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

[Alcibiades]

Speaking of Alden alternatives... I was all ready to preorder one of those Ruby shell PTBs over on the Epaulet-Carmina preoder site, but I found out I couldn't preorder a wide fitting in the Rain last...

I understand that Carmina and Vass may to one-off MTOs, but at least with Alden retailers will be able to get C/D/E widths in any last for you through their standard preorders.

 

[Ink007]

403s while the new gunboats get a little stretching.

 

[Resistant]

...

Speaking of Alden alternatives... I was all ready to preorder one of those Ruby shell PTBs over on the Epaulet-Carmina preoder site, but I found out I couldn't preorder a wide fitting in the Rain last...

I will commit to a group order for that boot I also read Carmina requires 6 minimum as a group where as my Alden retailer cobbler requires 50

 

[Distorbiant]

Is the Trubalance in "D" width a naturally wide width?


I have 12.5 length, pronated feet and wear a 13E in Allen Edmonds Strands/Park Ave last. Would a 12D Trubalance fit me?

I'm going to guess a 13D would suit you. The AE Strand is on the 5-65 last which I need a 7E on. i've tried a 7.5D on the trubalance before, fit comfortably width wise but just a little long.


Thanks for the advice. I'm kind of gambling on a purchase here because it's such a good deal. Not sure if I should pull the trigger.

I would appreciate any more sizing advice, guys!

 

[herrmj]

I wear:
AE 5 last: 12E
Alden barrie, trubalance 12D

So, another vote for 13d.

Also, my feet are pronated/flat like you. I use tongue pads on everything.

 

[ReppTiePrepster]

403s while the new gunboats get a little stretching.

Any details on the gunboats? Both look really good

 

[Ink007]

Any details on the gunboats? Both look really good

Thanks. They are dark tan calfskin from Alden of NY ([FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]style #97641). Both shoes are 9.5 E; the LWBs are a tad longer than the Trubalance 403s. My right foot is slightly wider tan my left, which is why it has the widening contraption in it right now. I also had to widen the right shoe of my 403s, but they now fit awesome and are extremely comfortable. [/FONT]

 

[NewYorkIslander]

This will be the last remaining Alden shoes I own...all the rest will be up on B&S soon. If anyone is interested, its a Leffot Ravello LWB Barrie 9D, TSM Whiskey NST Barrie 9D, Moulded Shoe #8 Captoe Boot (all eyelets) Modified Last 9D, Moulded Shoe Snuff Suede Cap Toe Modified Last 9D shoot me a PM.

 

[Gcbrown3]

I apologize for opening Pandora's Box in regards to China in regards to their place in the shell shortage. It has snowballed and I didn't mean for it to turn to China bashing.

There are billions of people in China. The ones who are responsible for the outbidding for horse shells don't make up .01% of the population.

Whenever capitalism emerges in a formerly communist country, a new class of uber-wealthy, new money capitalists appear. They don't know how to handle the money and they start going crazy with luxury goods. It happened in the former Soviet Union.

Whoever said, "Class can't be bought or learned" was wrong. Savoir Faire, morals and values cannot be bought, but over time, class can be learned and , sadly bought as well.. Lets not confuse class with the rapid accumulation of the right material goods.

Look at a certain Hip Hop Artist. He went from crack dealer to a rapper who wore Crooks hoodies and Tier Zero Nike gear to an impresario who wears Turnball & Asser Shirts, Anderson & Sheppard Suits and Cleverly shoes.

The Chinese have bought many of the great Chateaux in Burgundy yet 70% of the Grand Cru vintages that appear in China are fake. They made huge investments in Cuba, but 80% of the top tier Cuban cigars found in China are fake.

The new power class within China purchases Italian, German and British Luxury Cars, ship them to Guangzhou where they are taken apart and reproduced part by part. Then they produce carbon fiber Lamborghini's that do 0-60mph in 10 second are don't break 110 mph. They look good though.

http://www.chinahush.com/2012/06/24/shanzhai-lamborghini-99-identical-exterior-sells-for-420k-yuan/

They had 34 Apple Stores within Chins, all being identical and carrying identical products. 26 of these were fake and even the employees didn't know that they didn't work for Apple.

http://mobile.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14503724

http://macdailynews.com/2011/07/20/multiple-fake-apple-stores-in-china-even-fake-out-employees/

A friend of mine did a semester in China and learned about the top counterfeiters in the luxury watch market and wrote an article on how crazy if is.

. He went and spoke with "the guy" and ordered a vintage Rolex that sells for $75,000 at auction. He then bought a brand new Rolex Deep Sea SeabDweller, which sells for $10-$12K. These were not the $60 Canal Street knock-Offs and they weren't the $200 High End Noob Luxury Replicas. These watches were $600-$700 and they all had brand new serial numbers which matched up in the Rolex Database as unique items, He took the watches to 4-5 pawn shops just to see what these "experts" thought. He was made offers from $45,000-$55,000 on the vintage watch and $8500-$10,000 on the Sea Dweller. The final test came when he took it to Rolex headquarters in NY where they cleaned the watches, certified that they were authentic and printed out warranties for the new watch based on their service and it's authenticity. Rolex could not spot the top of the top Chinese Fake. The same thing was done with Tag Heuer, Cartier and Patek. At the end of the day, he did not sell these watches as they were purchases by the periodical for the article and were eventually returned to the original manufacturers whose items had been counterfeited.

While the Chinese might be buying all of the shell, they'll figure out a way to turn calf into undetectable cordovan stamped with Horween's famous logo. They might even start making Alden's which might be nicer than Alden's real shoes.

It's a crazy world and the Chinese are brilliant, resourceful and incredibly productive. They work hard and in the last 5-10 years "Made in China" has evolved and no longer is synonymous with "piece of sh-t." I'vevread that Chinese Denim is sneaking up on Japan. I know that the " All American" made in the USA brand, RRL, makes most of their $500 cotton sweaters and other gear in China.

The Chinese should be applauded for achievements which don't harm humans or infringe on intellectual property. The problem us that most advances in Chinese production and innovation come at a cost usually associated with the firmer or the latter.

i just wanted to remind everybody that the guy snapping the whip at the factories, ordering cases of fake Chateau Margaux, smoking fake pre-Castro Cogars, driving his $60,000 Laambirghini and living in a world of gold leaf which would make the Persian community in Los Angeles seem modest and understated; this guy is not China. He's just the guy that we hear about. From my travels and knowledge, the hard working, friendly, salt of the Earth manual laborer who would give you his last bowl of rice if you were hungry; he is what we should think of when we think Chinese.

While we all laugh and scoff, China has positioned themselves where they now manufacture and produce all of the products which used to put our citizens to work.

Masachussetts used to be the center for US shoes; with Brockton and Fall River being huge centers of shoe production. Foot Joy and Reebok left and now it's just Alden.

As we all see, Alden's quality is going to **** while Carmina, Meermin and the Northhamptonshire British shoe companies along with Viberg and others, are becoming the only shoe companies that we can actually trust with quality. Alden without Cordovan is a mediocre, uninspiring company and that's where we are. The people in the factory don't even realize that those who know think Alden's are a list company. He'll, I've purchased 10 pairs in the last 16 months and have had to return 7-8.

it's sad.

 

[Kwaker]

I'm one of those guys whose Barrie size has not truly equated to his Trubalance size. In my case, I believe that 8D Barrie = 7.5E Trubalance.

Therefore, if anyone is looking for an 8D Trubalance-lasted Indy boot, I will trade the Officer's Indy in my signature for your 8D or 8.5D Barrie-lasted boot (or 7.5E Trubalance boot).

 

[Don L]

This will be the last remaining Alden shoes I own...all the rest will be up on B&S soon. If anyone is interested, its a Leffot Ravello LWB Barrie 9D, TSM Whiskey NST Barrie 9D, Moulded Shoe #8 Captoe Boot (all eyelets) Modified Last 9D, Moulded Shoe Snuff Suede Cap Toe Modified Last 9D shoot me a PM.

Why the Alden sell-off Rob?

 

[El Argentino]



This will be the last remaining Alden shoes I own...all the rest will be up on B&S soon. If anyone is interested, its a Leffot Ravello LWB Barrie 9D, TSM Whiskey NST Barrie 9D, Moulded Shoe #8 Captoe Boot (all eyelets) Modified Last 9D, Moulded Shoe Snuff Suede Cap Toe Modified Last 9D shoot me a PM.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

WHAAAAAAAA? What's up? (Carmina crossover?)

Looking good, nonetheless.

 

[Don L]

. He went and spoke with "the guy" and ordered a vintage Rolex that sells for $75,000 at auction. He then bought a brand new Rolex Deep Sea SeabDweller, which sells for $10-$12K. These were not the $60 Canal Street knock-Offs and they weren't the $200 High End Noob Luxury Replicas. These watches were $600-$700 and they all had brand new serial numbers which matched up in the Rolex Database as unique items, He took the watches to 4-5 pawn shops just to see what these "experts" thought. He was made offers from $45,000-$55,000 on the vintage watch and $8500-$10,000 on the Sea Dweller. The final test came when he took it to Rolex headquarters in NY where they cleaned the watches, certified that they were authentic and printed out warranties for the new watch based on their service and it's authenticity. Rolex could not spot the top of the top Chinese Fake. The same thing was done with Tag Heuer, Cartier and Patek. At the end of the day, he did not sell these watches as they were purchases by the periodical for the article and were eventually returned to the original manufacturers whose items had been counterfeited.

I'm not buying that one bit...

 

[neutrino]

My apologies, but I'm quoting this for awesomeness. I'll be finally rocking these this spring, hell yeah

 

[El Argentino]

I think faking out Rolex themselves is a bit far-fetched, but I'm not going to come out and say "no way."

Chinese knockoffs are getting really good. I'd heard about the Apple Store incidents and all that.

And fake or not, if the quality is genuinely there, for a lesser price, I pause to consider if I'd have problems buying "fake" Aldens. I'm not sure I would. They'd probably be sharper in QC than coming from New England. It's true - China is just now doing manufacturing better than the US. If the USA had continued pushing itself and not got caught up in social revolutions of the 60s and 70s, we'd still be the undisputed superpower.