The Official Alden Thread for 2019 - Share Reviews, Sizing, Advice, and Photos.

[Shawnc]

Beauties, Mike.

I need to get sized for Plaza...

Agreed on both counts IC.

 

[mdubs]

Beauties, Mike.

I need to get sized for Plaza...

Thanks much bud and agree. It is a beautiful last and is relatively forgiving due to being winder in the heel and throat. It does have narrower toes though.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[GGMac]

Love Alden’s reverse chamois and earth may be my favorite of their color options...

 

[ironclad]

Agreed on both counts IC.

Thanks much bud and agree. It is a beautiful last and is relatively forgiving due to being winder in the heel and throat. It does have narrower toes though.

Cheers,
Mike

Thanks fellas. My only hesitation with Plaza is that I have a fairly wide forefoot/toe. But damn is it a classy last!

 

[Don L]

Hummus six eye

 

[audog]

"Let's meet at that Mexican place we like" she says, so change of footwear, as long as in a Plaza vein........Mexican place has a Plaza del "something" name

 

[zippyh]

Ocho longs. One of the few catalog models I own.

 

[ironclad]

Ocho longs. One of the few catalog models I own.

View attachment 1275755

Every time I work up the nerve to ask Zippyh for his back story and how he amassed one of the greatest stables of unicorns, I expect this response and lose my nerve.

 

[ironclad]

I’m just not able to coolly accept no for an answer, like this guy.

 

[zippyh]

@ironclad since you invoked Inigo Montoya, I'll tell my story. It's actually kind of boring though.
It was really just timing and being lucky.

Early I bought from Leather Soul. This was before Alden really hit the interwebs plus I think it helped that I'm a 10.5 and so much of their clientele at the time was little dudes from Japan. I didn't buy an insane amount of stuff but I was a regular buyer. There weren't a lot of other places to get Aldens. I lucked into Whiskey Indys, 4x4 PTBs, and the Ravello PTBs. Plus living on the west coast we make fairly regular trips to Hawaii and they sometimes have something special held in the back.

TSM was about the only place you could get Aldens online at the time. So I'd regularly check them. The secret, which wasn't much of a secret, was to buy anything in Whiskey, Ravello, or Cigar that showed up the second it appeared even if you didn't think you'd want it. I got whiskey loafers and PTBs, ravello chukkas and NSTs, cigar longwings and indys. One day I was on vacation in Vegas sitting by the pool when the #4 captoe boots showed up online. I borrowed my wife's CC and ordered using my phone via sorta flakey Cosmopolitan wifi. I didn't expect that they'd actually ship.

Epaulet started carrying Aldens and Mike would regularly post new stuff when it arrived. That's how I got whiskey longwings, ravello and cigar Brixtons. Those were all ordered the minute I saw them. I remember being at work and saying "Hey just a minute, I have to take care of something urgent right now" to a coworker.

There are only couple that I remember passing on that I wish I hadn't. For some reason a pair of ravello LHS hung around on TSM for a couple weeks. But I wasn't a fan of loafers then. Also a pair of ravello cap toe boots showed up on Unionmade a couple days before Christmas but I had just bought a couple others pairs of something or other so couldn't justify it.

I actually haven't bought a pair of rare shell Aldens in a few years. I think the most recent were the LS Ravello PTBs.

For rare shell I've turned to Crockett & Jones GMTOs.

 

[Shawnc]

A fascinating read @zippyh . Thanks for sharing.

 

[darkclassic]

@ironclad since you invoked Inigo Montoya, I'll tell my story. It's actually kind of boring though.
It was really just timing and being lucky.

Early I bought from Leather Soul. This was before Alden really hit the interwebs plus I think it helped that I'm a 10.5 and so much of their clientele at the time was little dudes from Japan. I didn't buy an insane amount of stuff but I was a regular buyer. There weren't a lot of other places to get Aldens. I lucked into Whiskey Indys, 4x4 PTBs, and the Ravello PTBs. Plus living on the west coast we make fairly regular trips to Hawaii and they sometimes have something special held in the back.

TSM was about the only place you could get Aldens online at the time. So I'd regularly check them. The secret, which wasn't much of a secret, was to buy anything in Whiskey, Ravello, or Cigar that showed up the second it appeared even if you didn't think you'd want it. I got whiskey loafers and PTBs, ravello chukkas and NSTs, cigar longwings and indys. One day I was on vacation in Vegas sitting by the pool when the #4 captoe boots showed up online. I borrowed my wife's CC and ordered using my phone via sorta flakey Cosmopolitan wifi. I didn't expect that they'd actually ship.

Epaulet started carrying Aldens and Mike would regularly post new stuff when it arrived. That's how I got whiskey longwings, ravello and cigar Brixtons. Those were all ordered the minute I saw them. I remember being at work and saying "Hey just a minute, I have to take care of something urgent right now" to a coworker.

There are only couple that I remember passing on that I wish I hadn't. For some reason a pair of ravello LHS hung around on TSM for a couple weeks. But I wasn't a fan of loafers then. Also a pair of ravello cap toe boots showed up on Unionmade a couple days before Christmas but I had just bought a couple others pairs of something or other so couldn't justify it.

I actually haven't bought a pair of rare shell Aldens in a few years. I think the most recent were the LS Ravello PTBs.

For rare shell I've turned to Crockett & Jones GMTOs.

REALLY appreciate reading this sort of post here. I too have asked someone to stand by in my office while I completed a paypal transaction. Sincere thanks for sharing.

 

[audog]

With no Alden dealer within easy driving distance, it has taken me a while to figure out sizing. Not that anyone cares at all, but DAMN the Plaza last in 8.5 D is like a freakin' leather sock or glove on me. Only took me a few years and a few trial and error's to get it right. Now I want more Plaza boots in 8.5. Part of me wishes I hadn't figured this out

 

[James1051]

With no Alden dealer within easy driving distance, it has taken me a while to figure out sizing. Not that anyone cares at all, but DAMN the Plaza last in 8.5 D is like a freakin' leather sock or glove on me. Only took me a few years and a few trial and error's to get it right. Now I want more Plaza boots in 8.5. Part of me wishes I hadn't figured this out

Thats how I feel about Plaza last boots. Fit like they were mto for my feet! And in my case there was no trial and error. Got lucky, my normal bannock fit great. Love 'm.

I've ordered a Plaza last loafer for next Spring. Yenni says the plaza loafers fit differently and recommended I size down, as with Barrie. She's never steered me wrong, so thats what I ordered.

 

[audog]

Thats how I feel about Plaza last boots. Fit like they were mto for my feet! And in my case there was no trial and error. Got lucky, my normal bannock fit great. Love 'm.

I've ordered a Plaza last loafer for next Spring. Yenni says the plaza loafers fit differently and recommended I size down, as with Barrie. She's never steered me wrong, so thats what I ordered.

It is nice to get it right the first time . Yenni knows her stuff, so I too, would have followed her advice.