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The Official Alden Thread for 2025 - Share Reviews, Sizing, Advice, and Photos.

barutanseijin

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Hello friends. My trusty Indies are in need of new heels. The neocork soles still have loads of life left. Is there an authorized cobbler in NYC somewhere who can replace genuine Alden TruBalance heels? Or do I need to mail them to the factory and wait half a year? TIA

Moulded Shoes will replace with Alden heels.
 

JTMD

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Wing Wednesday with classic #8...

20250122_094326.jpg


20250122_094421.jpg


20250122_094418.jpg
 

JTMD

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Some killer Ravello’s you have going on lately @JTMD.

Certainly content with the half a dozen rares I've managed to get my hands on. Still up in the air as to whether it's fun having to track them down or more of a pain in the rear. I have all these great European manufacturers near me and I'm hunting Aldens in the US...and at a greater cost at that (with shipping and added taxes). 😛
 

Shawnc

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Certainly content with the half a dozen rares I've managed to get my hands on. Still up in the air as to whether it's fun having to track them down or more of a pain in the rear. I have all these great European manufacturers near me and I'm hunting Aldens in the US...and at a greater cost at that (with shipping and added taxes). 😛

You are a better man than I as I always hated the hunt. I found it maddeningly frustrating. I always believed it was Alden’s way of rewarding vendors, and by extension, high-volume customers, than any issue with shell availability (same Horween colors easily available through other makers, but I digress 😉).

I think 6 is a really good number of’rares’. What’s the mix (shoe v boot / shades)?
 

JTMD

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You are a better man than I as I always hated the hunt. I found it maddeningly frustrating. I always believed it was Alden’s way of rewarding vendors, and by extension, high-volume customers, than any issue with shell availability (same Horween colors easily available through other makers, but I digress 😉).

I think 6 is a really good number of’rares’. What’s the mix (shoe v boot / shades)?

Cigar 2..LHS and V-tips

Ravello 3... Long wings, plain toe boots, mct boots.

Whiskey 1...George Boots.

Would certainly like to add a #4 & #2 in there 😁
 

JTMD

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You are a better man than I as I always hated the hunt. I found it maddeningly frustrating. I always believed it was Alden’s way of rewarding vendors, and by extension, high-volume customers, than any issue with shell availability (same Horween colors easily available through other makers, but I digress 😉).

I think 6 is a really good number of’rares’. What’s the mix (shoe v boot / shades)?

Hard to say what draws me to Alden. Carmina is cheaper and has better selection (though their qc and customer service needs improvement). EG calf is in the same neighborhood and EG has excellent QC and customer service. Of course EG shell prices are a bit eyewatering and limited selection. And then there's everyone else here in Europe such as Vass, Dinkelacker, Reiter, C&J, and on and on. All of which would cause less issues with shopping, shipping, and taxes. But they do sort of miss the "hey, look what I just found" element. I also think Alden with its shell and 'rare" shell subsets draws a bit more social crowd. You look at the threads on these other manufacturers and they're not as active as the Alden thread
 

Shawnc

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Hard to say what draws me to Alden. Carmina is cheaper and has better selection (though their qc and customer service needs improvement). EG calf is in the same neighborhood and EG has excellent QC and customer service. Of course EG shell prices are a bit eyewatering and limited selection. And then there's everyone else here in Europe such as Vass, Dinkelacker, Reiter, C&J, and on and on. All of which would cause less issues with shopping, shipping, and taxes. But they do sort of miss the "hey, look what I just found" element. I also think Alden with its shell and 'rare" shell subsets draws a bit more social crowd. You look at the threads on these other manufacturers and they're not as active as the Alden thread

All very good points. I have owned a few Carmina’s and have not had a single QC issue. They simply don’t have the ‘it’ factor for me that Alden does. Yeah, EG’s shell prices are a bit much. I still get tempted from time to time but ouch! And yes, the Alden thread is (IMO) hands-down the best though I also like the EG thread as well. It’s just not as active.
 
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WineAndShoes

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But they do sort of miss the "hey, look what I just found" element. I also think Alden with its shell and 'rare" shell subsets draws a bit more social crowd.

I think you've hit on the main reason for the "rare shell game" and the special "shop makeups" right there --- The hunt for something rare and different keeps the customer engaged. I'm not saying that a limited supply of rare shell and the promotion of extra sales aimed at "building a relationship" with a retailer are never considerations, but I think it is mostly about generating excitement for the customer. It is a tried-and-true marketing approach that can be seen everywhere from trading card games to collectable wine. I somewhat doubt that Alden implemented this approach intentionally, but they have had time to stumble into it and build on the observation that it works. In any case, I'm having fun playing their game with my only serious concerns being that I am running out of both allocated closet space and practical "use cases" for new Aldens.
 

SailingIvy

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Aldens stomping the ground in Florence!
Does anybody knows if there is a way to get the dark "spots" out of the creases? I think it's accumulated dirt with waxes and stuff so I know how to prevent it but I'd like to know how to get rid of those. I know saddle soaps and such are not recommended with shell... as of now i only used a damp cloth and rennovateur
Other than that the patina is just beautiful!

DSCF4426.jpg


Fit is still not there. You can tell from the picture that I have no space in the heel cup but the heel slippage is still quite insane. I think it has to do with my low instep and the fact that the suede part on the inside of the heel cup is literally smooth due to wear. Will get myself some toungepads and heel grabbers. Even tho the heel slippage is there with every step 10kms a day in Florence were no problem as the Cordovan overall is like buttery smooth. No comparison to my new models. And they should be 20-30 years old
 

Vincent George

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Aldens stomping the ground in Florence!
Does anybody knows if there is a way to get the dark "spots" out of the creases? I think it's accumulated dirt with waxes and stuff so I know how to prevent it but I'd like to know how to get rid of those. I know saddle soaps and such are not recommended with shell... as of now i only used a damp cloth and rennovateur
Other than that the patina is just beautiful!

View attachment 2319089

Fit is still not there. You can tell from the picture that I have no space in the heel cup but the heel slippage is still quite insane. I think it has to do with my low instep and the fact that the suede part on the inside of the heel cup is literally smooth due to wear. Will get myself some toungepads and heel grabbers. Even tho the heel slippage is there with every step 10kms a day in Florence were no problem as the Cordovan overall is like buttery smooth. No comparison to my new models. And they should be 20-30 years old
You look like the CAT'S ASS, bro. Killing it in Florence!
 

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