The Official Alden Thread for 2024 - Share Reviews, Sizing, Advice, and Photos.

[JTMD]

Turning to lies isn't going to help you. I've posted plenty of boot pics in the past. You're only making yourself look worse.

Hmmm...yet I see only about a dozen posts on the Alden forum in your history...

 

[Keyser_Söze]

Hmmm...yet I see only about a dozen posts on the Alden forum in your history...

Because my interest revolves around more than just one average shoe brand... You're posting like a child.

 

[djbanor]

@JTMD @Keyser_Söze

Gents, disagreements are well and good, but please move this back-and-forth to PMs.

 

[JTMD]

@JTMD @Keyser_Söze

Gents, disagreements are well and good, but please move this back-and-forth to PMs.

Sure...we should accept all trolls that want to comment on a special interest thread with little more than vomiting up 1 liners. That would be much more preferable than calling them out on it and engaging them. Your wish is my command.

 

[djbanor]

Sure...we should accept all trolls that want to comment on a special interest thread with little more than vomiting up 1 liners. That would be much more preferable than calling them out on it and engaging in back-and-forth. Your wish is my command.

(sigh) My friend, just report it and move on. No one but you was engaging the one-liners. And what you ended up doing was less than constructive:



It's hard to tell who the troll is over here.

Anyway, I'm sorry you're having a bad Sunday. Please enjoy some Aldens.

 

[Markintosh]

The way I view this QC issue is that the shoes we discuss and purchase, many of them are handsewn - really when you think about it - individual works of art. Even when they use a machine to sew, the shoe is still held by hand to complete the various parts of the shoemaking process, the shoe is burnished and polished - each one is different slightly. So there is going to be lots of variation. I accept this with no problem. The pair that I had that the issue fit perfectly. I waited 4 months for them because it was a special order for my EEE. It was easy to fix, only $25, so I'm doing it. I don't expect perfection from Alden. I also understand, and I've been told this by Jim at AOSF, that Alden has problems getting skilled labor, my local cobbler, a place called Factotum that does leather repair has the same type of issue and has trouble keeping up. I think the factories in Northampton England don't have this problem - my guess is they pay their workers a little bit more, and then there is national healthcare, so probably a bit cheaper to do business. They also charge more for their shoes: Alden Shell LWB $929 versus C&J Shell Pembrokes $1180 - Lobb and EG much more. At the end of the day, I want to keep Alden around and support them, it's a classic and timeless American company. AE was bought out by private equity several years ago and the shoes and the designs for many of their new offerings are really poor IMHO. Finally, The "gunboat" look Alden has is my favorite part of wearing their shoes. I also feel that when they make rare shell, that loyalty matters, the customers that buy the most should get preference. What company doesn't have a loyalty program? This does not bother me in the least. Monday I will call Jim at AOSF and TSM and discuss my dream shoe, a 975 LWB in Ravello with the commando hybrid sole that AOSF uses quite often. In the meantime, I can rock my color 8 pair - which is starting to look really good as they patina. I took this picture last week - I just LOVE this pair!!!!!!!!!

I'm DOWN with team Alden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JTMD]

(sigh) My friend, just report it and move on. No one but you was engaging the one-liners. And what you ended up doing was less than constructive:

View attachment 2242119

It's hard to tell who the troll is over here.

Anyway, I'm sorry you're having a bad Sunday. Please enjoy some Aldens.

View attachment 2242121
View attachment 2242123

Perhaps I was thinking someone else might weigh in and mention their experience with the brand versus just letting the one liners slide. All the members here and no one but Soze has an opinion on Alden QC?

 

[Markintosh]

(sigh) My friend, just report it and move on. No one but you was engaging the one-liners. And what you ended up doing was less than constructive:

View attachment 2242119

It's hard to tell who the troll is over here.

Anyway, I'm sorry you're having a bad Sunday. Please enjoy some Aldens.

View attachment 2242121
View attachment 2242123

What is the second pair pictured? is that Ravello, or color 2 or color 4?

 

[Alcibiades]

1) For the most part, my experience with Alden quality in terms of stitching, construction, etc has been great. I have had one or two issues, but nothing major. Like I mentioned a few pages ago, a bigger issue in terms of "quality control" for me is the variation, changes and unpredictability in shell color, which makes preordering shoes much more difficult

2) I have also had one or two issues with far more expensive brands (EG, for example). As mentioned in the post above mine, we are dealing with humans who are often hand sewing or otherwise hand constructing goods. If you want machined shoes, there are other options for everyone.

3) The increase in pricing on shoes is making me, and others, more selective in general - not just an Alden phenomenon

 

[JTMD]

1) For the most part, my experience with Alden quality in terms of stitching, construction, etc has been great. I have had one or two issues, but nothing major. Like I mentioned a few pages ago, a bigger issue in terms of "quality control" for me is the variation, changes and unpredictability in shell color, which makes preordering shoes much more difficult

2) I have also had one or two issues with far more expensive brands (EG, for example). As mentioned in the post above mine, we are dealing with humans who are often hand sewing or otherwise hand constructing goods. If you want machined shoes, there are other options for everyone.

3) The increase in pricing on shoes is making me, and others, more selective in general - not just an Alden phenomenon

Very nice...did you mention anything to the stores where you purchased them (or Alden itself)? What was their response if so?

The color issue seems to affect others as well. I ws just reading a complaint elsewhere as to Carmina having wildly varying differences in shell colours under the same name...but as a guess...this probably has more to do with what Horween is putting out versus the individual companies, doesn't it? I doubt Alden and Carmina are ordering it in different shades.

 

[JTMD]

The way I view this QC issue is that the shoes we discuss and purchase, many of them are handsewn - really when you think about it - individual works of art. Even when they use a machine to sew, the shoe is still held by hand to complete the various parts of the shoemaking process, the shoe is burnished and polished - each one is different slightly. So there is going to be lots of variation. I accept this with no problem. The pair that I had that the issue fit perfectly. I waited 4 months for them because it was a special order for my EEE. It was easy to fix, only $25, so I'm doing it. I don't expect perfection from Alden. I also understand, and I've been told this by Jim at AOSF, that Alden has problems getting skilled labor, my local cobbler, a place called Factotum that does leather repair has the same type of issue and has trouble keeping up. I think the factories in Northampton England don't have this problem - my guess is they pay their workers a little bit more, and then there is national healthcare, so probably a bit cheaper to do business. They also charge more for their shoes: Alden Shell LWB $929 versus C&J Shell Pembrokes $1180 - Lobb and EG much more. At the end of the day, I want to keep Alden around and support them, it's a classic and timeless American company. AE was bought out by private equity several years ago and the shoes and the designs for many of their new offerings are really poor IMHO. Finally, The "gunboat" look Alden has is my favorite part of wearing their shoes. I also feel that when they make rare shell, that loyalty matters, the customers that buy the most should get preference. What company doesn't have a loyalty program? This does not bother me in the least. Monday I will call Jim at AOSF and TSM and discuss my dream shoe, a 975 LWB in Ravello with the commando hybrid sole that AOSF uses quite often. In the meantime, I can rock my color 8 pair - which is starting to look really good as they patina. I took this picture last week - I just LOVE this pair!!!!!!!!!

I'm DOWN with team Alden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

View attachment 2242127

I am quite upset with my Monet...there is a little smudge of blue next to one of the water lillies. Monet often suffers greatly from this issue. Shocking that he'd release such shoddy products and that QC didn't catch it.

 

[Alcibiades]

Very nice...did you mention anything to the stores where you purchased them? What was their response if so?

The color issue seems to affect others as well. I ws just reading a complaint elsewhere as to Carmina having wildly varying differences in shell colours under the same name...but as a guess...this probably has more to do with what Horween is putting out versus the individual companies, doesn't it? I doubt Alden and Carmina are ordering it in different shades.

In one situation, the stitching on the welt was uneven or otherwise messy - I think the retailer threw in a discount, but I just ended up wearing the shoes (longwings I think they were) because very few observers would have noticed it. In another situation, Alden included the wrong sole (double leather instead of commando) in a preorder. The retailer offered a $200 discount.

In the case of a "disappointing" or otherwise off color, I have often ended up just selling the shoes BNIB. It used to be easier to do that when rare shell cost $700-800 or so. Now that they are at $1,000 or so, I am usually doing this at a small loss, especially given I wear a wide size. I haven't yet asked for a refund or not taken delivery in this situation, but it is something I may consider in the future (but I am buying less shoes now anyway, so probably won't come to that).

 

[idonotmatch]

(sigh) My friend, just report it and move on. No one but you was engaging the one-liners. And what you ended up doing was less than constructive:

View attachment 2242119

It's hard to tell who the troll is over here.

Anyway, I'm sorry you're having a bad Sunday. Please enjoy some Aldens.

View attachment 2242121
View attachment 2242123

The ignore feature has made my (albeit infrequent) visits to the forum these days, significantly more enjoyable.

 

[Bavo]

Out of my 15 or so Alden purchases, I have not had anything I would define as a major QC issue. In reading forums over the years, I think some people perceive what I would label fairly small defects as major. The issue seems to be amplified with shell models that cost a lot (due to the shell). It seems like most of the issues that are raised are handled appropriately either by the retailer or Alden.

 

[djbanor]

What is the second pair pictured? is that Ravello, or color 2 or color 4?

Color 4 on Grant.