THE OFFICIAL ALDEN THREAD FOR 2020 - SHARE REVIEWS, SIZING, ADVICE, AND PHOTOS.

[Vocans]

Unlined natty CXL LHS today. Such a great Summer shoe

 

[jischwar]

Unlined natty CXL LHS today. Such a great Summer shoe

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May just be the angle, but is your instep a bit high? If so, how'd you size these?

 

[Vocans]

May just be the angle, but is your instep a bit high? If so, how'd you size these?

A bit high may be an understatement

I ended up going with my Barrie size

 

[jischwar]

A bit high may be an understatement

I ended up going with my Barrie size

Haha, didn't want to offend! How tough was the break in on them? They are on my short list of casual loafers.

 

[TheLawBeard]

A bit high may be an understatement

I ended up going with my Barrie size

I feel your pain. So many brands/lasts are not friendly to the high instep.

 

[audog]

Listed a pair of Terra Nova's on the Alden B/S/T thread earlier today.

 

[X_dSF]

May just be the angle, but is your instep a bit high? If so, how'd you size these?

A beaten up navy pair here. I am also a victim of high instep so I initially chose barrie size on any of my van loafers.
This pair ended up with some heel slip right now. One reason might be I also got a slim heel and the wide heel on van last cant hold them well. Another thing is due to the unlined design, they are easily stretched comparing to those lined loafers.

 

[Vocans]

Another option if you have a high instep may be one of the Grant lasted loafers that Madison and a couple of other shops occassionally run. They should have a fair bit more instep room than Van. I've been meaning to try one

 

[audog]

Ealdwine Phoenix, watching the thunderstorms head toward the house, news guy said ping pong sized hail was a component of these bad boys

 

[Vincent George]

True or false: I spoke with Yenni today from Brick + Mortar and preordered Fourth Avenue Boots...

 

[chipshot]

115 here today.. Unlined no brainer.. but hey it's a dry heat
Was looking for my most comfortable .. these leaped out..

 

[James1051]

True or false: I spoke with Yenni today from Brick + Mortar and preordered Fourth Avenue Boots...
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True. And I'm tempted to jump in not that preorder. Is that on Barrie or Grant?

 

[patrick_b]

Anyone rethinking their shoe collection and wardrobe in general given a shift to more work from home? We will be going back to the office in September, and there is long-term talk of more work from home (being in the office a few days a week). In that scenario, two or three good dress shoes (black, color 8, loafer) may be all I need. Throw in some boots and bluchers for work from home days and weekends, and you have to consider if dress shoe collections need to be as large as they used to be...

I'm in the same situation. I don't see myself getting out of the house much for work until fall/winter. That's when I tend to wear more commando soles rather than leather soles. I have some beauties that have only seen few wears a year in non COVID times (looking at you Ravello WTB on leather).

 

[Vincent George]

True. And I'm tempted to jump in not that preorder. Is that on Barrie or Grant?

Barrie. I wear a 10eee in Indy on trubalance so I went with the same size. I’m very excited to get in on a makeup in eee. I’ve been causally planning something in Color 8 in some boot, but today’s phone call must have put me in a trance—when I came to, I had a receipt emailed to me noting that I made a deposit. February 2021 planned delivery! (Birthday is in Feb., so that will be cool.)
Hope you join me...

 

[jm4i]

Anyone know of a shop with a Grant Color #8 Shell Perforated Cap Toe Boot on commando with quarter stitch and no pinking? Closest I've found is Alden of Carmel's, but it has pinking. I'll pick up Carmel's anyways if he does another run and can squeeze in E widths because the over-sized pinking is interesting, but I was just curious if there was another.

Also, any shops doing loden suede boots neither in a split-toe nor wingtip? Ealdwine's Glenwood Boot is perfect, but I'm waiting for the opening of the next run.

While I'm at it, what's the minimum requirements for an Indy boot to be called an Indy, and for a Jumper to be called a Jumper? I'm leaning towards Indys having the quarter stitch and u-tip, and Jumpers have the quarter stitch and perforated cap toe? I swear I've seen examples of an Indy being called an Indy without the quarter stitch though, and the same with Jumpers. So maybe the naming is just flexible and there's no consensus on the minimums all must share, but rather only an agreement on the details they can't have?