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

[iroh]

the barrie last is a pretty bulbus last IMO, however i do have a barrie last pair of shoes, in the C width (however i do have narrow feet), it does look OK for a pair casual shoes (still too bulbus if you are going for a sleek pair of dress shoes), much better than the ugly D width. so if you really must get a barrie last shoe, special order it in the C width (and instead of sizing down stay TTS if you have D width feet). frankly i recommend the skipping the barrie and going for the plaza last, it is sleeker and more chiseled and defined, can't go wrong with it all. alden should really discontinue the barrie last.

 

[NAMOR]



Your ideas (and Namor) of casual are highly subjective and should be taken with a grain of salt. Speaking as a person with a wider-shaped foot many of the "sleeker" lasts simply don't work for me. I like the way the other lasts look but recognize they really don't work for my foot.
If the Barrie is good enough for Uncle Mac, it is good enough for the many members of this forum whose feet are wide and whose sense of taste veers away from "sleek". This is Alden's claim to fame no less. A classic hefty shoe.
It would be nice to see you focus on *what you like* rather than piss on my Barrie rainbow constantly.

well said Kippy. I agree with everything you said especially the bit about Alden being a classic American company. When it comes to boots, ill buy Alden. For dress shoes, English shoes

 

[kippy]



well said Kippy. I agree with everything you said especially the bit about Alden being a classic American company. When it comes to boots, ill buy Alden. For dress shoes, English shoes

Thank you, Namor. I enjoy hearing and seeing what others like (even if it does not fit my own taste and fit).

 

[CEE88]

Anyone had problems with Sky Valet in mail order transactions? I ordered a pair of color 8 LHS in a "C" width from them in January. Six days after I placed the order I asked them when it would ship. They said it was on order from Alden and would probably take 4-6 weeks. ("okay. Why is it listed as available on your site if you don't actually have it in stock?" no response).

A couple of weeks ago I canceled my order. A few days went by so I emailed again and asked if they had credited my account. Several days (and emails) later they said "yes, on 3/14, but it might take a day or two to register." I emailed them again this past Monday - no response.

In the meantime I returned a pair of jeans to Unionmade - package hit their doorstep yesterday and I already have the refund credit. I have also received a refund from South Willard within an hour or two of when it was processed by the store. Do some refunds really take 8+ days after the store has done its part to process the refund?

I'm suspicious because Sky Valet wasn't up front to begin with about what shoes they have in stock, because they were quick to hit my credit card but slow to tell me the shoe wasn't actually available, and because they've been so awful about responding to emails.

Is Sky Valet's story legit? Could they have refunded me the $600 and yet, through no fault of their own, 8-9 days later the refund still hasn't been credited?

 

[onestar]



Usually when companies do this it's to set different prices in different markets, e.g. to allow The Bureau to charge what is profitable for them in the EU without being undercut by Leffot. It's not really to their advantage to leave a market uncovered though, so I would expect that in Australia you would still be able to buy from somewhere.
Of course this doesn't take into account the various special make-ups, etc. Still, there's always proxies, ebay, B&S, etc.

I now suspect this new policy to stop international shipping is due to a deal Alden has done with J Crew who is offering a dubious "free shipping" to most international destinations. With the current exchange rate Aldens should be a bit cheaper in $AUS than they are in $US. However, when you check the J Crew "Australian site" the shoes are hundreds of dollars more expensive. For example, the shell Cap Toe Boot is $US645 on the US site but is $AUS890 on the Australian site! Free shipping? Pull the other one, J Crew......

 

[Alcibiades]



the barrie last is a pretty bulbus last IMO, however i do have a barrie last pair of shoes, in the C width (however i do have narrow feet), it does look OK for a pair casual shoes (still too bulbus if you are going for a sleek pair of dress shoes), much better than the ugly D width. so if you really must get a barrie last shoe, special order it in the C width (and instead of sizing down stay TTS if you have D width feet). frankly i recommend the skipping the barrie and going for the plaza last, it is sleeker and more chiseled and defined, can't go wrong with it all. alden should really discontinue the barrie last.

Yeah, discontinuing the most popular last would be a great decision.

Look, I understand the Barrie last is not the most sleek last, but I still love it. I appreciate sleeker lasts, especially in dress shoes - but sleeker lasted shoes are widely available from brands ranging Crockett and Jones to Edward Green to Ferragamo to Allen Edmonds to whatever. Part of the Alden look IMO are some of the more full fitting lasts. And for people with wide feet (like many on this thread), the Barrie is one of the best fitting lasts, especially in D width (Aberdeen E fits me the best, but it is not readily available).

Part of the appeal of the barrie last, IMO, is its versatility. Sleeker lasted shoes can look a bit off with jeans, for example (unless they are loafers). However, a barrie cordovan longwing looks equally at place with a nice pair of denim and a nice pair of wool trousers (either connected with a suit or a blazer or on its own). Plaza lasted longwings wouldn't have that same versatility, IMO.

*Eagerly awaiting delivery of barrie cigar longwings later today, which I will wear with suits and jeans*

 

[furo]



Plaza lasted longwings wouldn't have that same versatility, IMO.

hmm, I disagree, and I'm sure you could dig up a few :foo:'s to display the plaza longwing and its versatility

the barrie last is a pretty bulbus last IMO, however i do have a barrie last pair of shoes, in the C width (however i do have narrow feet), it does look OK for a pair casual shoes (still too bulbus if you are going for a sleek pair of dress shoes), much better than the ugly D width. so if you really must get a barrie last shoe, special order it in the C width (and instead of sizing down stay TTS if you have D width feet). frankly i recommend the skipping the barrie and going for the plaza last, it is sleeker and more chiseled and defined, can't go wrong with it all. alden should really discontinue the barrie last.

+1 although I'm not sure that addresses the heel concerns that many have about the barrie. I recall my one pair on the barrie having a loose heel even after I sized down.

When it comes to boots, ill buy Alden. For dress shoes, English shoes

/agree

I'd be doing the same if the english shoes were in the same price range as the AE and Alden choices. The english shoes in that range, i.e. church's, just aren't to my liking. Would love it if I could swap out all my AE and Alden dress pairs for a full line up of EG and C&J.... but I dream

 

[ElDave]

Forgive my ignorange, but I'm pretty new to Alden and not wanting to go through an unnecessary return process if at all avoidable. I have a semi-wide foot (I measure an 11 on the Brannock, and on the edge of a D/E width). In the Allen Edmonds 5 last, I take an 11E. If I want an Indy boot, would 10.5D be a good bet?

 

[JPFNY5]

So I'm thinking about exchanging my navy Indy suede boots for the marble suede Indy boots, given I already own navy suede chukkas. Thoughts?
My main concern about doing this is weight... The navy seude Indy is one of the lightest Alden's I own sue to the brick sole, which works well for warmer months. I've handled the marble Indy, the crepe sole weighs it down a bit.

SILLY....You deserve both. Both are AWESOME!!

 

[Alcibiades]

Kippy, i didn't get back to you on the grant last on those cigar captoe boots, I find the Grant E fits similar to the Barrie D (Grant E may even be a bit narrower in the toebox, but not much)

 

[mediahound]

Forgive my ignorange, but I'm pretty new to Alden and not wanting to go through an unnecessary return process if at all avoidable. I have a semi-wide foot (I measure an 11 on the Brannock, and on the edge of a D/E width). In the Allen Edmonds 5 last, I take an 11E. If I want an Indy boot, would 10.5D be a good bet?

Probably since the Trubalance last is quite wide already. But, I would recommend you try them on since YMMV.

 

[ElDave]



Probably since the Trubalance last is quite wide already. But, I would recommend you try them on since YMMV. 

Thanks. I don't have a chance to try them on before purchasing, but wanted to make sure my guesstimate was at least reasonable.

 

[Alcibiades]

First suede run of 2012

Navy unlined chukka, barrie last, tan laces



Love these shoes. Not pictured are a navy ribbon belt with a blue gingham shirt

 

[ElDave]



First suede run of 2012
Navy unlined chukka, barrie last, tan laces

Love these shoes. Not pictured are a navy ribbon belt with a blue gingham shirt

These are beautiful. I really think navy suede is one of the most attractive materials for a shot to be made of.

 

[Alcibiades]



Forgive my ignorange, but I'm pretty new to Alden and not wanting to go through an unnecessary return process if at all avoidable. I have a semi-wide foot (I measure an 11 on the Brannock, and on the edge of a D/E width). In the Allen Edmonds 5 last, I take an 11E. If I want an Indy boot, would 10.5D be a good bet?

I am a solid 10E on brannock, I take 10D or 9.5E in Barrie/Truebalance.

Given you are on the edge of D/E, you may be able to do a 10.5D. If possible, I would buy 10.5D and 11D and return the one that doesn't fit