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

[Buckeye Nation]



I'm in the same minority. I wore a pair of 5-eyelet shoes this past weekend that I hadn't worn in forever and had left the barred laces in place. I was very annoyed as I tightened them.

On a blucher I'm with you - but on a balmoral you can make the front seam perfect bar laced, with little to no effort on a 5 eyelet... IMO

 

[tifosi]



Perhaps then there is something wrong - with bar laces on a bal you can make the two halves touch and get them as tight or tighter than cross laced?

By "or tighter" I mean you can move the two laced portions closer together because the laces are not in the middle taking up space....

For sure mine go tighter bar laces vs crossed

I mean the actual process of pulling them tight. With cross lacing, I grab each side of the cross lacing and pull, moving up the eyelets. I can't do that with bar lacing. It's just more of a pain ********** than the look is worth for me. And on bals, with my instep, bar lacing makes it look worse.

 

[Buckeye Nation]



I mean the actual process of pulling them tight. With cross lacing, I grab each side of the cross lacing and pull, moving up the eyelets. I can't do that with bar lacing. It's just more of a pain ********** than the look is worth for me. And on bals, with my instep, bar lacing makes it look worse.

On a balmoral with your shoe fit are you able to get the left and right side to touch when pulled tight?

 

[tifosi]



On a balmoral with your shoe fit are you able to get the left and right side to touch when pulled tight?

Oh goodness I wish! At least not on any balmoral I own.

 

[Buckeye Nation]

That's a major difference - mine fit like a glove when bar laced, and "zipped" up

I run them similar to this : http://www.styleforum.net/t/322795/...hich-american-great-do-you-prefer-official/90

But I finish coming up through on the 5th eyelet so the knot pull everything nice and tight and drops in the V at the top, all I am pulling tight are the 3rd and 4th holes, it's quite easy really - no effort at all....

EDIT - better pic, scroll down to the post by Morgan, this is exactly how I lace mine

http://www.styleforum.net/t/85589/the-official-alden-thread/34050

 

[PartagasIV]

Snuff suede SW today.

 

[sevenfoldtieguy]



2210's today

Wonderful. If forced to choose, I would take this stock model over nearly every model offered on a limited run basis.

 

[sevenfoldtieguy]

 

Happy whiskey Wednesday! This picture shows in direct sunlight how the LWBs are a little lighter than the SWs.


Yes, Buckeye, I still need to bar lace the balmorals! I'll do that tonight. Also, my bermuda grass isn't quite as green yet as some on here... ; )

Those balmorals just look better to me bar laced - you can get a near perfect "zip" up the shoe if it fits your foot correctly... Looks great


I absolutely love the pair I have

I know I'm in the minority here, but personally I can't bring myself to bar-lace shoes - even bals - that have an odd number of eyelet rows.

What this means, as a practical matter, is that you bar lace very few models.

I bar lace virtually every model - bal or blucher, odd or even**. IMO, it presents an overall cleaner look. Some see it differently and I have no problem with that.

** With odd eyelets, I use a single diagonal pass in the lacing - at the very top - and it's less noticeable due to the bows and shoelace ends. In many models, particularly bals, it is not noticeable at all.

 

[thebeebs]

Wonderful.

If forced to choose, I would take this stock model over nearly every model offered on a limited run basis.

had I not just kicked down a grand for the EG dovers, i'd jump on the 2210s right this minute. my rule is one split toe a month.

 

[bespoken pa]



Wonderful.

If forced to choose, I would take this stock model over nearly every model offered on a limited run basis.

Agreed. It is my next purchase from Alden without a doubt. Very clean and well proportioned.

 

[WTGuthrie]

Just talked to Denim Bar and they will be shipping out their Alden shoes tomorrow if you haven't received yours already. My Indie boots and Dovers should be shipping tomorrow. Super excited!

 

[circleslife]

These are not Aldens but I think they're a good example of how a little VSC and a good brush/buff can really make CXL pop:

Is that Eastland?

 

[ironclad]

Meant to post these two pics a while ago. I took them the day I purchased my ravello chukkas and Color 8 cap toe boots.

I know there are significant differences in shell color depending on type and quality of lighting, etc., as is particularly evident with recent shoe pics and discussions on this forum. I thought I would add to the topic by showing these ravello chukkas compared with the Color 8 boots.

The first pic is inside under incandescent lighting with a window open (please excuse sock fuzz in the background).



The second pic is outside in direct sun.


The chukkas almost look like they made from pumpkin rather than shell cordovan!

 

[halfnhalfnhalf]

Quote: I know I'm in the minority here, but personally I can't bring myself to bar-lace shoes - even bals - that have an odd number of eyelet rows.

What this means, as a practical matter, is that you bar lace very few models.

I bar lace virtually every model - bal or blucher, odd or even**. IMO, it presents an overall cleaner look. Some see it differently and I have no problem with that.

** With odd eyelets, I use a single diagonal pass in the lacing - at the very top - and it's less noticeable due to the bows and shoelace ends. In many models, particularly bals, it is not noticeable at all.

Actually, most of my bals are AE and almost all of them have six rows, so they're all bar-laced.

IIRC I don't bar-lace any of my bluchers, regardless of number of rows.

 

[mdubs]



Whiskey Wednesday ! But I'm on the wagon this week. So ravello nst love

Grant

First day Whisky Wednesday

I just adore the color variation on these:

@MrDV Yes sir, Grant.

Jumping on the boot bandwagon this crisp, sunny day.

Happy whiskey Wednesday! This picture shows in direct sunlight how the LWBs are a little lighter than the SWs. Yes, Buckeye, I still need to bar lace the balmorals! I'll do that tonight. Also, my bermuda grass isn't quite as green yet as some on here... ; )

Heading home today, spring break pic.

2210's today

Snuff suede SW today.

Gentlemen, all the shoes posted today looked awesome! I kind of felt guilty as I wore my C&J boots to Alden DC. Didn't think I was going to make it to the store.