***The official Alden thread *** - Page 3081

Quote:

Originally Posted by zippyh 


It was just that one day last week.
I think they usually do it more than once a year though.

i am pretty sure it is twice a year, but i haven't had my corporate card that long--i seem to remember reading from years back that it is usually one day in march and one day in october

speaking of which, i called them the day after the corporate sale and they honored the sale price :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by easy_golfing 


ah really? do they go fast or just not enough supply in those colors?

seems like #8 is easily available from what I can see. Does that become more eggplant looking with time?

hmm, fresh #8 already looks pretty eggplanty to me--dark, dark purple--sorta like the italian eggplants you get at the supermarket, and maybe slightly darker than the average japanese eggplant. what color are you expecting it to mature into?

Anyone ever had any "loose stitching" repaired by Alden Restoration or B. Nelson?  What exactly do they do and how does it look?  like can you tell it has been repaired or does it look exactly like it did before it became loose.  Have some loose stitching on several pairs, would it be bad to cut the loose ends?

Quote:

Originally Posted by zippyh 


So you did file the protest form, right?
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/919/related/1/session/L2F2LzEvc2lkL2FGQTUqeWxs/~/refund-%28drawback%29-of-duty-paid-for-imported-goods-if-exporting-or-returning-the

I did what I could which didn't get me anywhere. The charge came from the shipper (UPS) and was for a "brokerage fee". I argued the brokerage fee with UPS and sat on the phone with them forever, ultimately they said that $121 was their brokerage fee for this package and that was all there is to it. They make it pretty difficult IMO. Note the * and ** comment at the very bottom.

U.S. Customs Brokerage Service Fees

Entry Preparation Charges for Importing into the United States All rates and values are shown in U.S. funds. Rates do not include applicable taxes. View the Terms page for a complete service explanation. VALUE FOR DUTY UPS WORLDWIDE EXPRESS PLUS, WORLDWIDE EXPRESS NA1, WORLDWIDE EXPRESS, UPS WORLDWIDE EXPRESS FREIGHTSM, WORLDWIDE SAVER, WORLDWIDE EXPEDITED, 3 DAY SELECT FROM CANADA, AND STANDARD SERVICE FROM MEXICO UPS STANDARD SERVICE FROM CANADA** $0.00 to $200.00 No Charge* No Charge* $200.01 to $1,250.00 No Charge* $25.25 $1,250.01 to $2,000.00 No Charge* $36.50 Each Additional $1,000.00 or part thereof No Charge* $1.80 *For UPS Worldwide Express Plus, UPS Worldwide Express NA1, UPS Worldwide Express, UPS Worldwide Express Freight, UPS Worldwide Saver, UPS Worldwide Expedited, UPS 3 Day Select From Canada, and UPS Standard Service from Mexico, routine customs clearance (for entries up to three entry lines) is included at no additional cost. Additional charges will apply if customs clearance is performed by brokerage offices other than those designated by UPS for clearing the products listed above. **When UPS Supply Chain Solutions is designated as the customs broker on the commercial invoice for the product listed above, the UPS Service Guarantee applies to your shipment. The UPS Service Guarantee does not apply when customs clearance is performed by brokerage offices other than those designated by UPS for clearing the product listed above, or if a service delay is a result of certain events beyond our control, such as a government agency hold. Call 1-800-782-7892 for details. Brokerage Services SPECIAL ENTRIES   Duty Drawbacks $90.00 minimum* Temporary Import Entry $90.00 Warehouse Entry $132.50 Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) Entry Upon Request Entry-Line Charge after First Three Lines $3.00 per line Complex Entries $21.25 Other Government Agency (OGA) Entry $21.25** Fish & Wildlife Clearance $25.00** FDA Prior Notice $10.00 Customized Brokerage Services Upon Request Additional Consignee or Invoice $2.10 per consignee or invoice BONDS (CONTRACT BASIS ONLY)   Continuous Entry Bond $525.00 In-Transit Bond (IT Bond) $80.00 Transportation Handling $30.00 Single Entry Bond (minimum charge) $40.00 Charge per additional $1,000 or part thereof exceeding $10,000 Bond $4.00 OTHER SERVICES   UPS Broker of ChoiceSM OnSite $50.00 UPS Broker of ChoiceSM OffSite $130.00 UPS FTZ FacilitatorSM $80.00 Warehouse Storage Fee - Air/Ground, per day after two days $20.00 + $.04 per pound per day Marking Notice Processing $80.00 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Processing $21.25 Post Entry Services $90.00* Disbursement Fee 2% of Duty/Tax (min. $7.00) Overtime/Special Handling Service (Hourly Rate) $51.50** Customs Entry Packets $1.00 per packet or shipment Pre-Release Notification for Import Shipments $10.00 per shipment *Additional charges may apply. **All fees charged by any government agency or other third party, if any, will be billed in addition to the listed fees.

Quote:

Originally Posted by easy_golfing 

I
I like the eggplant look and hope it stays that way. It does look blackish to me at times in pictures though

Can always have them refinished if they fade too much.  My Dad has some old #8 pairs that have gotten darker, but I'm sure it is from the polish he uses on them.  They won't fade that quickly if they don't spend a lot of time in direct sunlight.  (like if you work in an office and store them in a closet)  Also, the color varies depending on lighting conditions.  They look pretty dark (almost black) in low light, but you can see that they are burgundy (lighter than eggplant) in sunlight.

Edit:

Here is some #8 porn for your viewing pleasure...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo 


They are worth what someone is willing to pay for them. No one is going to pay $1500 for Aldens, but they do pay $1500 for Lobbs.

Comparing the two shoes is like comparing a Ford to a Bentley. Source: I've owned multiple pairs of both.

Quote:

Originally Posted by imolazhp_ci 

to be fair.... i only own Alden's and Lobb's. to put Alden in the same sentence as Lobb from a construction quality perspective, attention to detail, quality control is just absurd. All my Cordovan, Suede and CXL shoes are Alden, all my formal/calf shoes are Lobb. it's not even a comparison, nor should it be for double-triple the price, but to call Alden's a bargain is just dumb. Alden's are a fetish pure and simple. they are lovely, classic, etc. but the quality isn't that great. often buying alden's 100% feels like a fetish... like paying someone to spit in your face.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mediahound 

 

Not really. Aldens are a lot closer to John Lobbs than Fords are to Bentleys. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo 


Actually, I think my comparison is rather spot on.

Fords are purpose-built, with generally spotty quality control, a lack of attention to detail, while still commanding a decent premium over the truly cheap vehicles on the road.

Bentleys are rare, refined, hand made, with a meticulous finishing and every detail scrutinized and polished over several times. They are expensive, but people are willing to pay for them.

I am assuming that the Lobbs being referenced are JL Paris, and not the bespoke JL on St. James's street (which are in a completely untouchable league compared to either Alden or JL Paris).  I agree that it goes without saying that there isn't much of a comparison between JL quality shoes (similar to EG, G&G, etc.) and Alden from an attention to detail and quality control perspective.  However, from the construction quality standpoint, I have to say that people need to make sure they aren't letting these companies pull the wool over their eyes.  That is, I interpret construction quality to be equitable to durability.  From a durability standpoint, the law of diminishing returns pretty much kicks in at Allen Edmonds.  Assuming you have a shoe that isn't structurally defective with faulty stitching, or leather defects that may surface after a few years of wear, then all of these shoes should last a similar period of time given equal wear and care.  After all, we are talking about Goodyear-welted shoes constructed with gemming.  To get above the durability threshold that a Goodyear-welted shoe with gemming offers, you have to move into hand-welted and bespoke shoes.  These are the objective facts of the matter. 

From a finishing perspective (QC and attention to detail), price moves into the subjective realm.  As it was said, they are worth what people will pay for them.  If you think that a JL shoe looks twice as nice as an Alden, then feel free to pay twice the price.  Just don't expect it to last twice as long.  If you are simply concerned about how many miles you will walk in your shoes, and if beauty of the shoe is secondary, then you shouldn't be spending more than what Allen Edmonds charges on a pair of shoes as long as you are stuck in the gemmed shoe game.  Trying to compare shoes and justifying their prices using analogies like car makers is common in the forum, but problems with the analogies abound.  If you are going to use cars as an analogy it probably makes more sense to compare makers that are more likely to compete.  Ford isn't a competitor with Bentley.  They are completely different markets, purposes, uses, etc.   Perhaps calling JL a Bentley and Alden a Mercedes would make more sense.  Then you can start nit-picking why one is more comfortable, better looking, smells better, feels better, whatever. 

Whatever you do, don't buy into the belief that paying twice the price for a pair of Goodyear-welted gemmed JL's will get you twice the mileage than a pair of Goodyear-welted gemmed Aldens.  Using the car analogy again.... there are probably alot more Honda's with a million miles on them driving around than Bentley's.  To escape the law of diminishing returns, you have to go up in construction quality and look beyond the beauty of the shoe.  Luckily, going up in quality of construction always retains beauty when it comes to shoes, so you get the best of both worlds there. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bakes11771 

Can always have them refinished if they fade too much.  My Dad has some old #8 pairs that have gotten darker, but I'm sure it is from the polish he uses on them.  They won't fade that quickly if they don't spend a lot of time in direct sunlight.  (like if you work in an office and store them in a closet)  Also, the color varies depending on lighting conditions.  They look pretty dark (almost black) in low light, but you can see that they are burgundy (lighter than eggplant) in sunlight.

 

Edit:

 

Here is some #8 porn for your viewing pleasure...

 

 

 

Those really are great looking shoes. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunw 

I did what I could which didn't get me anywhere. The charge came from the shipper (UPS) and was for a "brokerage fee". I argued the brokerage fee with UPS and sat on the phone with them forever, ultimately they said that $121 was their brokerage fee for this package and that was all there is to it. They make it pretty difficult IMO. Note the * and ** comment at the very bottom.

 

Yeah, UPS and FedEx are not great options for international orders.  If I can't have my parcel shipped through the Postal service I either find a proxy or pass.  It's a pain in the neck.

For those interested in the J Crew cap toe, the personal stylist I chatted with on jcrew.com said they have no plans restock that boot. 

I'm undecided about keeping a pair of ravello chukkas from the shoe mart, or returning them and picking up the #8 chukka from unionmade with antique edging. Unfortunately, I can't have both. Any opinions on which would be better for casual wear (mostly raw denim)? I'm leaning towards ravello because they may never be available again in my price range. Plus, I could always have a pair of #8 chukkas modified...