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

[tifosi]

^^ I think quality typically goes down when things start "flying off the shelves" so to speak.

 

[balmoralsoccer]

#8 Alt Wien. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas if you celebrate it!

god those are awesome. what does alt wien mean, anyway? old vienna or thereabouts?

 

[tifosi]

^^ Alt Wein means AWESOME!

 

[balmoralsoccer]

^^ Alt Wein means AWESOME!

they're like AE sanfords on super crack...

 

[bkotsko]

^ Old Wine or Old Vintage?

 

[tifosi]

^^ Old awesome?? haha

 

[Bakes11771]

Hey Bakes, how does greater collective bargaining power impact Alden's quality control? I'm not sure if I remember what the original issue was that brought us to union v. non-unionization. I think it was QC. IMO, I don't think unionized workers necessarily make for poorer QC.

This was never meant to be a union vs non-union discussion, as I tried to make clear when I first mentioned that Alden's factory is unionized.

I am not pro nor anti-union. As thebeebs points out, unionization certainly has merits. Ensuring safe conditions for workers, for example. However, I think it is naive to think that unionization does not also have its share of unintended consequences (like just about everything else). For example, in a certain city, the union for the public transportation bus drivers organized a strike to get increased pay. (Their pay was already quite generous.) As a consequence, they got higher pay, but the routes were cut in order to compensate, and maintain the budget. (The money has to come from somewhere, it cannot just 'appear') So this was good for the bus drivers, because they ended up with about the same annual pay by working less hours, but it was not good for those who use the buses to commute, because many routes were eliminated. It caused increased traffic in the area, since more people had to drive their own car, which causes more pollution, and the chain of events continues.

(AGAIN, I AM NOT ANTI-UNION) *And I'm not saying that unions are responsible for global warming either, because I know some idiot out there will probably make that interpretation.

Not everyone has taken the same course of study and has the same experience that I do, so I don't expect everyone to share my perspective. That is fine. I am not trying to persuade anyone to adopt my point of view.

So in short, RTP, What I was alluding to is that since the employees are unionized, they [generally speaking] can get away with more. I'm not suggesting that it is the entire explanation for Alden's QC, but I am suggesting that it is a variable, at least to some degree.

 

[ReppTiePrepster]

Quote:
I've heard that many at the factory wear Aldens and enjoy them. I'd bet they have some pride in what they do.

 

[budapest12]

^ While I'm personally skeptical of the point Bakes makes (or think it may be a small factor in a mix of factors totally impossible to quantify), it is not an unreasonable hypothesis and he's been really clear about trying to stay away from a political debate (cardinal sin here), which I respect and applaud. I think it's safe to let dogs lie here, not that anybody asked me to weigh in...

 

[ReppTiePrepster]

#8 Alt Wien. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas if you celebrate it!

Looking great DonL! Merry Christmas my friend and happy new year...

 

[ReppTiePrepster]

Shawnc, your view of flaws and defects is pretty much my own and how I approach deciding whether to keep a pair of boots/shoes or not. I too have blotches (of dye I guess) on my #8 boots but they're pretty much only noticeable in bright sunlight so I just get on with wearing and enjoying them.

I have purchased from Leffot and have not had any problems. I sincerely hope that they are able to do right for you as they do carry some pretty nice makeups and selfishly, I would hesitate to give them my business in the future if they begin to tarnish their reputation with situations like this.

The splotch on those tankers definitely look egregious. I would request the same options you have mentioned earlier. That is perfectly reasonable. Leffot is usually exceptional with their customer care and service. It's a shame they will not accommodate you.

 

[Joshua Lee]

Quote: It would probably help if Kathy submitted the order with a number she was comfortable with in various sizes, and just did a lottery for each size. At least the boot would get made and some people from the sign-up would walk away happy.

 

[Shawnc]



I preordered the flat welt black longwings from Leffot. They were supposed to arrive in the fall. Alden simply "forgot" to make E widths, so my shoes never came with the rest of the D widths. Did I get pissed off and start exploring other cordovan options? No, I switched my deposit to another preorder at Leffot and looked for black cordovan shoes at other retailers because at the end of the day, when Alden delivers, the product is great. Until enough customers like me leave the brand, issues will persist

Hmmmm, switched your preorder deposit? They wouldn't let me do that. Oh well, that's another story. Somewhat related, I picked up a pair of shell Florsheim LWB's off of EBAY ($125) that were delivered today. My goal was to get a pair of beaters that I could kick around in the Pittsburgh snow. A couple of points that make this relevant. First, I continue to be amazed by the uniqueness of a horses ass. These shoes have got to be at least 10 years old (and likely closer to 20). I was already trying to decide which product I was going to use to clean them up and hope for the best. After wiping them down, I could hear Mac's voice and I just started brushing. After less than 5 minutes, these shoes looked great. There was no need for product. Ultimately I did add a little Reno cordovan cream as I wanted to moisturize the shoe only because I didn't think they had been properly cared for over the last 5-10 years. Boy did this make them glow.

The other issue of relevance is that given the current discussion and issue I have with my Leffot tankers, I have examined these shoes with a fine-tooth comb and I cannot find one single flaw. Not a loose stitch, not a speck of uneven dye, nothing. These good ole made in the USA Florsheims's appear to be perfect in every way. And man, these things are tanks. Could just be luck of the draw but making excuses for what seems to be an increasing amount of quality issues is IMO, giving Alden a free pass. Again, just my opinion.

Here are a few pic's of the Florsheims's. I added spolier alerts due to the shoes not being Alden's.

Spoiler

 

[sevenfoldtieguy]

I preordered the flat welt black longwings from Leffot. They were supposed to arrive in the fall. Alden simply "forgot" to make E widths, so my shoes never came with the rest of the D widths. Did I get pissed off and start exploring other cordovan options? No, I switched my deposit to another preorder at Leffot and looked for black cordovan shoes at other retailers because at the end of the day, when Alden delivers, the product is great. Until enough customers like me leave the brand, issues will persist

Hmmmm, switched your preorder deposit? They wouldn't let me do that. Oh well, that's another story. Somewhat related, I picked up a pair of shell Florsheim LWB's off of EBAY ($125) that were delivered today. My goal was to get a pair of beaters that I could kick around in the Pittsburgh snow. A couple of points that make this relevant. First, I continue to be amazed by the uniqueness of a horses ass. These shoes have got to be at least 10 years old (and likely closer to 20). I was already trying to decide which product I was going to use to clean them up and hope for the best. After wiping them down, I could hear Mac's voice and I just started brushing. After less than 5 minutes, these shoes looked great. There was no need for product. Ultimately I did add a little Reno cordovan cream as I wanted to moisturize the shoe only because I didn't think they had been properly cared for over the last 5-10 years. Boy did this make them glow.

The other issue of relevance is that given the current discussion and issue I have with my Leffot tankers, I have examined these shoes with a fine-tooth comb and I cannot find one single flaw. Not a loose stitch, not a speck of uneven dye, nothing. These good ole made in the USA Florsheims's appear to be perfect in every way. And man, these things are tanks. Could just be luck of the draw but making excuses for what seems to be an increasing amount of quality issues is IMO, giving Alden a free pass. Again, just my opinion.

Here are a few pic's of the Florsheims's. I added spolier alerts due to the shoes not being Alden's.

Spoiler

I would put those as being produced between the mid 1970's and mid 1980's. I have a similar pair. I consider them more dressy
than my 975's - they have a more streamlined look and are not as wide. Truly a great shoe.

 

[mtc2000]

Did you deal directly with Steven, the owner himself?
My experience has been that he is very accommodating.

His staff screwed up a few of my orders over the years, and Steven got things straightened out swiftly every single time.