Should my Alden suede Chukka's have this little crack on this seam?

[patrick_b]

I'm a big fan of Alden and I really love these boots. I've owned them since the summer and this little crack is on both shoes in the same spot. It's been there since I took them out of the box. Is this normal for a pair of 1494's? As you can see from the sole shots, they haven't seen all that much wear.



On an unrelated note, I love this little Nikon 35mm f/1.8 on a D90. It's a perfect lightweight companion.

 

[Orgetorix]

Yes, it's normal. It's the welt, which is one long strip that is sewn 360 degrees around the shoe, and that's where the ends of it meet. Edit: you can see the welt being attached at about 5:38 in this AE video:
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[Dewey]

Looks normal to me.

Is that the seam in the welt you are concerned about? It often looks like that. On other makers too. I just got down on the floor and looked at my AS boots and there's the welt seam on them too.

If you are seeing a crack in the leather sole, below the welt seam, not sure if that is a scratch or a crack, or if that is what bothers you, no worries. You will re-craft the shoes before the sole splits in half.

Also there's an Alden thread that might be a better place for little questions like this.

And the more important question is whether or not the eyelets are perfectly aligned when you lace them up.

 

[patrick_b]

Thanks for the clarification guys, much appreciated.

 

[hatguy]

i have the same on my alden chukkas.