The Official Alden Thread for 2021 - Share Reviews, Sizing, Advice, and Photos.

[Crizzlelovesyou]

So Grant Stone Maduro and C&J Dark Brown are in fact different leathers? I have a pair of Ludwig Reiter in dark brown shell that also looks and fades like the Alden cigar I know.

Yeah anything called cigar or dark brown horween shell is dark cognac, unless from Alden. The maduro from GS is Dark Cognac with a finish applied to it similar to how they change natural shell to honey glazed.

 

[Spaghettimatt]

would you guys keep these LHS seconds? As far as I can tell the “defect” is some uneven nap length on the suede. This is most prominent on the left vs right strap in the picture below:

 

[Don L]

 

[madhat]

would you guys keep these LHS seconds? As far as I can tell the “defect” is some uneven nap length on the suede. This is most prominent on the left vs right strap in the picture below:

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Take a flame, lighter for instance, and run it past the strap. It will singe off and reduce the nap. Obviously don't hold the flame on it so as to scortch, just use it to singe. If it doesn't smooth out enough for you, then you could return or use a wire suede brush on the other strap to even them out.
I have done so myself on some suede, especially after I had to perform some maintenance on it (which included using a wire brush to scuff it up to hide a scratch, which caused excess nap in places that I then singed).

 

[savvysartorial]

My first wool tie and the dimensions are spot on.

Full strap to keep it classy midweek.

 

[audog]

Take a flame, lighter for instance, and run it past the strap. It will singe off and reduce the nap. Obviously don't hold the flame on it so as to scortch, just use it to singe. If it doesn't smooth out enough for you, then you could return or use a wire suede brush on the other strap to even them out.
I have done so myself on some suede, especially after I had to perform some maintenance on it (which included using a wire brush to scuff it up to hide a scratch, which caused excess nap in places that I then singed).

You beat me to it. If I were the OP, I'd keep them if they fit well and wear them as casual wear, if the singe with a flame didn't quite do the trick and make them more "formal".

 

[sterlingindigo]

would you guys keep these LHS seconds? As far as I can tell the “defect” is some uneven nap length on the suede. This is most prominent on the left vs right strap in the picture below:

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I’d be more inclined to use a stiff bristle on the low nap shoe to see if that balances things out. I’ve also used a sweater shaver with varying degrees of success.

 

[audog]

I’d be more inclined to use a stiff bristle on the low nap shoe to see if that balances things out. I’ve also used a sweater shaver with varying degrees of success.

Sweater shaver, Brilliant!

 

[saurabh]

Hello all, Got my first Alden boots and posting some pictures. These are the Alden Plaza Last Indy boots Shell Color 8 made for Gentleman Footwear and I am very impressed by these boots.

 

[Spaghettimatt]

Take a flame, lighter for instance, and run it past the strap. It will singe off and reduce the nap. Obviously don't hold the flame on it so as to scortch, just use it to singe. If it doesn't smooth out enough for you, then you could return or use a wire suede brush on the other strap to even them out.
I have done so myself on some suede, especially after I had to perform some maintenance on it (which included using a wire brush to scuff it up to hide a scratch, which caused excess nap in places that I then singed).

Thanks all. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to take a lighter to my shoes but I’ll try the sweater shaver perhaps. I’m keeping them either way.

 

[frankmartin]

would you guys keep these LHS seconds? As far as I can tell the “defect” is some uneven nap length on the suede. This is most prominent on the left vs right strap in the picture below:

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Maybe it's just the photos, but the color doesn't seem to match between the shoes. The strap definitely looks off on the right one in the picture. I would send those back.

 

[Vocans]

I think he was referring to fattybfat's account of the Alden retailer's "vague self serving statement" about having to spend enough to become a local VIP. I have to agree as someone who was "late" to the Alden game (~2016/2017) that the attitude of "sorry, you have to spend a ton with one retailer just to be allowed to even ask about rare shell" is kind of a turn off for the brand, despite my love of many of the shoes/boots.

Add that to the fact that although I probably own 20+ pairs of Alden, I have never spent a ton at any single retailer as there is such a wide variety of make ups available through many different avenues (again, a positive for Alden).

The Shoe Mart does a good job of allowing peasants like me to be eligible for rare shell. And sometimes you get lucky with a "right place right time" kind of thing. Otherwise, it's more of a "the rich get richer" scenario with Alden rare shell. And I can understand it to some degree (only so much to go around, so give long term/high volume buyers preference), but it's otherwise a silly exercise in exclusivity.

As someone else later to the game on Alden collecting (really didn't take off until 2018 or so), I've had a lot of luck the past couple of years on expanding my exotic stable. My $0.02 is that there aren't really as many high spend VIP only exotic retailers as people sometimes make it out to be (but there certainly are a couple). For shops without fully open lists, it's moreso cultivating a relationship with that retailer than anything else. Yes, one way to build on that relationship is obviously by buying a bunch of stuff from them but I can't even say how many pairs I've acquired just by regularly keeping in touch with retailers or just asking at the right time, and these are mostly shops where I haven't placed a ton of orders.

Even the larger retailers will only get an exotic allocation every few months (and smaller shops may go years in between) and if you don't put some effort into staying in touch with them from time to time, their run is likely going to be filled by the time they remember that random guy who bought one pair from them over a year ago and then never reached out since.

 

[Spaghettimatt]

Maybe it's just the photos, but the color doesn't seem to match between the shoes. The strap definitely looks off on the right one in the picture. I would send those back.

In general, I think it’s just the way the nap is laying on them. But yes the strap with the hairier nap is slightly darker for sure. I expect that could be resolved by pruning the nap

 

[stook1]

Hello all, Got my first Alden boots and posting some pictures. These are the Alden Plaza Last Indy boots Shell Color 8 made for Gentleman Footwear and I am very impressed by these boots.

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Awesome boots!

BUT!! Hold on a sec... I thought we were just discussing recently, probably a few dozen pages back that Alden would not do split reverse welts on plaza? Or have I failed reading comprehension (entirely possible)?

 

[sterlingindigo]

Sweater shaver, Brilliant!

Best to have a new sharp shaver and employ consistently light pressure lest appears a bald spot that doesn’t grow back.