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

[barutanseijin]

Whiskey wingtips for the weekend:

 

[Shawnc]

@serbarristan - I get mine from USPS. They’re free and fit shoe boxes perfectly. For boots, I generally try to keep the ones they come in knowing that I will at some point be selling. The only downside with the USPS is that you have to order them online. They are completely free. Come in a back of 12 (I think) and no shipping charge.

 

[Norwester]

Question for the power sellers. Where do you get your shipping boxes that the shoeboxes fit neatly into? Never used to be a problem when I had orders coming in but have been idle for a bit. Thanks.

For loafers and lace up shoes the Priority Mail Shoe Boxes that you can order online for free from USPS work great, as long as you plan to ship them that way. (This applies to Alden; C&J boxes are typically too large, even for dress shoes.) Not sure about boots; I reused old boxes when I had to ship boots in for repair.

 

[Markintosh]

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Day of the Dead Loafer Shopping—Alden LHS 986 and Allen Edmonds Randolph

I’m a big fan of the Allen Edmonds Randolph, and I’ve always wanted to try the Alden 986. I wear a 10EEE in most shoes, brands, and lasts and often just make necessary adjustments with various sock thicknesses. Wanting really just to check out the overall length of the 986 to see how the Alden Van last compares to the Allen Edmonds 79, I popped into

LaRossa Shoe / Louie of Weymouth, MA. I ended up having a lovely visit with the owner, Bill LaRossa, who I have not actually seen in person since pre-Covid. We talked about the shoe industry in general, our shared sadness of once great brands who have seemed to outsource much, and some general catch-up.

LaRossa had a 986 in a 10 D in stock (I knew this before driving over because I had checked the website). Well, here’s the darndest thing. For whatever reason, this particular pair actually felt perfectly fine in a D width. Some of my photos show side-by-side comparisons of the Alden 986 and the Allen Edmonds Randolph—D width vs. EEE. I recognize that the welt on the Alden is a little more pronounced than on the AE, but, even volumetrically, they feel somewhat in line.

I haven’t been able to find much guidance out there that specifically compares any of the LHS models to the Allen Edmonds Randolph. There are some old posts here and there making comparison to the AE Patriot, though (in particular, some old “Ask Andy” posts). Hope this helps anyone out there looking to own both of these lovely loafers models…

To note: I also tried on a Barrie lasted shoe (the 976) in a D width while I was there, and the magical fitment did not re-occur (so that helped me to confirm that I was not oddly wrong in building my giant collection of EEE shoes and boots). Maybe this was a fluke.

For those of you who are local to Weymouth (or for any of you who’ve made the journey), you’ll know that Bill has a beautiful retail space. They also do great work with re-crafting and resoling (a woman also came in while I was in the store looking to have her Louis Vuitton bag repaired, which, apparently, LaRossa does often, too). Definitely worth a trip if you’re semi local; if not, check out the website.

I have a pair of AE Randolph Bit loafers in 11 EEE, they’re a tiny bit snug. I also have a 981 LHS 11 E - and they fit perfect. My experience has been that the Alden EEE is a little wider versus AE. Barrie 10.5 EEE is best fit I’ve ever had. I think some of this depends on instep. I have a high instep - thanks for posting the pictures.

 

[Markintosh]

Hi All,

Been a fan of Alden for some time, and the suede LHS I bought from TSM a few years ago have been hands down the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever owned.

When it came down to resole them, I sent them out to Alden right after Labor Day for refurbishing. I just received them, and wanted to share my experience, and also flag a few questions.

Needless to say, I was excited to get my favorite shoes back. When I opened the package, however, I was struck by a few things.

First, I’m not sure the suede was given much attention. Annoyingly, I noticed a few spots of what looked like glue that I had to gently pull off (note the white dot on the bottom shoe below).

View attachment 2274625

On the top uppers, the suede feels rather flat; not sure if due to overzealous brushing at the factory or something else. Certainly it had more nap when I sent them in.

View attachment 2274633

The soles overall seem fine, but I noticed an odd gap in the heelwork on one of the shoes. Not sure if this would be purely cosmetic or have functional implications down the line:

View attachment 2274635

What I’m most perplexed with, however, is the white chips that fell out of the shoes.

View attachment 2274637

I tried to take some shots of the interior toe box, from where these chips were falling. The chipping is worse on the left than the right, and there is a weird peel in the fabric on the left that I can feel. Any idea what this is all about? Will it settle? Is the white stuff glue or something more structural?

Right foot:

View attachment 2274639

Left foot:

View attachment 2274643

Writing this all out, I’m not sure how great a job this is for something billed as a “restoration” rather than just resoling. The toebox stuff in particular is a bit annoying.

Any thoughts/feedback would be appreciated, including any suggestions of how one might fix any of this.

A big part of the appeal of the shoes apart from the comfort was the ability to restore the shoe, but this isn’t the experience I anticipated.

Thanks in advance.

I would complain for sure. This is unacceptable workmanship and perhaps they’ll give you some type of refund. I’ve had some re-crafting done as well and it’s been hit or miss. I decided a few years ago that I wasn’t going to buy shoes with leather outsoles anymore for this reason. The rubber soles now are so durable. They never wear out. They look great and I think they’re just as comfortable (I realize most traditional shoe collectors want leather outsoles - so my opinion is probably an outlier). Alden has an offering in a commando soul that is part rubber. It’s a hybrid. If you look at the Crockett & Jones website - they have a sole guide - and the majority of their options are rubber. They have a "city sole", and their danite sole is fantastic - they also offer two varieties of Vibram - one that is lightweight, one that is heavier. I have a pair of Pembrokes, which is their primary wingtip model, I bought them in 2009 and the sole is still going strong. I won't re-craft my 975s - I have a makeup on order with the commando sole from AOSF, once I have these, I will sell my current pair (both are color 8)...

 

[Mghart]

Color 8 plain toes on a beautiful Sunday morning in Tokyo.

 

[tuna roll]

Color 8 plain toes on a beautiful Sunday morning in Tokyo.

View attachment 2275183

Nice! What’s the last here?

 

[Mghart]

Nice! What’s the last here?

Good old Trubalance. My TB boots are my go to travel boots when I know I’m gonna be walking a lot.

 

[quaranteneuf]

Does anyone have a favorite lace color/brand to match snuff suede? I got a pair of the Ballard Indy Shoe from B+M but hate the fact that the laces are so short... so looking for a replacement.

 

[smmrfld]

Hi All,

Been a fan of Alden for some time, and the suede LHS I bought from TSM a few years ago have been hands down the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever owned.

When it came down to resole them, I sent them out to Alden right after Labor Day for refurbishing. I just received them, and wanted to share my experience, and also flag a few questions.

Needless to say, I was excited to get my favorite shoes back. When I opened the package, however, I was struck by a few things.

First, I’m not sure the suede was given much attention. Annoyingly, I noticed a few spots of what looked like glue that I had to gently pull off (note the white dot on the bottom shoe below).

View attachment 2274625

On the top uppers, the suede feels rather flat; not sure if due to overzealous brushing at the factory or something else. Certainly it had more nap when I sent them in.

View attachment 2274633

The soles overall seem fine, but I noticed an odd gap in the heelwork on one of the shoes. Not sure if this would be purely cosmetic or have functional implications down the line:

View attachment 2274635

What I’m most perplexed with, however, is the white chips that fell out of the shoes.

View attachment 2274637

I tried to take some shots of the interior toe box, from where these chips were falling. The chipping is worse on the left than the right, and there is a weird peel in the fabric on the left that I can feel. Any idea what this is all about? Will it settle? Is the white stuff glue or something more structural?

Right foot:

View attachment 2274639

Left foot:

View attachment 2274643

Writing this all out, I’m not sure how great a job this is for something billed as a “restoration” rather than just resoling. The toebox stuff in particular is a bit annoying.

Any thoughts/feedback would be appreciated, including any suggestions of how one might fix any of this.

A big part of the appeal of the shoes apart from the comfort was the ability to restore the shoe, but this isn’t the experience I anticipated.

Thanks in advance.

That is really awful workmanship, and sadly not unusual for Alden today. I'd make my displeasure very clear to them and insist that they make it right. Simply amazing that they would even let those out the door.

 

[tuna roll]

Good old Trubalance. My TB boots are my go to travel boots when I know I’m gonna be walking a lot.

Agree, they make great travel boots. Very comfortable last.

 

[Vincent George]

I have a pair of AE Randolph Bit loafers in 11 EEE, they’re a tiny bit snug. I also have a 986 LHS 11 E - and they fit perfect. My experience has been that the Alden EEE is a little wider versus AE. Barrie 10.5 EEE is best fit I’ve ever had. I think some of this depends on instep. I have a high instep - thanks for posting the pictures.

I'm wondering if this is a fluke pair...And: definitely re: AE widths--the 65 lasted shoes in eee are still not really "wide..."

How do you like the Randolph Bits? I tried on a pair, and while I appreciated the last shape--I didn't love the Poron layer inside...

 

[Markintosh]

I'm wondering if this is a fluke pair...And: definitely re: AE widths--the 65 lasted shoes in eee are still not really "wide..."

How do you like the Randolph Bits? I tried on a pair, and while I appreciated the last shape--I didn't love the Poron layer inside...

The Poron is nice - but I bought them when they were having their semi-annual 40% off sale. I’m not crazy about the bit - it’s thin - I have quite a few pairs of Ferragamo Paragis - I prefer their bit. But for around $200, they were a great deal...

 

[JTMD]

Sticking with the autumn theme.. had to try out the Cigar shell 😅.

 

[shahtirthak]

More Aldens last week.
Natural CXL Indys

Whiskey Shell Wingtips on 379X

Ravello Shell Indys