ALLEN EDMONDS APPRECIATION THREAD EDITION 2O22

[EZB]

Doctor visit and Whitney

 

[Neo1]

I've compared them before and everyone's fit and style opinions vary wildly, so this is just one Donkey's perspective. I own the brown snuff Freeports and the J Crew Indy in brown CXL.

To me, the Freeport is an underrated boot from AE that gets you about 90% of the way to Alden Indy at about 2/3 the price.

Fit-wise, the Freeport is pretty much exactly the same as an HM (which is a good fit to me). However, the Alden Indy fits my foot shape better than anything else I've come across. I wear AE's 1757 last in 11.5 D and the Trubalance Indy in 11 D. I get slightly better closure with the Indy than with the 1757, even at the 1/2 size down.

Here's what I think the Freeport has going for it, besides the pricing advantage:
• All 4 standard versions are weatherproof
• For as bulky as the lug sole looks, it's actually pretty lightweight and much more durable than expected so you can do "boot stuff" in these boots.
• The Freeport is just a touch higher than the Indy. Overall, I like where the Indy hits, height-wise, but having an extra bit of height on boots that can see some bad weather is always a plus to me.
• 360-degree welt vs. the Indy's 270 (I know, there are plenty of Indy makeups with a full 360, but I'm talking about the standard version).

Here's what I think works against the Freeport
• Lack of color options. To me, the brown snuff suede version is the best look overall, followed by the natty CXL. I'm not really fond of the caper suede look and I really don't like the black CXL look either, so there are are really only 2 versions of the boot I'd consider, outside of a trunk show. I thought the black lug sole on the snuff would make the snuff boot look too "heavy," for lack of a better term, but I think in real life it has the best balanced look out of the 4 options. Alden, with all their different iterations of the Indy has a real leg up here, but that's what happens when you have decades of a head-start.
• Lack of sole choices. If you don't want a lug sole, you're SOL. A lower-profile sole, like a Dainite or v-tread would significantly change the look for the better.
• The tongue tag. I know this is a real sore spot for a lot of people. Just the idea of wearing "branded" footwear doesn't sit well with some. In reality, the branded tongue is never seen, thanks to the laces and pant legs. But, some people can't get over that mental hurdle. I would prefer that it wasn't there (it's an added production cost, an extraneous waste of material, and doesn't add any true branding benefit outside of some beauty shots for promo pieces), but it is, and I'm OK with it in the grand scheme of things.
• Quality of materials. Really, this is in reference to the CXL versions and is strictly anecdotal. I feel like AE's CXL is a touch thicker than Alden's. I personally don't think it's a good thing as they feel thicker, but don't break in quite as well as the Alden version. I love the CXL HMs that I have, but there's a night-and-day difference to me between them and the CXL that's used on my Indy boots. Maybe the thicker CXL makes them more durable in the long run, but the thinner Alden CXL has not led to any extra damage.

I don't follow this thread much these days but I must say, this was an A#1 excellent writeup.

So far I've only bought 6 pairs of shoes - this is my slowest year in recent history. I've become somewhat of a boot or loafer guy and have accumulated quite a few boots, including a 3 "workboots" from Alden among them the Indy). I own 6 Higgins Mills (5 plus 1 shell), and zero Freeports.

I am fine with lots of things but I will never get anything with a soft lug sole where I would be forced to either sole change or recraft from the get-go. I don't dislike the Freeport but I don't love it either - I definitely don't love it enough to do anything custom. I was disappointed AE only offered a handful of Chapman's with the itshide, and even with those the no speed hooks kills it (the Rainier drives me crazy). I don't hate any of the current offerings but each has something that turned me off.

I thought about the idea of a knock-off or imitation a while back. At least to me the differences in the fit are enough to make me feel like they are different enough rather than one being an imitation of another.

When I wear an AE workboot, i get a soft, cushy comfortable fit with either the danite or itshide. The Alden has more of an orthotic feel to it and provides more support for me overall. Finally if I want something that feels like inflexible indestructible iron, where I'm going to be on my feet for hours, I'll go with Grant Stone. Bur u definitely like all of them.

 

[JFWR]

Wtf.
Come on.
Everything is imitation.

Mr Perfect----
Do you own a pair of Indy boots or Freeport boots??






Edit: Thank you @audog
or we can get an opinion from the man that only wears MacNeil shoes...

Bro, it isn't just that "everything is an imitation". AE literally decided to make a knockoff of a very famous, notable type of boot.

I am not saying the Freeport sucks. I'm saying it's an imitation. Sometimes you want the real thing. It isn't even BAD as a knockoff, though the branding is ewww and below the prestige of AE. I don't like advertising the company I wear like that.

 

[JFWR]

I love watermelon shell (when it's not all black), but this comment gave me a good grin today.

Would be really cool if AE ever offers reverse black shell like they did for one pair only.

The reverse black was an interesting idea. I don't know if there is really any advantage to having a "suede cordovan" like that, because I don't know what properties the reverse side of cordovan even has. It's interesting, though, and one of a kind, but I also don't know what I could use a pale teal for anyway.

The marbled black is interesting when it has nice green colours, but I am not a fan of the whole yellow/orange mixed in with the green. It comes off at that point like something just went wrong with the shelll, which incidentally, is what I think is the case.

 

[JFWR]

You've clearly not seen the marbled burgundy, navy, or chili.

I haven't seen them in person, no. I mean, the burgundy looks better because you don't get these weird colours in there.

I like the whole museum calf like stylings of some of the marbled shell, but it is one of those things that is either brilliant or sucks ass. I don't like throwing the dice on a pair of 700 dollar shoes, especially as there is no givesiesbacksies.

 

[Garrister]

Bro, it isn't just that "everything is an imitation". AE literally decided to make a knockoff of a very famous, notable type of boot.

I am not saying the Freeport sucks. I'm saying it's an imitation. Sometimes you want the real thing. It isn't even BAD as a knockoff, though the branding is ewww and below the prestige of AE. I don't like advertising the company I wear like that.

It's derivative, like most great art, not an imitation. It has an AE tag and a taller shaft and a different last, and a different out sole. This makes it a different boot in its entirety. You may refer to it as an homage perhaps, but it is certainly not an imitation. The Freeport is an a lot more like the Higgins Mill than it is the Indy except for the skin-stitich moc toe, which Alden has no particular claim to as its own creation.

 

[JFWR]

It's derivative, like most great art, not an imitation. It has an AE tag and a taller shaft and a different last, and a different out sole. This makes it a different boot in its entirety. You may refer to it as an homage perhaps, but it is certainly not an imitation. The Freeport is an a lot more like the Higgins Mill than it is the Indy except for the skin-stitich moc toe, which Alden has no particular claim to as its own creation.

Fair enough. There are differences. I just don't see it as a particularly wonderful boot, though it's better than the other boot that AE produced.

I myself prefer the Dalton, Hamilton, Sullivan, Dundee, Landon, Higgins Mill, Normandy, Caen, 1st Ave, etc. AE has lots of good boots. The Freeport just seems like unless I could get it super on the cheap, it wouldn't be worth getting over the Indy, which is the real McCoy.

 

[audog]

I've compared them before and everyone's fit and style opinions vary wildly, so this is just one Donkey's perspective. I own the brown snuff Freeports and the J Crew Indy in brown CXL.

To me, the Freeport is an underrated boot from AE that gets you about 90% of the way to Alden Indy at about 2/3 the price.

Fit-wise, the Freeport is pretty much exactly the same as an HM (which is a good fit to me). However, the Alden Indy fits my foot shape better than anything else I've come across. I wear AE's 1757 last in 11.5 D and the Trubalance Indy in 11 D. I get slightly better closure with the Indy than with the 1757, even at the 1/2 size down.

Here's what I think the Freeport has going for it, besides the pricing advantage:
• All 4 standard versions are weatherproof
• For as bulky as the lug sole looks, it's actually pretty lightweight and much more durable than expected so you can do "boot stuff" in these boots.
• The Freeport is just a touch higher than the Indy. Overall, I like where the Indy hits, height-wise, but having an extra bit of height on boots that can see some bad weather is always a plus to me.
• 360-degree welt vs. the Indy's 270 (I know, there are plenty of Indy makeups with a full 360, but I'm talking about the standard version).

Here's what I think works against the Freeport
• Lack of color options. To me, the brown snuff suede version is the best look overall, followed by the natty CXL. I'm not really fond of the caper suede look and I really don't like the black CXL look either, so there are are really only 2 versions of the boot I'd consider, outside of a trunk show. I thought the black lug sole on the snuff would make the snuff boot look too "heavy," for lack of a better term, but I think in real life it has the best balanced look out of the 4 options. Alden, with all their different iterations of the Indy has a real leg up here, but that's what happens when you have decades of a head-start.
• Lack of sole choices. If you don't want a lug sole, you're SOL. A lower-profile sole, like a Dainite or v-tread would significantly change the look for the better.
• The tongue tag. I know this is a real sore spot for a lot of people. Just the idea of wearing "branded" footwear doesn't sit well with some. In reality, the branded tongue is never seen, thanks to the laces and pant legs. But, some people can't get over that mental hurdle. I would prefer that it wasn't there (it's an added production cost, an extraneous waste of material, and doesn't add any true branding benefit outside of some beauty shots for promo pieces), but it is, and I'm OK with it in the grand scheme of things.
• Quality of materials. Really, this is in reference to the CXL versions and is strictly anecdotal. I feel like AE's CXL is a touch thicker than Alden's. I personally don't think it's a good thing as they feel thicker, but don't break in quite as well as the Alden version. I love the CXL HMs that I have, but there's a night-and-day difference to me between them and the CXL that's used on my Indy boots. Maybe the thicker CXL makes them more durable in the long run, but the thinner Alden CXL has not led to any extra damage.

Thank you, exactly the type of response I was hoping for from knowledgeable members here...I think I'll just stick to my Indy boots.

 

[audog]

Fair enough. There are differences. I just don't see it as a particularly wonderful boot, though it's better than the other boot that AE produced.

I myself prefer the Dalton, Hamilton, Sullivan, Dundee, Landon, Higgins Mill, Normandy, Caen, 1st Ave, etc. AE has lots of good boots. The Freeport just seems like unless I could get it super on the cheap, it wouldn't be worth getting over the Indy, which is the real McCoy.

OHHHHH NORMANDY/CAEN....great boots that AE made...

 

[audog]

Fair enough. There are differences. I just don't see it as a particularly wonderful boot, though it's better than the other boot that AE produced.

I myself prefer the Dalton, Hamilton, Sullivan, Dundee, Landon, Higgins Mill, Normandy, Caen, 1st Ave, etc. AE has lots of good boots. The Freeport just seems like unless I could get it super on the cheap, it wouldn't be worth getting over the Indy, which is the real McCoy.

AE does have lots of good boots....

 

[bluejazzmonkey]

Thank you, exactly the type of response I was hoping for from knowledgeable members here...I think I'll just stick to my Indy boots.

Good.
Stick to the inferior boot...
The Indy sucks ass.

 

[MajorDash]

AE does have lots of good boots....

has had*

 

[audog]

Good.
Stick to the inferior boot...
The Indy sucks ass.

I fail to see why you continue exude such negative comments, do you now, or have you ever owned a pair of Alen Indy boots?...Indy boots are the classic American Workboot, AE has a number of wonderful boots, and I own many pair, the Alden Indy is just a classic...

 

[Thrift Couture]

Anyone have both the AE Freeport and a pair of Alden Indy boots, how do they compare/contrast?

I own a few pairs of Alden's Indy. I have never tried the Freeport. Initially I didn't care for the aesthetic of the boot, so I'll never own a pair. I'm sure it's a fine boot, but if I don't like the look the battle is already lost. Same deal with Grant Stone's Brass Boot. I'm sure it is a great boot, just not a fan of the look.
#TeamAlden

 

[EdwardWilson]

Edit: Thank you @audog
or we can get an opinion from the man that only wears MacNeil shoes...

The man who only wear Mac Neils has also owned the following AE models:

Strandmok
Chester
McGregor
Shannon Drive
Boardwalk
Dalton
Normandy
Sullivan
Long Branch
Liverpool

In addition, several pairs of vintage Florsheim Imperials, a rare Florsheim Varsity, and a Cobbler Union John II.

But feel free to ignore my posts if you are not interested in what I contribute. I suppose my taste may be rather specific but I struggle to see why that would offend anyone.