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

[ProfilaBinding]

Easy call for me @Hisheirness23. I love Grant and have admired that particular make for a couple of years. Grant looks so good with a flat welt. Actually I think the split boots look great with a flat welt. Leffot used to do theirs with a flat welt and I was fortunate enough to score a pair. Unfortunately it was before I nailed down my Alden sizing so I had to move them.

Still really wild that they made that mistake. Hopefully you get it corrected as they really are a very nice make. Grant is definitely my favorite Alden boot last. Good luck.

Can a reverse welt be redone as a flat welt? Allen Edmonds always has told me that once you use a reverse welt, it cannot go back to being a flat welt. Is this true? Anyone know?

 

[Shawnc]

I am far from an SME on this but in addition to the obvious challenges which would exist no matter what direction you went, when going from storm to flat on older footwear is the natural fading that occurs with shell. Once you remove the storm welt, the part of shoe that is now exposed will likely be slightly different than the rest of the shoe. I can’t imagine this would be an issue with new footwear.

 

[Markintosh]

I know it's slightly off-topic, but wanted to share something I experienced with soft calf-leather loafers and drivers. The issue is that often, because they have pads/pegs on the sole, or the shoe is slightly too long, there is no support under the end of the shoe, this can cause the outside tip of the shoe to wear out prematurely. I found this out the hard way as several pairs got damaged. My local cobbler told me they can stop this from happening if you put an extra pad on while it's new. It costs me $50 to do this on new pairs and they don't wear out outside the toe area. If you don't catch it, and have the damage that you can see in the picture below, cobblers can put an additional piece of leather around the toe, and a new pad underneath, and this fixes as well, but is more expensive. In the first picture below on the left you can see how the outside of the toe wore out, the cobbler fixed it with a new piece of leather that matches, that wraps around the toe (middle pic) and then puts a bigger pad on the sole to stop it from happening again (right pic)...if you bring in a new pair, then a new pad is put on (very bottom pic), you can see a pair of white drivers with pegs on the sole, I had the big pad put on and the toe area does not wear out (yes, I wear white drivers sometimes - don't judge me - LOL)...so this is a great way to save these shoes because the pads virtually never wear out...so if you have a pair of unlined loafers that are slightly too long for you, it's possible you'll get wear on the outside the toe area...this is the fix...

 

[sazon]

I agree with others. No way I’d want a rebuilt boot. New pair or nothing.

I bought a pair of Boots last year that had the wrong heels on them! How that happens, who knows. Alden offered to re-do the boots with the right heels and I said no thanks.

 

[sazon]

Here’s a pair of boots I never knew I wanted but after wearing once, I now know I definitely needed. 379x with wedge soles are supremely comfy!

 

[acconrad]

I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm already considering selling my Indys.

I must be an old man but it is a gigantic PITA to take them on and off. So many shoe lace loops and I can never get them loose enough to get my shoes off. It makes me want to just get chelsea boots. Just as respected/stylish as a shoe but SO much easier to get on and off. They're like the loafer version of boots. I can't deal with it.

 

[Hisheirness23]

Can a reverse welt be redone as a flat welt? Allen Edmonds always has told me that once you use a reverse welt, it cannot go back to being a flat welt. Is this true? Anyone know?

I'm not sure, but this would be interesting to hear what Alden comes back with.

 

[Norwester]

I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm already considering selling my Indys.

I must be an old man but it is a gigantic PITA to take them on and off. So many shoe lace loops and I can never get them loose enough to get my shoes off. It makes me want to just get chelsea boots. Just as respected/stylish as a shoe but SO much easier to get on and off. They're like the loafer version of boots. I can't deal with it.

When I leave the house for a walk with my lady-friend, she jams her feet into an always-tied pair of sneakers and is out the door in 5 seconds. Meanwhile I'll be taking 5 minutes to get on my boots. Loosen the laces to get my feet in, tighten them back up, hook the speed hooks, start all over again because the lace ends are different lengths... I just got my first pair of chelsea boots (Chelsea VIII's from C&J) and I definitely see the appeal. They're not something I'd want to walk long distance in, but for a quick step out they're the cat's meow.

 

[Shawnc]

I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm already considering selling my Indys.

I must be an old man but it is a gigantic PITA to take them on and off. So many shoe lace loops and I can never get them loose enough to get my shoes off. It makes me want to just get chelsea boots. Just as respected/stylish as a shoe but SO much easier to get on and off. They're like the loafer version of boots. I can't deal with it.

Do you own other boots? I can’t see how this is an Indy issue as opposed to a boot issue. Nine eyes/hooks seem to be pretty standard for boots.

It does take me a little longer but certainly doesn’t add so much time to rise to the level of being a PITA. Maybe I’ve just gotten used to the extra 30-45 seconds.

 

[JTMD]

Do you own other boots? I can’t see how this is an Indy issue as opposed to a boot issue. Nine eyes/hooks seem to be pretty standard for boots.

It does take me a little longer but certainly doesn’t add so much time to rise to the level of being a PITA. Maybe I’ve just gotten used to the extra 30-45 seconds.

I have to say that I find boots without speed hooks a bit of a pain **********..not to the point of ditching them.. but I pretty much have to be sat to get them on and laced. I'm a pretty tall guy. Less time needed with acrobatics the better.

 

[Shawnc]

I have to say that I find boots without speed hooks a bit of a pain **********..not to the point of ditching them.. but I pretty much have to be sat to get them on and laced. I'm a pretty tall guy. Less time needed with acrobatics the better.

Good point. I long ago stopped buying boots with all eyes. They are a pain……..

 

[zippyh]

I find that flat laces with all eyes are the worst. This may not apply if you don’t feel the need to make sure they’re not twisted.

 

[tuna roll]

I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm already considering selling my Indys.

I must be an old man but it is a gigantic PITA to take them on and off. So many shoe lace loops and I can never get them loose enough to get my shoes off. It makes me want to just get chelsea boots. Just as respected/stylish as a shoe but SO much easier to get on and off. They're like the loafer version of boots. I can't deal with it.

I feel you. I'm super lazy to tie my footwear, to the point I've pretty much given up on boots. Feels silly, I know.

Also, I live in warm weather most of the year, so my only pair right now are 2-eyelet Chukka's.

I had a pair of Indy's but I only wore them when travelling to snowy places. Ended up gifting them to by brother.

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Yeah, my navy boots from Pelle Line are a pain the butt to take off and put on. Does not really bother me that much at work, but if I'm at an airport or something like that, it gives me second thoughts. I know cobblers can add speedhooks, so I might do that eventually.

 

[JTMD]

Yeah, my navy boots from Pelle Line are a pain the butt to take off and put on. Does not really bother me that much at work, but if I'm at an airport or something like that, it gives me second thoughts. I know cobblers can add speedhooks, so I might do that eventually.

I recently bought a pair of Ravello Shell ptb boots..no speed hooks..when I brought the idea up to my cobbler he was against the idea stating it might weaken the areas for no reason beyond 30 seconds of laziness...my cobbler is a bit of an opinionated prima dona "artisan" though...with prices to match. 😅