

From the original pic that you showed, the shoes looked to me like they could be shell, but it looks like the truth has been confirmed. For me, the easiest way to tell in person whether something is shell or not is to feel how stiff the outer layer of the upper is (shell is a lot stiffer than calfskin and even a fair amount stiffer than patent leather IME), and to look for micro creases in the upper (calfskin will get them, shell won't).

Originally Posted by Alcibiades

I think I need to add some cigar ASAP.... I already have a RL Darlton Longwing, so I'm thinking maybe a PTB or a chukka

The Darlton is actually not the same color as Horween cigar. It is more of a dark cognac color, between cigar and ravello if we are using Horween colors as a reference. If I put them side-by-side, the Horween cigar is significantly darker than the color on the Darltons.

 

[zippyh]

Originally Posted by sazon

where? can u pls post link....can't seem to find them.

http://www.theshoemart.com/cgi-bin/c...6C&rpro=40566C