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

[smfdoc]

Happy Tuesday forum pals. Scotch grain NSTs.

 

[Vocans]

great post, thanks. I don’t have my color 2 (“ruby”) Carmina anymore but they were clearly a different shade from AE’s chili, which as you noted has more of a brown cast. There is some color 2 that skews more towards color 4 (my pair were an example of that) but at least in my limited experience chili seems distinct from color 2 and color 4. Can’t speak to anything sold as “garnet” but garnet does look like color 2 to me in your pic just seeing how it compares to your chili pairs.

Older color 2/rubi/garnet (it's all one in the same) were redder than the current shade, which is now closer to how old color 4 looked, so it's hard to compare shades made a fair bit of time apart (and there's still a ton of variation even in current batches). I also believe AE burnishes their chili shell which can make it more brown but I would say that my color 2 vibergs are very close to my chili strands and my understanding is that chili is indeed color 2 and not a separate horween shade.

 

[James1051]

Yeah the printed shell being a standard option and always available was the one thing that blew my mind! If it takes 3 shells to do a pair of boots, that's only 75$ for the print and I know I'm not alone in this thread in saying that I would totally add Alden printed shell black and color 8 to my collection in a heartbeat!

I recently acquired a wallet from Ashland with printed C8 shell on the outside and printed whiskey shell on the inside. I think printed shell could work for a casual boot. But the embossing does detract some from the Shiny Slab of Shell effect that some prefer. The pattern rather than the leather becomes the visual focus.

These have been on my hit list for a while and finally got a pair. Hot off the press Cigar PCT Boots.

View attachment 1611613

Stellar!

 

[James1051]

Don’t you just love Delivery Day?
Just in from Ealdwine.

 

[lcdx22]

Don’t you just love Delivery Day?
Just in from Ealdwine.
View attachment 1611676

Amazing! My UPS guy is just around the corner with a double dose of Ealdwine on the way

 

[Crizzlelovesyou]

Older color 2/rubi/garnet (it's all one in the same) were redder than the current shade, which is now closer to how old color 4 looked, so it's hard to compare shades made a fair bit of time apart (and there's still a ton of variation even in current batches). I also believe AE burnishes their chili shell which can make it more brown but I would say that my color 2 vibergs are very close to my chili strands and my understanding is that chili is indeed color 2 and not a separate horween shade.

I mean I can't tell the difference really, but at some point when Horween was reconsolidating the dyes to be more eco friendly all that changed apparently.

 

[Don L]

 

[JUAN MANUEL]

How do you say "All of your shoes look the same!" in Spanish in a woman's voice?

My guess is it's a universal response.

Hello,

The translation could be : "pero....todos tus zapatos son iguales". She is sure that I am a lost cause.

Cheers!

 

[serious_ed]

These have been on my hit list for a while and finally got a pair. Hot off the press Cigar PCT Boots.

View attachment 1611613

Wow. These are great! Who's makeup?

 

[lcdx22]

Wow. These are great! Who's makeup?

Yeah turned out well. They're from John Helmer Haberdasher for their 100th anniversary.

 

[FatTuesday]

View attachment 1611720

Wow! As a loafer guy, those win the prize!

Is that aged whiskey shell???

 

[serbarristan]

Humus like soil, not hummus like food. Thanks google.

 

[Don L]

Wow! As a loafer guy, those win the prize!

Is that aged whiskey shell???

It is indeed

 

[sterlingindigo]

Humus like soil, not hummus like food. Thanks google.
View attachment 1611756

It’s all good. I always run interference on the advertising algorithms to keep them guessing.

 

[mdubs]

Tuesday. Alden Whiskey Shell Cordovan Tassel with Handsewn Vamp.

-Mike