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

[stook1]

Oh so Chili is Garnet shell. I always thought they were different too and that formerly Walnut (which is discontinued anyways) and Chili were the AE exclusives, but apparently that is no longer the case.

Oh - interesting. Had not seen that as confirmed. Walnut was also a great color. There was also truffle, which I think was just the darker walnut shells.

 

[Crizzlelovesyou]

Oh - interesting. Had not seen that as confirmed. Walnut was also a great color. There was also truffle, which I think was just the darker walnut shells.

Yeah so I think Chili was sort of discontinued and then when Horween launched https://ashlandleather.com/blogs/inside-ashland/new-horween-shell-cordovan-color-garnet the garnet here they made it available to everyone and replaced the old chili which MIGHT have been exclusive.

 

[stook1]

Yeah so I think Chili was sort of discontinued and then when Horween launched https://ashlandleather.com/blogs/inside-ashland/new-horween-shell-cordovan-color-garnet the garnet here they made it available to everyone and replaced the old chili which MIGHT have been exclusive.

? Wait, I'm confused now. I didn't realize there was a chili that predated the garnet announcement? So you are saying that AE used to have chili pre-'16 then brought garnet back as "chili" a year or so ago whenever the last shell trunk show happened? Or was that 2 years ago.... whenever that was, losing track of time.

 

[audog]

? Wait, I'm confused now. I didn't realize there was a chili that predated the garnet announcement? So you are saying that AE used to have chili pre-'16 then brought garnet back as "chili" a year or so ago whenever the last shell trunk show happened? Or was that 2 years ago.... whenever that was, losing track of time.

It's called COVID TIME LOSS, happened to all of us

 

[stook1]

It's called COVID TIME LOSS, happened to all of us

For sure!

 

[Crizzlelovesyou]

? Wait, I'm confused now. I didn't realize there was a chili that predated the garnet announcement? So you are saying that AE used to have chili pre-'16 then brought garnet back as "chili" a year or so ago whenever the last shell trunk show happened? Or was that 2 years ago.... whenever that was, losing track of time.

No I got Walnut dates confused with Chili, but AE calls Garnet Chili, my bad. And yeah Chili was already 2 years ago. But I'm not convinced any of the past year happened either to be honest.

 

[barutanseijin]

Not to be needlessly pedantic but AEs chili might be exclusive. I may have missed it along the way but I'm not sure there's been anything definitive one way or the other. I think there had been some speculation that it was garnet (they definitely seem similar) although I don't own any garnet to compare against. Regardless, it's a great color.

Agreed on chili being a great color. A pair of MacNeils in chili would be wild — if only they still made MacNeils.

 

[TheLawBeard]

What is your size, if I might ask?

A half size smaller than yours. I'm an 8D in barrie and TB. Technically I'm sized at 8D brannock but I've got semi-wide feed with a high instep.

 

[suuteebird]

Agreed on chili being a great color. A pair of MacNeils in chili would be wild — if only they still made MacNeils.

 

[dangaa]

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear there is an Alden stockist in my neck of the woods so I'm hoping to get some help.

I'm interested in ordering a pair of loafers but my only reference point would be a pair of cordovan Marlow Tassels from Ralph Lauren/Polo (CJ on the 72 last as mine are older). Would I take the same size in the aberdeen ie. 666 and size down for the LHS models on the van last ie. 6243F?

I'm typically a 9US but wear a 8.5US in the Marlow's.

 

[mdubs]

No I got Walnut dates confused with Chili, but AE calls Garnet Chili, my bad. And yeah Chili was already 2 years ago. But I'm not convinced any of the past year happened either to be honest.

That is quite interesting if they changed that because I was lead to believe that Chili was a special color just for AE. But it technically could be similar to their Calfskin version, which I believe started off by burnishing their Walnut Calfskkn. I don’t believe that Chili and Garnet are the same shade. But maybe they are now. I do have a pair of explicitly labeled Garnet Shell Cordovan Strands from AE. They seem to market and separately sell Chili to my knowledge and I recall reading that Chili was an AE exclusive shade. Anywho, maybe that has changed. Cheers!

-Mike

 

[H. E. Pennypacker]

All this chili talk reminds me of poor Kevin

 

[Thrift Couture]

NSTuesday!

 

[FatTuesday]

I dont believe Garnet & Chili are the same color. Chili has brown in it where garnet does not. I read that Garnet was color #4 but it differs significantly from my #4 by Carmina. Garnet may be color #2.

The plain cap-toe balmorals are garnet. The others on the front row are chili. The back row are faded #8.

Here are #4 NST boots by Carmina (center) with walnut shell short-wing boots on left. The rest are natural shell with varying age / wear.

Garnet lacks brown in the mix. It's a pretty unique color.

 

[JSO1]

Garnet is color 2