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

[mdubs]

I saw them, I think they look nice. Good luck, sorry that the Beautiful Assassins took another victim.

 

[AE_afficionado]

Are any retailers currently stocking cigar or ravello makeups? LWB perhaps? Sorry if I sound naive about this.

Since the Wingtip boots in Barrie are an E width I assume I would need the same in a non-boot

 

[AE_afficionado]

Speaking of widths....I did a preorder for the Epaulet Innsbruck boots but I did so in a regular D width. I have Indy 404 boots (kudu rocks!) in an E, but in certain areas fit a bit wider than necessary. I tried D width 403's at a local b&m and they seemed to be fine with a little tightness in the forefoot area which I thought would break in with some time.

If I ended up making a mistake on the fit; has Epaulet historically offered any flexibility for returns and exchanges? If not, is the secondary market strong enough for these that I could sell them without taking a significant hit?

 

[aldenwear]



^ Is it fair to say this is a total Indy boot copycat?  (it is not made by Alden)

That is not an Alden boot? Amazing that J. Crew would rip off a product made by one of its suppliers.

 

[aldenwear]



We only think that (and would never buy one of those boots) because we're Aldie aficionados.  I actually don't blame J. Crew for piggy-backing off the popularity of the Indy boot.  Pretty savvy of them.

It is sticking the finger in the eye of a supplowr. Either the relationship is frayed or broken and so J.Crew does not care or J. Crew has such bargaining power it thinks Alden cannot afford to care.

 

[Skatenc123]

That is not an Alden boot? Amazing that J. Crew would rip off a product made by one of its suppliers.

yea i also thought it was alden at first look. Im curious if Alden is going to do anything about it. With Jcrew having the long wing and the boot, and also carrying alden.

 

[Alcibiades]

I like J Crew, but they copy a number of brands - Alden, RRL, Barbour, etc.

 

[mistercitizen]

yea i also thought it was alden at first look. Im curious if Alden is going to do anything about it. With Jcrew having the long wing and the boot, and also carrying alden.

Don't forget the Ludlow PTB's too. They're pretty similar to the Alden 990's.

Ben

 

[gaseousclay]



Quote:yea i also thought it was alden at first look. Im curious if Alden is going to do anything about it. With Jcrew having the long wing and the boot, and also carrying alden.

Does Alden hold a patent for this style of boot? Not sure if that's the correct legal term. Also, Frye makes the Walter boot which is also an Indy knockoff. This leads me to believe that anyone can produce this style of boot. I don't think it really matters because Alden fans won't buy the J Crew version either way. J Crew is simply offering a cheaper alternative

 

[sungmineyo]

Just checked jcrew version of indy boots online. Wow thats straight copy and paste but still it doesnt have alden vibe. I guess we are still in good hands. Sometime when I wear alden lwb, ppl ask me if it is from jcrew. But it doesnt bother me at all. Comparing jcrew to alden is sin.

 

[Alcibiades]



Just checked jcrew version of indy boots online. Wow thats straight copy and paste but still it doesnt have alden vibe. I guess we are still in good hands. Sometime when I wear alden lwb, ppl ask me if it is from jcrew. But it doesnt bother me at all since by comparing jcrew lwb to alden is sin.

A lot of people only know Alden from J Crew stores. I've mentioned this before, but I have been approached and asked "Are those J Crew Aldens" before while wearing Alden cordovan chukkas.

 

[Bobbo316]

I think this is one of those things were, as much of a shame as it is, JCrew doesn't care. JCrew is somewhere around a 3 billion dollar company(last I checked), that is praised on the business market for their creativity and innovation in their respective market.

Additionally, I have heard from many retailers that they cannot attempt to sell shoes/boots they cannot get. 2+ years wait on certain styles cannot fit the model of a fast growing ever changing company like JCrew. I'm not saying I agree with this, but in a business world you have to understand why they would attempt to hijack a style. Every industry in every spectrum of the world does this very same thing. Where can you go now adays that is a chain style store that doesnt sell some sort of hijacked product?

 

[tifosi]

I highly doubt that any company owns a shoe style. LWB, PTB, Monks are just styles. Sure the Indy has the stiched apron, but so do a lot of shoes.

You definitely can't say that JC's Ludlow LWB and PTB are copies of Alden. It's just a style.

 

[Papa Doble]



^ Is it fair to say this is a total Indy boot copycat? (it is not made by Alden)

The AE Mojave is pretty much a copy of Alden's chukka. They don't offer it in shell, but someone listed a shell MTO Mojave on eBay:

Compare to Alden's 1339:

AE's Patriot penny loafer seems to be their best replica of the LHS. Of course Alden doesn't own the rights to basic designs like these, and the Patriot doesn't resemble the LHS perfectly. But the Mojave is obviously a copy IMO.

 

[tifosi]

^ And what chukka is Alden's a copy of?