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

[PhiPsi32]

Astute observation. I have an interest list going for a Kudu Indy on the Modified last for anyone who wants to join.

 

[NewYorkIslander]



I'm sincerely glad you had a great experience with them.
But the fact is, NRO has a high number of complaints filed with the Boston BBB, a poor Yelp rating, and a poor reputation on SF. If any one of these was the case, I'd say perhaps there's another explanation. With all three being the case, it suggests NRO is a poorly run shop.
As for my own experience, I was told my order arrived last Friday (the 20th) and would be shipped promptly. I gave them a few days and then decided I'd had enough. If not for me reaching out to contact them, I would've gone over a month without any effort on NRO's part to let me know my order was delayed. I decided I wanted a firm ship date and, given the timeframe and that they've had my money since time zero, I think that's reasonable. After eight phone calls, four voicemails, four emails, and a complaint with the BBB, I finally got someone to take my call (mind you they never called me back) and offer a firm delivery date. I was told that, without fail, the order would leave NRO before the end of business on Friday the 27th (yesterday) and was given a shipping code.
And guess what - I checked with UPS and they haven't received the package yet. It's still sitting at NRO.
In short, **** North River Outfitter.

The high number of complaints at the BBB should be the biggest concern, but lets put this into perspective here people.

Yelp is a gripe fest for people who like to ***** and who are pissed off. Think about it, you had a great meal at a restaurant, with wonderful service at a GREAT price...the first place your going to run to is the internet to tell a bunch of strangers? Probably not, but when you have bad experience, Americans need to "get their $$'s worth" by writing scathing reviews online. I just booked a few hotel stays online, and had I gone with the online reviews I would have stayed home...no hotels had "super" reviews, and most were lists of complaints that ere at best petty and at worst malicious.

Now take into account the SF crew. What do you think the percentage of us is (especially lots of the newbies in this thread, for whom Alden was the newest and oolest name in the latest issue of Esquire) who take these uber close-up shots of the shoes they'll be walking through puddles and city streets in, noticing miniscule "scratches and blemishes" or "shoddy workmanship", and then claiming from behind our computer screens how come hell or high water, we're not gonna take it? And I'm saying this knowing that it used to be me.

NRO is a small shop. And like most small shops in America, its being forced to grow faster (through the www) than it probably could, or should, in order to stay relevant and IN BUSINESS. There's always some bigger shop (JCrew) who are waiting to gobble them up. Think about it, we love JCrew for their return policy, because they can AFFORD to take back stuff, and even eat a dozen pair of $500 shoes, but if NRO had the same policy and we did what many of us do to JCrew, they'd be out of business.

Then you have the fact that people are ordering shoes from NRO knowing they are not in stock, NRO is still honoring the sale price, and then we're getting pissy and cancelling our orders after finding out we may have to wait a couple of months. These shoes from a shoe company who routinely have their customers wait for "pre-orders", at full retail, up to two years, and in some cases longer. Really? REALLY? How bad did you want those shoes you just cancelled because you were "shocked" that you may need to wait a few months to get them?

Get a grip folks.

/rant

 

[Alcibiades]



Any experiences w/ the snap last?  Translation to Barrie sizing?

Beebs - what you do you wear your whiskey monks with? I am eyeing a pair now

 

[marmottan]

I know a few people on here have purchased from Anatomica, and I will be heading out to Paris in about a month and look forward to checking out the shop. Can one of you please let me know the best way to contact them and who the best contact person over there is. I tried emailing them and received no response.
Thanks in advance.

Their service is shameful. They can't help the customers decently. It seems that you disturb them when you walk in...
"Buy-or-out"...

You have enough Alden shops in the US to find what you're looking for.
My 2 cents.

 

[951socal]



I wonder if there is some sort of explanation behind the scarcity of quality shells that has led to the shortage of whiskey and ravello.  I was recently speaking with the local alden retailer, and he mentioned that quality calfskin in general is becoming harder to source because of the hormones or steroids that they are giving cows.  It causes them to grow too fast and as a consequence the hide isn't able to develop as it otherwise would.

Just something I hear, but thought that it made a lot of sense.

sounds like sales man hearsay

 

[zazaza]



The high number of complaints at the BBB should be the biggest concern, but lets put this into perspective here people.
Yelp is a gripe fest for people who like to ***** and who are pissed off. Think about it, you had a great meal at a restaurant, with wonderful service at a GREAT price...the first place your going to run to is the internet to tell a bunch of strangers? Probably not, but when you have bad experience, Americans need to "get their $$'s worth" by writing scathing reviews online. I just booked a few hotel stays online, and had I gone with the online reviews I would have stayed home...no hotels had "super" reviews, and most were lists of complaints that ere at best petty and at worst malicious.
Now take into account the SF crew. What do you think the percentage of us is (especially lots of the newbies in this thread, for whom Alden was the newest and oolest name in the latest issue of Esquire) who take these uber close-up shots of the shoes they'll be walking through puddles and city streets in, noticing miniscule "scratches and blemishes" or "shoddy workmanship", and then claiming from behind our computer screens how come hell or high water, we're not gonna take it? And I'm saying this knowing that it used to be me.
NRO is a small shop. And like most small shops in America, its being forced to grow faster (through the www) than it probably could, or should, in order to stay relevant and IN BUSINESS. There's always some bigger shop (JCrew) who are waiting to gobble them up. Think about it, we love JCrew for their return policy, because they can AFFORD to take back stuff, and even eat a dozen pair of $500 shoes, but if NRO had the same policy and we did what many of us do to JCrew, they'd be out of business.
Then you have the fact that people are ordering shoes from NRO knowing they are not in stock, NRO is still honoring the sale price, and then we're getting pissy and cancelling our orders after finding out we may have to wait a couple of months. These shoes from a shoe company who routinely have their customers wait for "pre-orders", at full retail, up to two years, and in some cases longer. Really? REALLY? How bad did you want those shoes you just cancelled because you were "shocked" that you may need to wait a few months to get them?
Get a grip folks.
/rant

I can't speak for everyone who's complained about NRO but for me it was the principle of them telling me one thing (three separate times) and it not happening. If it's out of stock and you need to order it, fine, just don't lie to me telling me it's in stock and leave it up to me to call and ask where my shoes are when they haven't arrived a week later. (and again a week later, and again...)

the fact is NRO's abhorrent customer service is pretty well documented. They seem like they don't give a damn about their customers and for that reason they don't get my money.

 

[Man with Apple]



Their service is shameful. They can't help the customers decently. It seems that you disturb them when you walk in...
"Buy-or-out"...

You have enough Alden shops in the US to find what you're looking for.
My 2 cents.

I am going to be in Paris in about a month and wanted to contact them in advance to see what their stock would look like.

 

[ElDave]



The high number of complaints at the BBB should be the biggest concern, but lets put this into perspective here people.
Yelp is a gripe fest for people who like to ***** and who are pissed off. Think about it, you had a great meal at a restaurant, with wonderful service at a GREAT price...the first place your going to run to is the internet to tell a bunch of strangers? Probably not, but when you have bad experience, Americans need to "get their $$'s worth" by writing scathing reviews online. I just booked a few hotel stays online, and had I gone with the online reviews I would have stayed home...no hotels had "super" reviews, and most were lists of complaints that ere at best petty and at worst malicious.
Now take into account the SF crew. What do you think the percentage of us is (especially lots of the newbies in this thread, for whom Alden was the newest and oolest name in the latest issue of Esquire) who take these uber close-up shots of the shoes they'll be walking through puddles and city streets in, noticing miniscule "scratches and blemishes" or "shoddy workmanship", and then claiming from behind our computer screens how come hell or high water, we're not gonna take it? And I'm saying this knowing that it used to be me.
NRO is a small shop. And like most small shops in America, its being forced to grow faster (through the www) than it probably could, or should, in order to stay relevant and IN BUSINESS. There's always some bigger shop (JCrew) who are waiting to gobble them up. Think about it, we love JCrew for their return policy, because they can AFFORD to take back stuff, and even eat a dozen pair of $500 shoes, but if NRO had the same policy and we did what many of us do to JCrew, they'd be out of business.
Then you have the fact that people are ordering shoes from NRO knowing they are not in stock, NRO is still honoring the sale price, and then we're getting pissy and cancelling our orders after finding out we may have to wait a couple of months. These shoes from a shoe company who routinely have their customers wait for "pre-orders", at full retail, up to two years, and in some cases longer. Really? REALLY? How bad did you want those shoes you just cancelled because you were "shocked" that you may need to wait a few months to get them?
Get a grip folks.
/rant

Are you arguing just for the sake of arguing? Over half of what you're arguing really sounds like you didn't even read my post and you're just complaining about peripheral crap in this thread.

I already said I understand Yelp and the SF reputation might not be the best judge of a company's quality. Yep - sentence number three, so I'm not sure why you went off on a multi-paragraph diatribe about that, leading to a conclusion I already stated. Additionally, I'm not the guy coming into the thread and taking ten megapixel pictures of a superficial mark on the sole of a shoe that will be forever covered ten steps after their first outdoor wear. I wouldn't expect anyone here to know this, but I wear all my Aldens - I don't bust out my microscope every time a new pair gets delivered. Wear 'em, brush 'em, put 'em in the closet until next time. So frankly I don't give a **** about the percentage of people taking pictures of their shoes to complain, because I don't do it and it has nothing to do with my complaint regarding NRO. Also, I'm also not sure why you are ranting about a return policy, as I didn't mention returns once.

Since you seem to have missed the point: I DON'T CARE THAT THE BOOTS ARE DELAYED.

Perhaps, given that your profession is not in sales or anything revenue-generating, you don't understand this: managing customer expectations is everything. Everyone of us who's in a for-profit position knows this. When you get into an Alden pre-order, you know it's going to be approximately two years. That's the expectation that's been set. If you were told to expect the order in three months and it became two years without communication, you'd be pissed. Similarly, if you ordered a supposedly in-stock product from an online retailer that promises on their website to A) notify customers immediately of any backorders/out-of-stocks and B) ship within 48 hours, you'd assume the product should be there within a week or maybe a week and a half. That's the expectation they've given. When a company doesn't follow the guidelines they've set for themselves, the customer is justified to be unhappy about it. THAT is where my complaint lies. NRO portrays themselves as a communicative shop and then they left me in the dark regarding the status of my order.

I'm not asking NRO to do anything that even impacts their bottom line. I just want them to communicate - both as their posted policies/procedures dictate, and as any good business does. Like I said above, I honestly 100% do not mind if my order gets delayed...if the business lets me know. I DO care that they've been sitting on my money for well over a month and apparently don't think their customers deserve a simple email update. They could have sent an email to me at any time saying, "Dave, our apologies...due to some unforeseen circumstances both with Alden and regarding our internal capacity to process orders, it might be early August when you receive your order. Regards, NRO." If I'd received an email like this at any point, I would have voiced any issue with NRO.

It's a cheesy saying, but it's always best to "under-promise and over-deliver." NRO does the reverse of this.

Lastly, your last line about knowing I ordered something not in stock...I ordered a pair of 405s dude. Don't act like I'm trying to MTO a pair of knee-high ravello longings with tassels and an AirMax360 sole.

 

[NewYorkIslander]

Know I quoted u, but wasn't directed at you... Just saw a bunch of NRO posts in a row so I wanted to reference one of them to put my comments in context...my point is that we're being typical Americans here...we all shake our heads at stuff made overseas for cost cutting reasons (what brought me to Alden), yet we don't want to pay more for American made, or we want it yesterday. NRO is a typical overwhelmed American small business and part of their "promises" is to keep customers. They know if they tell you guys the shoes are 6 months out, you'd go somewhere else. Is it great that they string you along? No. But it's all they can do to keep your business. Again, sorry for just quoti g you ElDave

 

[NewYorkIslander]

An honestly the comment re: my profession is ignorant. I know plain well about customer expectation in business, you think I could afford the shoe collection I have on a teachers salary? Maybe if customers were more informed, which I suppose is a purpose of ***** feats like yelp and this thread at times, these UNRealistic expectations could be toned down. I'd be willing to bet, based on their proximity to Middlesborough and their "stock list pics" that they have a standing contract with Alden for most of their shoes. When they sell out, they prob call Alden, and have new stock made and shipped. We all know, or should, that Alden is experiencing major delays with retailers as their popularity has grown through the mens fashion mags and blogs. So you really have to be a little naive to believe if something's not I stock, that 3 weeks later it would be

 

[HorseHide]



I wonder if there is some sort of explanation behind the scarcity of quality shells that has led to the shortage of whiskey and ravello.

Is Horween the new De Beers - propping up the shell cordovan market artificially? Will we start reading about "conflict shell"?

Their service is shameful. They can't help the customers decently. It seems that you disturb them when you walk in...

My first reaction was - THEY'RE FRENCH, but maybe there's more to the story. Maybe they are the European partners of NRO?

 

[sevenfoldtieguy]



The lighter the color, the more imperfections of the skin show up. Black and #8 are more abundant because their deep colors help cover the imperfection of the skin.

The above statement is demonstrably true. That statement, coupled with higher demand, of course, means greater scarcity. In my experience, willingness to routinely check websites and call certain Alden retailers, as to availability, greatly increases one's chances of getting exotic shell models. Perhaps I have gotten lucky, but this method has worked for me numerous times, with very little delay in getting the shoes/boots in question.

 

[advan031]

plain toe boot x natural chromexcel x modified last by tsm

 

[BootSpell]

plain toe boot x natural chromexcel x modified last by tsm

Hey Advan, I have those exact same boots and am loving them! These boots may not be the most beautiful in my collection (and your picture doesn't do them justice, sorry --- they look much better in real life imho) but they are up there with being my favorites as they are just such a perfect fit. Enjoy them in good health!

 

[forsan]

Hey Advan, I have those exact same boots and am loving them! These boots may not be the most beautiful in my collection (and your picture doesn't do them justice, sorry --- they look much better in real life imho) but they are up there with being my favorites as they are just such a perfect fit. Enjoy them in good health!

+1 on these as well. Love the fit of the Modified last. It felt a little funky going from Trubalance to Modified, but after wearing the hell out of them for the past week, I absolutely love them.

I've also been presently surprised with how many outfits I can pair the natural chromexcel with.