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

[audog]

Those look great with those laces!

Stole the laces from a pair of AE CXL Higgins Mills, which due to Dainite sole, I'm not a huge fan of. Boots are ok, but Hate Dainite.

 

[BAK]

Interesting to hear about the similarities between lux and essex. Just curious how you would treat lux? I don't wanna remove that top coat prematurely and would love for the wear of the boot to handle that. Cleaning and conditioning tips for lux is what I'm asking about. Can't wait to receive my pair from Louie! The photos on your IG make them look even more fantastic than the stock photos!

Well that's a damn good question, to which I don't have an answer at the moment. I would think any neutral lotion-style conditioner (Bick 4, VSC, etc) should be fine but I'll see if I can get a more specific answer for you.

 

[audog]

Well that's a damn good question, to which I don't have an answer at the moment. I would think any neutral lotion-style conditioner (Bick 4, VSC, etc) should be fine but I'll see if I can get a more specific answer for you.

I've used VSC on my arabica lux, seemed to work ok.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Yesterday I did something new and unusual and wore my oiled nubuck PTB's with my Boy Scout uniform. Our Troop had a Court of Honor yesterday, and since I'm the Scoutmaster I wanted to get dressed up, since a Court of Honor is a big occasion. Five of our boys were recognized as Eagle Scouts yesterday, and the ceremony is very meaningful. But it's kind of hard to dress up the Scout uniform. I thought about wearing my Color 8 chukkas, but they seemed a little too dressy, I thought the contrast between shell and the BSA uniform might be a little too great. Then I thought about Indys, and... nah. They seemed a little too business casual. So I gave the oiled nubuck a try and... they were perfect. The greasy dark brown leather and lugged soles paired perfectly with the Boy Scout uniform and dressed up the uniform nicely.

In fact, the PTB's looked so good I am now wondering whether the uniform is more versatile than I'd thought. I may actually give Indys a try during one of the regular Troop meetings, just to see how they look.

 

[DG123]

Yesterday I did something new and unusual and wore my oiled nubuck PTB's with my Boy Scout uniform. Our Troop had a Court of Honor yesterday, and since I'm the Scoutmaster I wanted to get dressed up, since a Court of Honor is a big occasion. Five of our boys were recognized as Eagle Scouts yesterday, and the ceremony is very meaningful. But it's kind of hard to dress up the Scout uniform. I thought about wearing my Color 8 chukkas, but they seemed a little too dressy, I thought the contrast between shell and the BSA uniform might be a little too great. Then I thought about Indys, and... nah. They seemed a little too business casual. So I gave the oiled nubuck a try and... they were perfect. The greasy dark brown leather and lugged soles paired perfectly with the Boy Scout uniform and dressed up the uniform nicely.
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In fact, the PTB's looked so good I am now wondering whether the uniform is more versatile than I'd thought. I may actually give Indys a try during one of the regular Troop meetings, just to see how they look.

Your oiled nubuck PTB (Alden #9431S) is the perfect pairing for a khaki colored Boy Scout uniform.

 

[marinemustang]

Interesting to hear about the similarities between lux and essex. Just curious how you would treat lux? I don't wanna remove that top coat prematurely and would love for the wear of the boot to handle that. Cleaning and conditioning tips for lux is what I'm asking about. Can't wait to receive my pair from Louie! The photos on your IG make them look even more fantastic than the stock photos!

I've been wondering the same. My Lux are getting more wear recently and I know they will get some New England weather exposure in the coming months....

 

[barutanseijin]

Well that doesn't quite line up with several statements you have made about leather and construction. I am not sure who you worked for, nor in what capacity, but we all can benefit from a refresher every now and then even.

We could all do with a self-reflection and self-examination.

Many internet forums privilege consensus. For that reason, their received wisdom sometimes departs from the truth. Only with reflection and questioning will we know when that happens.

 

[Gabru]

Another day , another Indys

 

[Alcibiades]

Simple question for the thread: I have some Ravello cordovan bluchers on Aberdeen on commando sole. I find them hard to wear because whenever I need a rainy or bad weather blucher, I reach for a calfskin EG blucher on a rubber sole because it makes more sense in my mind. I almost sold my Alden bluchers but didn’t because I like them too much:
Should I just wear or aggressively in all weather conditions like any commando soled bluchers? I think I will…

 

[audog]

Simple question for the thread: I have some Ravello cordovan bluchers on Aberdeen on commando sole. I find them hard to wear because whenever I need a rainy or bad weather blucher, I reach for a calfskin EG blucher on a rubber sole because it makes more sense in my mind. I almost sold my Alden blucher but didn’t because I like it too much:
Should I just wear or aggressively in all weather conditions like any commando soled blucher? I think I will

Wear them, commando is great in rainy weather, shell is impervious.

 

[adrs1157]

Simple question for the thread: I have some Ravello cordovan bluchers on Aberdeen on commando sole. I find them hard to wear because whenever I need a rainy or bad weather blucher, I reach for a calfskin EG blucher on a rubber sole because it makes more sense in my mind. I almost sold my Alden bluchers but didn’t because I like them too much:
Should I just wear or aggressively in all weather conditions like any commando soled bluchers? I think I will…

Wear them, commando is great in rainy weather, shell is impervious.

Audog speaks the truth. I've been wearing all my shell in the winter here in Canada for several years now. All of them are still in great shape.

The only issue I have run into is the extra care required on the welt and edges. They need to be refinished more frequently.
But the uppers? No issues. They look great. Don't baby your shell!

 

[James1051]

Tried to wait until Wednesday. Failed

have a great week!

 

[djbanor]

Simple question for the thread: I have some Ravello cordovan bluchers on Aberdeen on commando sole. I find them hard to wear because whenever I need a rainy or bad weather blucher, I reach for a calfskin EG blucher on a rubber sole because it makes more sense in my mind. I almost sold my Alden bluchers but didn’t because I like them too much:
Should I just wear or aggressively in all weather conditions like any commando soled bluchers? I think I will…

You should wear them but do treat them with Alden's leather defender once every few weeks if you're constantly in rainy weather. It helps prevent water-spotting in light downpours.

 

[shahtirthak]

Looking for advice on the Indy boot in terms of width and fit of CXL vs Suede.
My 405 Pumpkins are 13E and very comfortable.
My Natural CXL Indys are 13D and very comfortable as well which I attribute to the "stretchiness / give" of the CXL.
My 401 are 13D as well and I wear them for 12-13 hour days without any problems but I am still not sure whether they are calf or CXL.

Now to the question....if I want to go for a pair of suede Indy boots should I go for 13E as I hear/read on these pages that suede can be a bit more snug than CXL or calf leather.....or can I take a chance with a 13D and hope they fit comfortably?
If that means thin socks to begin until break-in that is ok with me.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Vincent George]

Tried to wait until Wednesday. Failed
View attachment 1691762
have a great week!

Fixed the universe for you. Now it’s wingtip Monday.