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

Trubalance and Barrie are round-toe lasts. Compared to the Tru-b, the Barrie is huger all around the front, but not so much at the ankle; in my experience the fit at the ankle is the same on both.

The Park Avenue is not a good AE to translate to the Trubalance or Barrie because the last shape is so different. The Park Avenue size would be a better benchmark for an Aberdeen-last Alden dress shoe. Both are long and narrow without a lot of toe room.

I like the Clark's Desert Boot because I get a great fit from them. They are round-toed as well. Round like the Barrie and the Trubalance. I need the extra toe room because I have long toes. I have trouble getting a good fit in a shoe that does not have a lot of toe room. There's no size of the Park Avenue that fits me well.

My Clark's Desert Boot size (10D) is the same as my Barrie size (10D) and my Trubalance size (10D). If the Clark's fit you real well, that might be your size in an Alden Barrie boot or Trubalance boot. As always, your mileage will vary; I hesitate to post this kind of information and it should not be read as any kind of guarantee or as any kind of professional wisdom. I do so because it's better than "size down 1/2," which is nonsense. 1/2 from what? Even the Brannock is not a good universal benchmark. It's better to compare the fit of the shoe to another shoe with a similar shape. If anyone knows of a better comp than the Clark's original DB, I'd like to hear about it. Likewise does anyone with Alden boots and DBs wear them in different sizes?

^

i've got a pair clark's DBs in beeswax in an 8.5 and my aldens are 8s, but i probably could (should) have sized down in the clark's

^^ I agree with this (Dewey) sizing assessment for the most part. I wear a 9 in the DBs but they are slightly more snug in the toe than my Alden Indy's (trubalance) which are also a size 9C (started out with a 8.5D but these were just a little too small). I do have a pair of Aldens on the Barrie last but they are 8.5D. Might have worked a little better as a 9C but they are pretty spot on as is because the toe has more room than the Indy toe. Take note, the foot bed of the trubalance and the barrie is somewhat different and this may have played a factor when I was sizing. Be prepared for that. I'd say I'm typically in between a 9 and 9.5 but closer to a 9.5 in most shoes. Welcome to the club.

These are all from Leather Soul Hawaii.

Leydon last. I got my normal size.


Snuff suede Indy.


Cordovan Indy.


Black cordovan Indy.

from leathersoulhawaii I presume? What's the wait on them? so beautiful

Originally Posted by bdeuce22

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These are on order

Originally Posted by dusty

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I actually didn't size down on the Trubalance. I've tried on both normal and sized down and I could go either way.

I don't want to confuse too many people out there, but my experience was the same as dusty's. I am an 8 D in plaza, grant, and leydon lasts, and after trying on a few pairs of Alden Indys on the Tru-balance last, I stuck with an 8 D.

I'd highly recommend that if you are not quite sure of your size, try them on in person OR order two pairs in 0.5 size difference or width difference and keep the one that fits you best or return both if they both feel off and try again. Of course this is assuming hassle free returns (which most Alden dealers should allow provided the shoes aren't worn). If you buy Aldens with the mindset that they will be with you for 15+ years, the extra treks to and from the post office in the beginning is well worth it. There's nothing more bittersweet than getting that perfect pair of boots but not wearing them due to comfort issues.

Alden chukkas=next shoe purchase. I always wistfully put them back on the shelf at Sky Valet.

Originally Posted by kit99bar

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from leathersoulhawaii I presume? What's the wait on them? so beautiful

Yes from leathersoul.

Tom is taking pre-orders I think, expected delivery in February or March.

The medallion is really off on these. I mean really off

GS, you have the Alden longwing boots and PS Sundance boots also right? How would you compare the fit?

x-posted from shoes that look better w/ age thread:

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Kind of a bad shot with my phone, but I lost the battery charger for my camera.

Alden Cap Toes in #8 shell on plaza last (Leathersoul's). They're beautiful so I figure you can't have enough shoes in this thread.

edit: hmm I can't delete this post (or maybe I'm dumb). I'll be buying the captoe boots with the plaza last with pics to update soon.

Robin, what Alden model and color are the wingtips? Also, is that color if Indy only available from Leather Soul Hawaii or are they available generally? That's the only Indy color I like but for some reason Aldenshop only displays the light brown, or rather some light brown cognac something which I don't like.

can't say about the wing tips but I am pretty sure the Indy's are the Leathersoul Ultimate Indy's which come in a rich shade of brown. You can see that they are leather lined from the inside (as opposed to the original which is cotton duck lined). If you are resourceful though, there's no reason you can't make the regular Alden Indy's look just as good as the ultimates using various conditioners and polishes and just wearing them tons. There are a few examples posted in either the Alden Indy vs Redwing GT or some other threads.

For a good waste of time (and I do this often), go to the Leathersoul website and browse the archives of the Alden shoes they once sold. Just also be prepared to regret not ordering some of the cigar shell models that were available only 2-3 short years ago.

Pretty sure those tan wingtips are from alden of carmel. They look like the same as my AF84s, brown wingtips on the barrie last. I forget the AF number on the tans.