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

mcarthur · Oct 30, 2010

color 8 lhs

deltashell · Oct 30, 2010

I really like the natural edges with color 8! And they appear to be bb unlined lhs no less!

pitboss12 · Oct 30, 2010

Originally Posted by kylelovesyou

A little something I picked up from a fellow forumite. The oiled soles look so lovely, overall these look to be a really excellent casual shoe, particularly with denim.

About the shoe (from the site):

ALDEN
73034 REVERSED CHAMOIS RANGER MOC IN TOBACCO
Tobacco
NOTES:
The Ranger Moc design originated in Maine nearly 100 years ago as a light weight hand-sewn Indian moccasin. Alden of New England introduced a more substantial version in the 1950's after incorporating the company's welt construction into the design and developing a new moc toe "skin" stitch on the vamp, achieving the traditional moccasin look with the added bonus of the company's famous comfort and durability.

Our version is a direct descendant of this beloved Alden classic, except that we broke the rules and turned the dark waxy brown leather we picked inside out. With wear, you can expect the nap of its unique wax finished upper to press down at the toe and heel while it rises over the vamp and sides, evolving into a complex and heavy-on-texture rust finish as it breaks in. To top it off we finished each pair with Northwest weather-friendly double Waterloc leather outsoles to ensure their durability. We're excited to see how much you enjoy the process of getting yours worn in just right.

STYLE: Ranger Moc Blucher Oxford, LAST: Van, UPPER: premium waxed treated reversed chamois leather, OUTSOLE: extremely durable, water resistant double Waterloc outsole, INSOLE: vegetable tanned leather insoles with the "Made expressly for Blackbird" heel pod, MID-SOLE: cork midsole with steel shank for long-lasting strength and support, LACING: flat waxed cotton laces through five pairs of blind eyelets, WELT: matching reverse Goodyear leather welt, LINING: fully leather lined.

Those are pretty damn nice!

jasonfoote303 · Oct 30, 2010

Originally Posted by wj4

When you say brush and wipe...wipe with just a towel, I'm assuming?

I finally got a few minutes to search and boy...so many different methods! I didn't realize that a complete shoe care kit can be the price of basically a pair of Aldens, haha.

You suggested using brown wax? Would I be good with Alden's very own Color #8 wax? I'm debating if I should go order Alden's wax and cream for the respective colors of their shoes I currently own or not.

Edit: Another question I have is this....if neutral cream is the 'safe' way of moisturizing shoes without risking the possibility of altering the color...why choose another cream color, ie black, brown, etc.? (Assuming you don't want to change the shade of the shoes yourself).

There are definitely a lot of opinions! It can get overwhelming at times because everyone has an idea. This is just what I do.
Brush a lot. Buff with a soft t-shirt or flannel cloth. Wax polish with the approximate color every once in a while. Brown is fine or Color 8 or whatever. The wax doesn't really add too much color. Some people even use black wax on their Whiskey shell. It doesn't really damage it.
I now use Saphir Renovateur to condition my shell.

Really, you don't have to do much. Just avoid putting too much stuff on the shoes. You don't want to get any build-up... It looks bad!
And if the shoes are brand new, you don't need to do anything for quite a while.

Have fun!

mcarthur · Oct 30, 2010

Originally Posted by deltashell

I really like the natural edges with color 8! And they appear to be bb unlined lhs no less!

thank you! you are absolutely correct

wj4 · Oct 30, 2010

Originally Posted by jasonfoote303

There are definitely a lot of opinions! It can get overwhelming at times because everyone has an idea. This is just what I do.
Brush a lot. Buff with a soft t-shirt or flannel cloth. Wax polish with the approximate color every once in a while. Brown is fine or Color 8 or whatever. The wax doesn't really add too much color. Some people even use black wax on their Whiskey shell. It doesn't really damage it.
I now use Saphir Renovateur to condition my shell.

Really, you don't have to do much. Just avoid putting too much stuff on the shoes. You don't want to get any build-up... It looks bad!
And if the shoes are brand new, you don't need to do anything for quite a while.

Have fun!
Thanks. I have 5 pairs of Aldens now, but unfortunately I haven't got around to wearing any of them yet. (Workshoes are required for work).

Do you only use wax, and not cream and/or polish? From my recent readings, the major consensus stated that you need to use cream to hydrate the shoes once in a great while. (Not talking specifically about shells now since they come pretty oiled up already, but other Aldens in general).

jasonfoote303 · Oct 31, 2010

Originally Posted by wj4

Thanks. I have 5 pairs of Aldens now, but unfortunately I haven't got around to wearing any of them yet. (Workshoes are required for work).

Do you only use wax, and not cream and/or polish? From my recent readings, the major consensus stated that you need to use cream to hydrate the shoes once in a great while. (Not talking specifically about shells now since they come pretty oiled up already, but other Aldens in general).

Dude, you better get started wearing those bad boys! They deserve to meet the public.

You won't need to do any maintenance if the shoes are never worn

wj4 · Oct 31, 2010

^They will be worn soon enough!

I rarely have time to shop at brick and mortar places anymore so a lot of my buyings come via the net. How does the abeerden last fit? I hear they run quite narrow?

number9dream · Oct 31, 2010

Originally Posted by michaelw

color 8 ptb

Where did you pick up those socks -- I need a pair!

Joenobody0 · Oct 31, 2010

Originally Posted by wj4

How does the abeerden last fit? I hear they run quite narrow?

I find them to be mostly narrow in the toe box. They fit similarly to the Hampton from the mid-foot back to the heel in my opinion.

wj4 · Oct 31, 2010

Originally Posted by Joenobody0

I find them to be mostly narrow in the toe box. They fit similarly to the Hampton from the mid-foot back to the heel in my opinion.
Thanks for the info. I think I will skip the shoes now. I was tempted to order a pair of Ravello shells last night.

The lasts I have now are Grant, TrueBalance, and Barrie. All 3 seem to fit OK, but if they were a bit more snug around the toe box, I don't think I would be a happy camper.

Ahab · Oct 31, 2010

Originally Posted by kylelovesyou

A little something I picked up from a fellow forumite. The oiled soles look so lovely, overall these look to be a really excellent casual shoe, particularly with denim.

About the shoe (from the site):

ALDEN
73034 REVERSED CHAMOIS RANGER MOC IN TOBACCO
Tobacco
NOTES:
The Ranger Moc design originated in Maine nearly 100 years ago as a light weight hand-sewn Indian moccasin. Alden of New England introduced a more substantial version in the 1950's after incorporating the company's welt construction into the design and developing a new moc toe "skin" stitch on the vamp, achieving the traditional moccasin look with the added bonus of the company's famous comfort and durability.

Our version is a direct descendant of this beloved Alden classic, except that we broke the rules and turned the dark waxy brown leather we picked inside out. With wear, you can expect the nap of its unique wax finished upper to press down at the toe and heel while it rises over the vamp and sides, evolving into a complex and heavy-on-texture rust finish as it breaks in. To top it off we finished each pair with Northwest weather-friendly double Waterloc leather outsoles to ensure their durability. We're excited to see how much you enjoy the process of getting yours worn in just right.

STYLE: Ranger Moc Blucher Oxford, LAST: Van, UPPER: premium waxed treated reversed chamois leather, OUTSOLE: extremely durable, water resistant double Waterloc outsole, INSOLE: vegetable tanned leather insoles with the "Made expressly for Blackbird" heel pod, MID-SOLE: cork midsole with steel shank for long-lasting strength and support, LACING: flat waxed cotton laces through five pairs of blind eyelets, WELT: matching reverse Goodyear leather welt, LINING: fully leather lined.
I love those. Good pickup. Fantastic for this time of year.

Originally Posted by number9dream

Where did you pick up those socks -- I need a pair!

LMAO!!

Mac gets all this cr@p about his socks and this dude signs up just to ask where he got them. BTW, They are nice socks, I just enjoy the irony.

wj4 · Oct 31, 2010

I stopped by the shoe care shop this morning to pick up a brush for the shells. I chatted a bit with the guy since it was still early and there were no other customers. He suggested that I have the soles protected so they would last for a long time. What do you guys think about this? I was just going to wear them as is, and when they wear down....send them back to Alden to resole.

jhcam8 · Oct 31, 2010

Originally Posted by wj4

Thanks. I have 5 pairs of Aldens now, but unfortunately I haven't got around to wearing any of them yet.

Good man - you'll fit right in here.

You might want to start building up your stock of EG's and C&J's.

wj4 · Oct 31, 2010

Originally Posted by jhcam8

Good man - you'll fit right in here.

You might want to start building up your stock of EG's and C&J's.
What's EG? I'm assuming C&J is Crockett & Jones....I saw a killer pair in GQ about 2 months back. It was a pair of cap toe boot in a tan colorway. They stated it was a J. Crew exclusive, but after a couple of inquiries to J. Crew, no one seems to know.

This is going to be a gradual process. My next 3 pairs of shoes will actually be sneakers, pricey nonetheless. I think I'm probably one of the younger folks in here (24, will be 25 in exactly a week) so I will have plenty of time to perfect my rotation.

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