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

[Alcibiades]



My older sister has a lot of fancy shoes.  Like 10's of thousands of $ worth.  She thinks, (and I agree) that Italian shoes are generally not made to last, they are more about fashion/design than quality.  I own a 2 pairs of gucci loafers and a pair of Tod's Driving Moc's.  While they aren't cheaply made, they don't seem as well made as the one pair of C&J's that I have.  I'd say my Alden's too, but their QC makes me stop short.

Yeah, I'm sure some Italian shoes are very well made, but they probably cost more than Gucci/Ferragamos.

I must admit when I was younger I wore a few Ferragamo models (Gucci bit moccasins are still very good and classic IMO for that style) and thought they were the bees knees before moving on to Alden.

I still don't think Alden has high recognition as a fashion brand outside of the blogs and forums, and it's probably best kept that way

 

[Papa Doble]



Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I saw an Alden for BB color 8 bal wingtip with red laces in my office elevator. I was impressed...

I've been approached in my Alden shoes twice by Alden wearers/fans who specifically asked about Alden shoes. One girl had bought her boyfriend a pair of Indys and really liked my cigar captoe boots. One dude asked me if I was wearing "J Crew Aldens" when was in my cigar chukkas. I see some cordovan looking captoes quite a bit, but a lot of those may be Allen Edmonds.

I've also been asked "Why not buy Ferragamos?" by some women when discussing Aldens, so it cuts both ways

I'd be curious to hear how you handle such questions.

 

[handconstructed]

digga- it sounds like you're trying to force the Alden issue. Maybe you'd be better served trying another brand that doesn't require your making comfort sacrifices.

 

[El Argentino]

I was spooning/deerboning my pair of #8 Captoe Boots tonight, pleasantly enough. My 3-year-old came in and sat down next to me, observing me for a few minutes before the inevitable question came;

"What are you doing, daddy?"

Without thinking much, I answered, "I'm rubbing this spoon across daddy's boots."

"Why come?" (translation: why? / how come?)

"To help daddy's boots last a long time."

There was the briefest of silences. Then an exasperated burst of air escaped my daughter's mouth. "Haha, that's silly daddy. You so funny."

She promptly stood up and ran out of the room. I paused there, mid-brush. I realized how silly this would look to a 3-year-old, how silly this would look to anyone.

Here's to you, Alden brethren.

 

[tommyhk]

Anyone know where I can try to get my hands on a pair of Indy Boots in Natural Chromexcel (9D).

Leffot : Pre-Orders are gone
Shoemart : None available in 9D
North River Outfitters : Less than favorable reviews of available stock/service
Unionmade : Swung by the shop and the person I asked said they weren't expecting any in the near future.

Any info on where to snag a pair would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[BeSpiffington]

Ye

My pleasure.

Just so we are on the same page, the 2161 I speak of is on the Aberdeen last.

And perhaps your comment about the Barrie last was independent of our discussion of the 2161 .....

Yes, my comment on the Barrie last was essentially independent from the general discussions of the 2161. Thank you for allowing me to clarify my position.

 

[Alcibiades]



I'd be curious to hear how you handle such questions.

I just say "these are much more durable" or something

 

[FENWAY]

Checking out a new Allen Edmonds store, I got a 'Whoa' from the sales assoc. on my cigar Indys. 'Hey guys, check out these Aldens', to his staff. A bit uncomfortable, even more so when they went back to their script trying to explain shell cordovan to me

 

[musica22]

Anyone know where I can try to get my hands on a pair of Indy Boots in Natural Chromexcel (9D).

Leffot : Pre-Orders are gone
Shoemart : None available in 9D
North River Outfitters : Less than favorable reviews of available stock/service
Unionmade : Swung by the shop and the person I asked said they weren't expecting any in the near future.

Any info on where to snag a pair would be appreciated. Thanks!

http://mouldedshoe.com/modbootindy.html
http://www.fransboonestore.com/store/alden/alden-x-fransboone-chromexcel-workboot

 

[Steel28]

I'm in Toronto, Canada and spot SA in Harry Rosen wearing Indys. I was wearing mine as well and we talk Aldens for a bit. He was very passionate about the brand.

I do see some Aldens in the wild time to time but not many.

 

[blue collar]

.

 

[sungmineyo]

I am also from toronto and sa in harry rosen asked me about alden #8 captoe that i was wearing. He told me he never saw alden codovan in person before and it is far better than ae burgundy cordovan

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

I was spooning/deerboning my pair of #8 Captoe Boots tonight, pleasantly enough. My 3-year-old came in and sat down next to me, observing me for a few minutes before the inevitable question came;

"What are you doing, daddy?"

Without thinking much, I answered, "I'm rubbing this spoon across daddy's boots."

"Why come?" (translation: why? / how come?)

"To help daddy's boots last a long time."

There was the briefest of silences. Then an exasperated burst of air escaped my daughter's mouth. "Haha, that's silly daddy. You so funny."

She promptly stood up and ran out of the room. I paused there, mid-brush. I realized how silly this would look to a 3-year-old, how silly this would look to anyone.

Here's to you, Alden brethren.

The first thing I do when I get home from work is head straight up stairs to change so that I can crawl around on the floor to play with the kids. My oldest daughter is nearly 4, but she comes with me almost every day and watches me meticulously remove my shoes and examine them for scuffs/scratches, inserting shoe trees, and brushing before putting them in the closet. She knows more shoe terminology simply from asking the innocent 3-year-old questions than the average guy out there wearing cheap shoes. It's hilarious to me.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

I also suspect that we all see more Alden's than we may think we do. They may not be the latest shell cordovan offerings that we all know at first glance because we are viewing them day in and day out on this thread. Alden has been around for a long long time, and their consistent offerings are the timeless classic men's shoes that have been around for decades (if not over a century). If a decently dressed man in his mid-fifties walks by you on the sidewalk wearing a black calf cap-toe balmoral Alden with a common looking suit, you aren't going to know if they are Alden's from a glance. You may be able to see the signs of a goodyear-welt or the dove-tail heel as he lifts his foot up while walking, but even that isn't a guarantee that they are Alden's, it just means they are higher quality shoes. The vast majority of men out there wearing Alden's are the ones that know of their quality and durability, and probably got into them because their dads wore them, or their colleagues or friends recommended them. They are going to think you are a wierdo if you gawk at their shoes or ask questions because they take them for granted. Style Forum is a small community in a wide business world out there.

 

[ThArtOfWardrobe]

yea that is what I was leaning towards (B Nelson) as I was going to want some taps installed as I somehow manage to butcher the toes on everything I wear

I wear my toes fairly aggressively too and like the way my shoes look as a result. When they toe portion of the sole begins to tapers off I think it gives the toe a sleeker look. That said, I still use the break-in method so it looks natural instead of appearing as though it's been sanded down at a sharp angle. Not saying taps aren't a great option, just wanted to share my opinion.

Also, interesting to note that the bit of leather attached to the toe of my pair with crepe sole has not worn down like the rest of my double leather soles. Not sure if Alden uses a different/tougher leather on those.

Since I got into Aldens, I've lived in Baltimore, Charleston, SC, and now Tampa, FL and I have yet to see anyone else wearing some Aldens out in the wild. And I've gotten into the habit of glancing at other people's footwear on a pretty regular basis.

I check out everyones shoes. I'm not ashamed of it. I can't remember a time when I saw someone else wearing Aldens ITW either in NY or Pittsburgh. (Except BB Tassels at a dinner party one of my father's friends had)

I do the same thing. It's kind of a fun game to play while walking around a city.