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

Originally Posted by basho

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Those Roy Boots looks nice! Are you planning on wearing them in wet weather? I'm considering the Roy and am concerned about the durability of that leather toe patch on the sole, once it gets wet.

i dont blame you considering theyre expensive as hell. anytime the leather gets wet the wear-resistance will decrease greatly

Originally Posted by basho

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Those Roy Boots looks nice! Are you planning on wearing them in wet weather? I'm considering the Roy and am concerned about the durability of that leather toe patch on the sole, once it gets wet.

Well, I typically wear my Katahdins in wet weather and will probably continue to do so, but I don't plan on babying the Roys. I plan to wear them very regularly - probably rotating with my Indys. I'm sure they'll see a fair bit of rain. My hope is that the Obenaufs will help protect them. I wouldn't worry about the toe patch too much. The crepe is supposedly very good in the rain.

Originally Posted by Pelikan2

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Well, I typically wear my Katahdins in wet weather and will probably continue to do so, but I don't plan on babying the Roys. I plan to wear them very regularly - probably rotating with my Indys. I'm sure they'll see a fair bit of rain. My hope is that the Obenaufs will help protect them. I wouldn't worry about the toe patch too much. The crepe is supposedly very good in the rain.

crepe, yes. toe patch, no.

Originally Posted by Rosenberg

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crepe, yes. toe patch, no.

What's the worry on the toe patch? Just that water will cause it to wear faster. Thus, it will need to be replaced sooner?

Originally Posted by Pelikan2

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What's the worry on the toe patch? Just that water will cause it to wear faster. Thus, it will need to be replaced sooner?

exactly. im 99% positive the toe patch itself can be replaced without the whole sole but for me its a matter of finding a place you trust to do. alden takes about 4 wks, if youre lucky, plus some good cash

Just ordered a pair of the Kudu Indy's from LeatherSoul. Anxiously awaiting now.

The best pair of boots I've ever owned is a pair of Clarks so forgive the following questions.

Can someone explain the fuctional differences between the different welts/lasts and maybe how they relate to comfort? Alden's site is useless and no other retail sites explain the functional differences.

How supportive should I expect a good pair of boots to be in an orthopedic sense? ie I've always assumed the price of these was justified more by the quality of construction rather than orthopedic value. I'm not flat footed but I do get pain in the balls of my feet with my Clarks (and much worse pain with my Topsiders) which has been alliviated somewhat by Birkenstock Blue Feet (have heard good things about Super Feet too) but would it be redundant to use them with Alden's or other high end boots? Are any of Alden's lasts similar to Birkenstocks footbed or are healthy feet for hippies?

How should I size?

I tried on two pairs of Aldens at barnies (forgot to ask the model but the were unadorened -no caps, perforations, or stiches on the toe- leather-soled speed lacer cordovan high-boots) and an 8 was leather glove snug with a little bit of uncomfortable pressure on the top of the foot while the 8.5 felt comfortable in a loose sense. I assume I should get them a bit tight and stretch them out? I'm assuming I want to stretch them to fit rather than get ones that fit with zero stretching because I compared a size 8 Sperry in the store to the 9 year old size 8 I stole from my dad and the later -I assume because its been streched over time- fits beautifully while I could hardly get my foot into the former. I'm also trying to compensate for my right foot being nearly a half size smaller than the left. Finally, depending on the answer to my insole question, should I factor insoles into my sizing as well?

Originally Posted by itsjustadrian

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Just ordered a pair of the Kudu Indy's from LeatherSoul. Anxiously awaiting now.

What size? They were out of 8.5 - I'll pick up someone's returns if I'm lucky.

Size 10.5. I was hoping to get the Ultimate Indy's in Black at first but I'm kind of glad now that I ended up with these. Brown is worlds more versatile than black.

Yes, and even more so in casual shoes. Nice pick up.

Originally Posted by itsjustadrian

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Size 10.5. I was hoping to get the Ultimate Indy's in Black at first but I'm kind of glad now that I ended up with these. Brown is worlds more versatile than black.

hah, I think I called about 10 minutes after you. They told me I got the last pair of 10.5s and that they sold the 2nd to last about 10 minutes before I called.

hoping this size works out.

Originally Posted by scb

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hah, I think I called about 10 minutes after you. They told me I got the last pair of 10.5s and that they sold the 2nd to last about 10 minutes before I called.

hoping this size works out.
Haha really? What a coincidence.
And yes, let's pray that sizing does work out since these look so badass.

Hey Pelikan - no pressure, but if you did manage some fit pics of the Roys, I'd love to see them.

Damn those look nice. Those are the Roys, no? How comfortable are they on break-in?