Alden 'Number 8' colour

[Ianiceman]

OK shoe fetishists, I'm thinking of getting a pair of plain unpunched cap toe bluchers in cordovan. Those Aldens look good but the 'number 8' colour looks so dark on my monitor it's almost black.

Are they really that dark in the flesh (skin?)

Does anyone else do a good quality plain cap toe blucher in burgundy cordovan?

 

[bleachboy]

Originally Posted by Ianiceman

Are they really that dark in the flesh (skin?)

No. They are definitely burgundy, and they develop a lovely patina over time during which the color becomes more pronounced.

Here are my very well-worn Alden LHS in #8 shell cordovan:

 

[Ianiceman]

Thanks for the picture and comments.

Either it's my iPhone screen or I'm going colourblind but they look almost black to me.

 

[Manton]

Yeah, I don't know the cause, but they do get lighter over time.

 

[Concordia]

At night it can look very dark, almost black-- depending on the particular batch.

Incidentally, a lot of the color that we associate with #8 is a purple dye or polish that is added by Alden. If you see #8 in the Lattanzi store it is a gorgeous dark brown.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Yeah, Alden applies an extra dye to them that is more purple than the actual color #8. It does lighten up over time, but in actuality when you first put them on and take a couple steps you can see the creases lighten up almost immediately. Brushing and polishing tones it down, but it doesn't take much for them to "patina".

 

[bleachboy]

Originally Posted by Ianiceman

Either it's my iPhone screen or I'm going colourblind but they look almost black to me.

Yeah, look at some pics not on a 3x4" screen.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by bleachboy

No. They are definitely burgundy, and they develop a lovely patina over time during which the color becomes more pronounced.

Here are my very well-worn Alden LHS in #8 shell cordovan:

what are you stepping on

 

[pebblegrain]

Originally Posted by Ianiceman

OK shoe fetishists, I'm thinking of getting a pair of plain unpunched cap toe bluchers in cordovan. Those Aldens look good but the 'number 8' colour looks so dark on my monitor it's almost black.

Are they really that dark in the flesh (skin?)

Does anyone else do a good quality plain cap toe blucher in burgundy cordovan?

Some batches do come out much darker than others

 

[bleachboy]

Originally Posted by edmorel

what are you stepping on

It's a round white shag rug that my Noguchi coffee table sits on.

 

[TRINI]

Originally Posted by edmorel

what are you stepping on

Originally Posted by bleachboy

It's a round white shag rug that my Noguchi coffee table sits on.

OH SNAP!

 

[Salad]

When I got my #8 ptb, I opened the box in a dimly lit room and was angry that they sent me black instead of #8, or so I thought. Under closer inspection, they were actually very dark #8. It's true that they will lighten up and turn into a sort of mottled burgundy with almost some brown coming through.

 

[bleachboy]

The mess is my wife's.

 

[well-kept]

Numer 8 as offered by Alden actually IS much darker that it used to be. Even in bright light, some new ones do look almost black. Sunlight will burn away the additional dye. Underneath, as has been said, they are a quite beautiful brown-burgundy range of colors and tones.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by TRINI

OH SNAP!

I'll be shutting up now, the furniture is actually very nice.