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

Originally Posted by johnnyrich7

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C'mon Leather Soul, give us a taste of what's coming.

At this point the only boots at the trunk show will be a natural chromexcel tanker w/crepe sole.

There will also be an interesting new saddle shoe for those who are into that kind of shoe.

FYI, we have about 3 or 4 orders of shell cordovan tankers being made right now...it's actually one of our standard shoes that we try to stock a lot but just don't post restocks much on the website. The v-tip is another shoe for example we always try to have in stock but don't post on the website.

Originally Posted by LeatherSOUL

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At this point the only boots at the trunk show will be a natural chromexcel tanker w/crepe sole.

There will also be an interesting new saddle shoe for those who are into that kind of shoe.

FYI, we have about 3 or 4 orders of shell cordovan tankers being made right now...it's actually one of our standard shoes that we try to stock a lot but just don't post restocks much on the website. The v-tip is another shoe for example we always try to have in stock but don't post on the website.

Thanks for sharing this information. As always, Leather Soul is unsurpassed in customer service and quality.

does anyone have pics of the Alden Af95 boots?

did you stop following the other thread you started? http://www.alden-of-carmel.com/index...p_Boot_217.htm

Originally Posted by sinnedk

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Hi, Does anyone have pics of the AF95? I really would love to see some close ups...

Originally Posted by sinnedk

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does anyone have pics of the Alden Af95 boots?

yes thats the pair i want to order, im looking for more info

Originally Posted by interlockingny

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Before I put these up in the FS section, I figured I would offer them here.
I have a NIB pair of Cigar Shell Indy Boots size 9.5D that I purchased from ShoeMart. It is on the Trubalance Last.

You can find the link here

The reason I am selling them is I wish to purchase a pair of Cigar Shell captoe boots and would use the funds from this sale to do so.

They are sold out on the site.
I paid $664 shipped for them but would let them go for $650 CONUS. Shipping + insurance would be on me.

Thanks.

Unfortunately a half size too small.

Where are you getting the Cigar Shell captoe boots from if you don't mind me asking?

ravello wt

Mac, those Short wings are beautiful! Truely once of my dream shoes...or in Whiskey. Beautiful

I asked this upthread, but wanted a couple more opinions:

for those of you who own high boots without speed hooks (ie with normal eyelets all the way up) how hard is it for you to get your boots on?

do you need to unlace the top 2/3/4 eyelets each time, then relace them?

or is unlacing not necessary?

Has anyone had any trouble in terms of quality of the construction of their boots? I bough a pair from Context a few months ago and the stitching has already come undone in two places. When I sent them back directly to Alden for a repair they did a pretty sloppy job. It basically looks like a brand new pair of boots with a mediocre repair done to them. I called Alden and they wanted me to send them back again which I wasn't really into. Customer service isn't one of Alden's strong points. Thankfully Context just decided to replace them and they're going to deal with it. Sam, one of the owners, was really great about that. He totally was willing to do whatever I wanted to make sure I was satisfied.

Originally Posted by makewayhomer

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I asked this upthread, but wanted a couple more opinions: for those of you who own high boots without speed hooks (ie with normal eyelets all the way up) how hard is it for you to get your boots on? do you need to unlace the top 2/3/4 eyelets each time, then relace them? or is unlacing not necessary?
Unlace them, especially if they're shell. I unlace the top three, and then push then tongue into the fourth so the laces are very loose (so it's essentially like unlacing four), and use a shoehorn.

Originally Posted by mcarthur

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http://i51.tinypic.com/24mufs1.jpg[IMG] ravello wt[/I]
Very nice, Mac. Have been looking for a pair of ravello shortwings for a while now. Are those from Leather Soul?

Originally Posted by makewayhomer

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I asked this upthread, but wanted a couple more opinions:

for those of you who own high boots without speed hooks (ie with normal eyelets all the way up) how hard is it for you to get your boots on?

do you need to unlace the top 2/3/4 eyelets each time, then relace them?

or is unlacing not necessary?
Unlacing is unnecessary. If you look at the photo I posted a page or two upthread, you'll see that two of my boots have all eyelets, with the laces loosened at the upper eyelets. Basically the laces need to be loosened until the lace tips are about to come through the top eyelet in order to accommodate my foot into the boot, although a shoehorn would make that a little easier (I really need to get one). It's the same procedure that I use for my hightop sneakers, but the boots are harder to get on. Without a doubt, the speedhooks are easier and more efficient for getting your boots on and off. Depending on the boot, I prefer the aesthetics of all eyelets.

Originally Posted by bermannyc

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Has anyone had any trouble in terms of quality of the construction of their boots? I bough a pair from Context a few months ago and the stitching has already come undone in two places. When I sent them back directly to Alden for a repair they did a pretty sloppy job. It basically looks like a brand new pair of boots with a mediocre repair done to them. I called Alden and they wanted me to send them back again which I wasn't really into. Customer service isn't one of Alden's strong points. Thankfully Context just decided to replace them and they're going to deal with it. Sam, one of the owners, was really great about that. He totally was willing to do whatever I wanted to make sure I was satisfied.
This is consistent with the advice shared earlier in this thread:

Originally Posted by saracen

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I would suggest voicing our concerns to the Alden dealers we know and purchase from and have them talk directly to Alden. I think that's probably the best and most efficient way.

Originally Posted by PeterParker

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I've been in this situation with another company and the end customer is basically ignored. The way the company sees it their retailers are their customers, not us; they're the ones who pay their bills. I'll only spend $600 once or twice on a pair of Aldens, whereas Leather Soul probably buys over $10000 worth of shoes every month. If you have a problem with the shoes you bought, take it up with the retailer you bought it from. It's a ladder, and unfortunately the end customer is at the bottom.

At the same time, a good retailer should uphold their supplier to a standard of quality rather than selling a poorly made product to their customers. A bunch of individuals posting pictures of poorly made Aldens on the internet isn't going bother Alden too much. A pissed off retailer on the phone with a stockroom full of returned Aldens that he can't sell, however...

Got my 9.5D Roy boots on Monday, and I'm almost sure I can go with 9D They're bigger than any other shoe I have (even my clunky Rick dunks) and just make my feet look huuuge slim chance, but did anyone happen to get their Roys in 9D and need a half size larger?

^ they look great but DO NOT keep them if you feel that they are too large for your feet. Even with insoles and other potential fixes, it is likely that they will not fit you as well as you'd like and you will end up with a pair of shoes that you will wear for 5 times and leave in the closet or sell for a lot less than what you bought them for. My suggestion is to keep them new, trade it in for Context credit, or sell them for what you bought them for if anyone is interested. Trust me, I've been through this more than once.

Anyone care to provide details of why shoes trees are important? What exactly do they do to help the shoe? Is it just about keeping their shape?

Thanks in advance.