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

[scott.m]

Hey guys, I know those Low tops Indy's are made only for winn perry, but could i custom order a pair from an Alden Shop? Any way to get my hands on these in my size? us 8

 

[interlockingny]

Originally Posted by scott.m

Hey guys, I know those Low tops Indy's are made only for winn perry, but could i custom order a pair from an Alden Shop? Any way to get my hands on these in my size? us 8

I would recommend calling the Alden SF store. They should be able to help you.

 

[chethondo]

I've been waiting months to buy a pair of Alden Indy boots and finally got fitted for some in New York this weekend. I wear a 10 in AE PAs, Bass, Vans, Johnson Murphy, Sperry, etc. but the dude at Alden's on Madison Avenue fitted me in an 8.5 and they fit like a glove. I'm still floored at the sizing situation. I'm glad I didn't order online or I would have been extremely confused. Anyone else have anything like that happen?

 

[Johdus Fanfoozal]

Originally Posted by chethondo

I've been waiting months to buy a pair of Alden Indy boots and finally got fitted for some in New York this weekend. I wear a 10 in AE PAs, Bass, Vans, Johnson Murphy, Sperry, etc. but the dude at Alden's on Madison Avenue fitted me in an 8.5 and they fit like a glove. I'm still floored at the sizing situation. I'm glad I didn't order online or I would have been extremely confused. Anyone else have anything like that happen?

I'm a full size down in my 403s and they fit perfectly.

 

[Trapp]

Originally Posted by chethondo

I've been waiting months to buy a pair of Alden Indy boots and finally got fitted for some in New York this weekend. I wear a 10 in AE PAs, Bass, Vans, Johnson Murphy, Sperry, etc. but the dude at Alden's on Madison Avenue fitted me in an 8.5 and they fit like a glove. I'm still floored at the sizing situation. I'm glad I didn't order online or I would have been extremely confused. Anyone else have anything like that happen?

I had something like this happen. I also wear a 10D in AE PA, and it took me a long time and a lot of fussing around to arrive at my proper size for the trubalance. I was originally ok'd for a smaller boot (9D in shell cordovan) than usually suggested, and after a month of wear it became clear that it was ultimately too small. Eventually I found the standard formula of 1/2 size down (thus 9.5D) worked best for a comfortable fit. I could take a 9E as well but with less room for error.

I'm a little skeptical, but I suppose it's possible an 8.5 (1.5 sizes down?) would work for your foot if your foot is somehow an extremely low-volume size 10. I would get fitted again and double check. Make sure the SA is making you stand with full weight loaded on each foot as he and you check toe-length and width. And make sure the widest part of your foot is aligning with the widest part of the boot. This second tip is easy to miss, or it was for me. I used to like a fairly snug fit (I've since relaxed this preference), and it can be tough to determine what is "good snug" and what is "too snug" in a new boot. In a new 9D in shell, I can move my toes freely and there is a light, comfortable squeeze around the ball of my foot. This comfortable squeeze became quite uncomfortable over several days, even with healthy shoe rotation. I found that the 9.5 was much better, as it pulled my foot a bit back from the toebox, resulting an a bit more toe-room (which I didn't need but was still okay) and a better alignment with the wide ball of my foot with the widest part of the boot (which i very much needed).

Alden customer service is great and except for one isolated occasion where an SA swore up and down that the Trubalance and the Barrie were the "same exact last" I've never had a bad experience with a sales associate. But they do each have different opinions on how the boots should fit and on the behavior of the different leathers. In the same Alden store, I've had one sales associate state that under no circumstances will their shell cordovan stretch. Only to return a month later and have a different SA cheerfully advise that shell of course stretches a ton and will mold comfortably to your foot. My point is simply that if you get ok'd for a surprising small size, definately confirm with another visit to the store before dropping your $ on boots.

 

[chethondo]

^ Great advice! I might need to get fitted again. I bet I could pull off a 9D in the 403s. SAs always measure my foot when I'm sitting down but when I stand up it measures a half size bigger. He was quite pushy on the 8.5 and wouldn't entertain a bigger size. The only reason I'm inclined to trust him is because I had a similar thing happen when buying Gucci classic bit loafers. I wear an 8.5 in those too - mainly because the last is a full size bigger than normal sizing and I went down another half because I wear those with skinny socks or no socks.

 

[mbrokerny]

Im looking for an Indy Boot with the crepe sole, has anybody seen these? Closest ive found is the Roy boots from edit-Context

 

[Trapp]

Originally Posted by mbrokerny

... Roy boots from Blackbird

...from Context.

I recall seeing an indy boot on ebay with a crepe sole at one point. Or maybe it was a white red-wing style sole. I don't know who they were made for and I didn't look very hard 'cause to be honest they looked terrible. I do like the Roy boot though.

 

[Johdus Fanfoozal]

Alden Indy + crepe sole = epic fail.

 

[Trapp]

Originally Posted by Johdus Fanfoozal

Alden Indy + crepe sole = epic fail.

haha, i had that exact formula in my head as well, including the word epic.

The more I think about an indy with a crepe sole the more I think it would look you were wearing

on both feet.

 

[hooker4186]

Originally Posted by Johdus Fanfoozal

crepe sole = epic fail.

FTFY.

 

[Henryyy]

Anywhere to get the Indy Boots in Vintage? Apparently LeatherSoul isn't placing an order for them anytime soon... that or it will be at least 6 months until the next shipment.

 

[mbrokerny]

Originally Posted by Johdus Fanfoozal

Alden Indy + crepe sole = epic fail.

Why?

I have a friend with the All Weather Walkers and he loves them

 

[Trapp]

Originally Posted by hooker4186

FTFY.

Imo, the crepe sole works really well on a few boots (db's, roy) but they do currently seem to be getting too much play. When they do work, I seek them out, partly because when I combine them with a quality superfeet insole they offer amazing relief for plantar faceitis (a sore arch thing), which I struggle with sometimes from running.

mbrokerny, the all-weather walker is an entirely different animal than the indy. It's more like the roy, but in shoe form.

 

[Johdus Fanfoozal]

Originally Posted by mbrokerny

Why?

I have a friend with the All Weather Walkers and he loves them

A high-quality leather upper welted to a spongy white and often disgustingly dirty sole looks terrible.