Alden Barrie vs Aberdeen

[inkwretch]

What do you guys about the alden barrie vs the aberdeen lasts? I am looking at a pair of shell plain toes in the aberdeen. But it seems like the folks on this forum prefer the barrie. Can somebody explain the difference in the two? Also, what about the fit? It looks like members recommend going a half size smaller in the barrie and that the Aberdeen runs narrower in the toe. Pictures of the two for comparison would be great. If this has been covered I apologize. I searched the threads but couldn't find anything very comprehensive. Thanks!

 

[Tarmac]

aberdeen is pretty normal, maybe slightly elongated. fit true to size imho.

 

[srivats]

http://www.alden-of-carmel.com/index.cfm/fitting.htm

 

[JayJay]

The Barrie fits me well however, I cannot wear the Aberdeen. The Aberdeen feels fine at first and until around mid-day, but by the end of the day I can barely walk. Seriously. Obviously, the shoe fits others very well, but my experience with the last has been filled with misery.

 

[robin]

Pictures are from shoemart.

 

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by JayJay

The Barrie fits me well however, I cannot wear the Aberdeen. The Aberdeen feels fine at first and until around mid-day, but by the end of the day I can barely walk. Seriously. Obviously, the shoe fits others very well, but my experience with the last has been filled with misery.
Are your feet unusually wide or high-arched or what? There must be a reason for this. Or are you wearing the wrong size in the Aberdeen? Generally the Aberdeen is narrow in the toe and the Barrie is rounded and full in the toe. The width at the ankle is more or less the same. But there is another dimension (the vertical one) with these shoes. You can't see this from the top view. The Barrie is not comfortable, straight out of the box, if you have flat feet. It's much better, though, with a heel lift. That's my experience. SF poster jmonroestyle alerted me to both this aspect of the last (how it is built for high arches) and this fix, which also works for him.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Dewey

Are your feet unusually wide or high-arched or what? There must be a reason for this. Or are you wearing the wrong size in the Aberdeen?

Medium width with a high instep and arch.

 

[TheFoo]

The Aberdeen is unwearable to me: it pinches my toes too much in what would otherwise be my correct size. In contrast, the Barrie tends to fit me too loosely and looks blob-like. Plaza is just right.

 

[JayJay]

I don't feel pinching anywhere with the Aberdeen, the fit actually seems to be perfect. It's just that by the end of the day my entire foot aches, badly.

 

[Tarmac]

It's odd because the Hampton is not described in the Carmel website. It's the best Alden last for fitting my feet, I also think it looks the best.

 

[jmonroestyle]

Originally Posted by JayJay

I don't feel pinching anywhere with the Aberdeen, the fit actually seems to be perfect. It's just that by the end of the day my entire foot aches, badly.

It may be that the Aberdeen last is too flat for your feet, and not giving your feet enough support.
I don't own any shoes built on the Aberdeen last, because the toe box is just too narrow for my shaped toes. However, I have heard the Copley last (which many of my Aldens are built on) is very similar to the Aberdeen last, except with a wider toe area. The Copley last is very flat, even flatter than the Plaza. If the Aberdeen last is as flat as the Copley last (as I suspect it is) and you are comfortable in the Barrie which has a higher arch, this would explain your foot pain when wearing the Aberdeen last.

Jess

 

[Loose On The Lead]

Originally Posted by jmonroestyle

However, I have heard the Copley last (which many of my Aldens are built on) is very similar to the Aberdeen last, except with a wider toe area. The Copley last is very flat, even flatter than the Plaza.
I don't believe that's correct. I have a high instep, and the Copley fits me better than any other Alden last (in the store, anyway)...which was what the salesperson predicted, by the way. Also, I was told the Copley closedly resembled the Leydon (except with a wider toe box), not the Aberdeen.

 

[inkwretch]

This is good info. I normally wear width D and was looking at width E in a pair of Aberdeens. I wonder if that would alleviate the toe-squeeze problem. That's one of my biggest complaints in many shoes -- the toes are too tight. I normally wear a 9.5 D, but in a pair of AEs I recently bought 10 D and they feel great.

 

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by Loose On The Lead

I don't believe that's correct. I have a high instep, and the Copley fits me better than any other Alden last (in the store, anyway)...which was what the salesperson predicted, by the way. Also, I was told the Copley closedly resembled the Leydon (except with a wider toe box), not the Aberdeen.
If I've only tried the shoe on in the store, I would be slow to think I knew the shoe fit me well for sure. I don't mean to scold. I'm just saying, it is good to reserve judgment. One thing I've learned the last few years, as I have moved into better footwear, is this: It can take at least a dozen wearings, of four to ten hours each, before I have a clear sense of how a shoe will fit for the next 100 wearings. Tom of Leathersoul posted these general comments about the lasts on the other clothing forum. I've had them bookmarked. He does not make comments about flat feet vs. high-instep feet, but I imagine he might be able to share his experience fitting a wide range of feet (his customers are all over the world, and various regions are known for sharing various foot shapes).

Below are MY personal Alden fitting comments, yours may vary from mine. I've also written my personal size in each. Barrie-Fullest fitting last all the way through. (8 1/2E or 8 1/2EE) Plaza-Just about as long as the Barrie, with a squared toe and tighter in the mid-foot area. (8 1/2EE, but in most cases 9E, some shell cordovan bluchers 9D) Leydon-"Mini Barrie," just about 1/2 size smaller than the Barrie. (9E, 9EE would be great but there is no EE Leydon) Aberdeen-Narrow, tight toe box area. (8 1/2EE or 9E) Copley-Aberdeen with more room in the toe. (8 1/2 EE or 9E) Hampton-Shorter than Barrie, wide toe area, narrow mid-foot area. (8 1/2 EE or 9E) Van-Full fitting due to large boxy toe area. (8 1/2E) Tru-Balance-Similar to Barrie, very neutral shaped last. (8 1/2E or 8 1/2EE)

Here is the source: http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/f...47&postcount=7

 

[Loose On The Lead]

Originally Posted by Dewey

If I've only tried the shoe on in the store, I would be slow to think I knew the shoe fit me well for sure. I don't mean to scold. I'm just saying, it is good to reserve judgment. One thing I've learned the last few years, as I have moved into better footwear, is this: It can take at least a dozen wearings, of four to ten hours each, before I have a clear sense of how a shoe will fit for the next 100 wearings.
That's fair, but if the other lasts clearly didn't fit at all, while this one seemed to...I mean, even if it ultimately would have been uncomfortable, it was still better than the others. (And the salesperson was recommending it as a good last for a high instep.) I do have a pair of chukkas on the Barrie, and that's okay for my instep.