***The official Alden thread *** Share enthusiasm, reviews, sizing, advice, and photos.

[PeterL]

I have a pair of 975s that had a little blotch on the side but it wasn't enough to bother me, the issue I would have the most trouble with is something right on the vamp in plain view for every step I took.

Ultimately if you aren't satisfied the right decision is to send them back. As someone said earlier for a stock model, it should be relatively easy to have them replaced for a pair that will hopefully have less inconsistency in the finish.

I think for the most part they do a good job at the factory although their has been a lot of discussion on quality control lately, I don't have enough long term personal experience to comment on a true change over time.

Peter L,

I would send those back if you are not happy with them, but I would also suggest that you should continue to look for color 8 as

1) when done best, it is the best cordovan color
2) color 8 and black are the most available, so a higher percentage of makeups will be one of those colors going forward

I've observed or bought recent color 8 from Alden NYC, Leffot and Alden of Carmel and have seen no issues with stains

Thanks for all the advice. Merry Christmas!

 

[ReppTiePrepster]

Gents,
Merry Christmas to my fellow forum members! Thought I'd share a few pics of my shell "family" with the other guys out there who appreciate their shell "families" just as much. Please excuse the sock fuzz on the carpet.


Shell "family"

Hope everybody had a great 2013. Here's to an even better 2014 filled with your favorite Aldens.
Dave

Outstanding Dave! Wear in great health my friend...

 

[coinopcollector]



Those are your only two options given a defective pair of $800 boots?  Store credit or keep them?!
I would personally raise hell over something like this.  

Those are irregulars in my opinion.

 

[Shawnc]

Guys - thanks for the thoughts/suggestions/ideas. Given that the 'multi' button doesn't always work on IOS, I'll summarize my responses and move on.

• 
  The idea that Leffot is not responsible because they're just a conduit between Alden and the customer is a crazy one to me. I paid Leffott, not Alden. They're accountable. You're sending an $800 shoe to a customer. You may want to open the box and take a peek at what's inside.
  
  I just sent a pair of whiskey PTB's to Alden for refinishing and the quoted 16 weeks. I'm sure these wouldn't take so long but it will still take me beyond the winter season. I know is silly but I don't want to wait two years to wear a pair of shoes I paid for. Leffott should offer me a cash refund.
  
  As others have suggested, I could raise hell but my dilemma is that I really like the boots. I'm a huge fan of the color 8/antique welt combination. And while I love wingtips, the NST adds balance to my already wingtip-heavy collection. Additionally this shade is lighter, almost #4 in appearance. I just like the boots.
  
  If every communication with Leffott hadn't been such a chore, I would probably be a lot less frustrated at this point. Easily the worst of the 4 or 5 retailers I've purchased from.
  
  While I still don't know what I'm going to do, what I do know is that these shoes should not be sold as first-quality shoes. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw and up to this point, I've been pretty lucky. Guess it was just my turn.

Again. Thanks to all for the thoughts. Merry Xmas.

 

[shaunw]



Perfect? No

I find that almost every pair has an issue although in general minor, but some of the more recent posts with irregular dye or marks are far outside what I have personally experienced with a fair number of color 8.  I will add the more recent ones I've received have been the best in terms of finish.

You know its interesting, I'm not aware of Alden saying or stating anywhere that they manufacture or produce a perfect shoe yet because people pay $800 they automatically assume they will receive a perfect shoe due to the high price. Some People seem to inspect their Aldens and scrutinize every tiny detail. They are handmade by regular people that occasionally have off days or might not notice a small imperfection.

I personally buy Aldens to wear and enjoy. Scuffs and stains are all part of the fun and character that make them what they are to me. Cheers yall.

 

[Shawnc]



Gents, Merry Christmas to my fellow forum members! Thought I'd share a few pics of my shell "family" with the other guys out there who appreciate their shell "families" just as much. Please excuse the sock fuzz on the carpet.

Spoiler

Color 8 Brixton wing tip from Epaulet

Hope everybody had a great 2013. Here's to an even better 2014 filled with your favorite Aldens. Dave

Man, I love these. Nice family.

 

[Shawnc]



You know its interesting, I'm not aware of Alden saying or stating anywhere that they manufacture or produce a perfect shoe yet because people pay $800 they automatically assume they will receive a perfect shoe due to the high price. Some People seem to inspect their Aldens and scrutinize every tiny detail. They are handmade by regular people that occasionally have off days or might not notice a small imperfection.

I personally buy Aldens to wear and enjoy. Scuffs and stains are all part of the fun and character that make them what they are to me. Cheers yall.

Generally I agree (to an extent). Hand-made will result in some imperfections and they don't usually bother me. But you should inspect the shoes before sending them out. I mean, there has to be some sort of QC. Having said that, your point is valid and gets to the heart of my dilemma. Character enhancer or ugly blotch? Hard to tell.

 

[ironclad]



Dave,

You have a beautiful collection of Alden boots and take terrific care of them. Enjoy them in 2014 and many years to come.

Merry Christmas,
Mike

Outstanding Dave!  Wear in great health my friend...

Man, I love these. Nice family.

Thank you all. You've provided great advice and inspiration on this forum.

I'm hoping to sip on some whiskey in 2014. Cheers!

 

[coinopcollector]

On the issue of QC, bottom line is that it should be better but I think Alden is probably producing at near capacity and their QC is sub par.
Simalarly , last year I got a pair of the BB Peal cap toe cordovan boots made by C&J. When they arrived one boot was a bit lighter than the other and one of the boots welt stitching did not go all the way through the the sole at a spot about 1mm long. I complained to BB and they gave me 50% off the boots which were already on a day after Christmas sale.

 

[johnH123]

What size shoe trees do people use for Barrie lasted Alden's in a 10D? I buy my shoe trees at a nearby store and they are all from Rochester Shoe Tree Co. (that's all I can get locally). Their size charts indicate that a size L tree is good for 10W - 12D, these are what I usually buy as all my footwear is in the 10-10.5D range and as the Barrie last runs large, in my mind a 10D Barrie equals a 'normal' 10D.

I only ask because the fit on a Large tree is snug (it takes a small push to get the heel in, but I believe that to be a result of stiff springs as opposed to a bad fit) and I'm a bit worried about stretching the softer calf in my bluchers.

 

[mdubs]



What size shoe trees do people use for Barrie lasted Alden's in a 10D? I buy my shoe trees at a nearby store and they are all from Rochester Shoe Tree Co. (that's all I can get locally). Their size charts indicate that a size L tree is good for 10W - 12D, these are what I usually buy as all my footwear is in the 10-10.5D range and as the Barrie last runs large, in my mind a 10D Barrie equals a 'normal' 10D.

I only ask because the fit on a Large tree is snug (it takes a small push to get the heel in, but I believe that to be a result of stiff springs as opposed to a bad fit) and I'm a bit worried about stretching the softer calf in my bluchers.

I use Alden's Medium Split-toe trees in my Barrie and Van 10Ds. Large just feels too big. I consulted with 2-3 shops and they all suggested Medium.

-Mike

 

[mtc2000]



Guys - thanks for the thoughts/suggestions/ideas. Given that the 'multi' button doesn't always work on IOS, I'll summarize my responses and move on.

• 
  The idea that Leffot is not responsible because they're just a conduit between Alden and the customer is a crazy one to me. I paid Leffott, not Alden. They're accountable. You're sending an $800 shoe to a customer. You may want to open the box and take a peek at what's inside.
  
  I just sent a pair of whiskey PTB's to Alden for refinishing and the quoted 16 weeks. I'm sure these wouldn't take so long but it will still take me beyond the winter season. I know is silly but I don't want to wait two years to wear a pair of shoes I paid for. Leffott should offer me a cash refund.
  
  As others have suggested, I could raise hell but my dilemma is that I really like the boots. I'm a huge fan of the color 8/antique welt combination. And while I love wingtips, the NST adds balance to my already wingtip-heavy collection. Additionally this shade is lighter, almost #4 in appearance. I just like the boots.
  
  If every communication with Leffott hadn't been such a chore, I would probably be a lot less frustrated at this point. Easily the worst of the 4 or 5 retailers I've purchased from.
  
  While I still don't know what I'm going to do, what I do know is that these shoes should not be sold as first-quality shoes. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw and up to this point, I've been pretty lucky. Guess it was just my turn.

Again. Thanks to all for the thoughts. Merry Xmas.

Yes, considering the retail profit margin is something like 50%, the retailers are absolutely responsible. In reality, our prized $800 boots are worth $400 of "Alden Quality" plus $400 of retail service.

 

[mtc2000]

Deleted double post

 

[Mr Sola]



How does one work it out? What should I get for daily/weekly cleaning and to iron out the kinks on the leather?

A horse hair brush and an occasional leather cleaner and/or conditioner. Read through this thread and their is TONS of info

Exactly this.   I like bick 4 every few months if you're not looking to darken the leather but everybody had thirty favourite.  Don't over do the conditioner though.  House hair brush does wonders on its own

I've read that Horween recommends neatsfoot oil for CXL. Can anyone comment on this?

Generally I agree (to an extent). Hand-made will result in some imperfections and they don't usually bother me. But you should inspect the shoes before sending them out. I mean, there has to be some sort of QC. Having said that, your point is valid and gets to the heart of my dilemma. Character enhancer or ugly blotch? Hard to tell.

Yes, considering the retail profit margin is something like 50%, the retailers are absolutely responsible. In reality, our prized $800 boots are worth $400 of "Alden Quality" plus $400 of retail service.

To me it comes down to this: Both Alden (as the manufacturer) and Leffot (as the retailer) are responsible to keeping their customers happy. Ultimately though, the customer did business with Leffot and it is in their best interest to keep the customer happy. In addition, they have more leverage with Alden than a single customer would. They should take the lead in trying to fix this situation.

As far as the argument that hand made will result in some imperfections, I think we are all aware of that. However, there is a difference between imperfections and flaws. I think that distinction ultimately rests with the customer (especially when the maker has less than optimal QC). If I were the customer, I would decide on what I thought would be a fair price for the shoes, given the flaws. I would then offer Leffot the options of discounting the shoes to a fair price, returning for full refund, or returning to Alden for correction. That's my $.02

 

[johnH123]



I use Alden's Medium Split-toe trees in my Barrie and Van 10Ds. Large just feels too big. I consulted with 2-3 shops and they all suggested Medium.

-Mike

I believe Alden's trees are made by Woodlore, which size differently than Rochester. Just curious really - on one hand the trees I have appear to fill out the shoe correctly but alas my OCD has taken hold in this case.

How far into the shoe should the tree go? I've got about 1.5" or so of space between the heel piece and front piece.