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

randomkoreandude · Feb 11, 2011

i started with AE in 2 pairs for really cheap at nordstrom rack and then fell in love with alden cuz of cordovan. now i own a pair of trickers from the STP sale.

I will probably never buy AE again unless its stupid cheap and will stick with alden but strictly in cordovan shell colors and may eventually venture out to other brands. i love the brogue details on trickers so that may be my next shoe addiction

jfclarky · Feb 11, 2011

Originally Posted by Alcibiades

They must make it irritating so people want to buy the print edition. The magazine (comes with the paper every other week or so) is one of most ridiculous things I have ever read. The first ad is for Edmiston Yachts.

How about page 17, " Narrow the field, the ultimate matchmaking service"

zippyh · Feb 11, 2011

Originally Posted by wj4

Interesting answers, fellas.

I would eventually like to venture out to EG and C&J shoes. I looked into C&J before, but man....local retailers are hard to find. By local retailers, I actually mean those within the U.S.

Prior to owning Aldens, I owned a pair of AE's before. I think the quality of Alden shoes is of much higher standard.

As for Aldens: I'm on hiatus at the moment. I still need (in no particular order): Whiskey cap toe bluchers or boots, natural chromoexcel Indy's, black blutchers of some kind, and maybe a pair of brown monk's.

You won't be on hiatus much longer if you keep checking here.

For C&J, try Barney's, Ralph Lauren, or Brooks Brothers.
In general, the BB Peals with single row of nails are C&J. The double row are Sargent.
The less than $1K English RL shoes are usually C&J.
Barney's sizes their C&J in US sizes (+1 from UK).

david3558 · Feb 11, 2011

Awesome - zippyh, that collection is nuts! Take a picture of the whole thing please

So as far as sizing goes, take US sizing and subtract one to get UK sizing? I've heard the same thing but for 0.5 size as well - don't know what's the general standard.

zippyh · Feb 11, 2011

Originally Posted by david3558

Awesome - zippyh, that collection is nuts! Take a picture of the whole thing please

So as far as sizing goes, take US sizing and subtract one to get UK sizing? I've heard the same thing but for 0.5 size as well - don't know what's the general standard.

The general standard is that 9UK=10US or 9.5UK=10.5US, etc.
But that's just in general and YMMV.
I know that's how Barney's translates their C&J sizes.

LynahFaithful · Feb 11, 2011

zippy - Great collection. Have you done a "family" portrait? I'd enjoy seeing your collection.

interlockingny · Feb 11, 2011

Originally Posted by ChrisGold

Terrific, NST is going to be harder and harder to come by, due to the labor realities.

This makes some sense. Have you heard this from anywhere or this is a good guess on your part?

david3558 · Feb 11, 2011

I need some Tankers! Wonder if Context will be reissuing theirs.

Dewey · Feb 11, 2011

Originally Posted by zippyh

The general standard is that 9UK=10US or 9.5UK=10.5US, etc. But that's just in general and YMMV. I know that's how Barney's translates their C&J sizes.
The only authority on shoe sizing that I know about is the Brannock device. The Brannock device conversion tables are very clear that UK size + 0.5 = US size http://www.brannock.com/cgi-bin/star...ck/charts.html UK lasts tend to have a different shape than US lasts, esp. at the ankle, where most UK shoes are wider. And UK shoes are not as long in terms of usable space for the same volume. Depending on how your foot shape matches up with the last of the UK shoe, you will want to go down 1/2 or 1 from your US size, in most cases. So another common tip you will will read is UK = US minus 3/4 -- that is a good way to fudge. A regular US 11 will be probably be a UK 10 or a UK 10.5. Try both and see what you like.

geoffmartin17 · Feb 11, 2011

Originally Posted by interlockingny

This makes some sense. Have you heard this from anywhere or this is a good guess on your part?

When i pre-ordered several NST cordovan shoes from JGILBERT, the owner of the store said the same thing to me; he quoted me 9 months at the EARLIEST for them to come in

Man with Apple · Feb 11, 2011

Originally Posted by interlockingny

This makes some sense. Have you heard this from anywhere or this is a good guess on your part?

Why would this be?

david3558 · Feb 11, 2011

I think it's because the NST is handsewn and they can only produce so many a day.

interlockingny · Feb 11, 2011

Originally Posted by johnnyrich7

Why would this be?
The NST design on the shoe is more labor intensive since there is more hand stitching needed.

wj4 · Feb 11, 2011

Originally Posted by zippyh

You won't be on hiatus much longer if you keep checking here.

For C&J, try Barney's, Ralph Lauren, or Brooks Brothers.
In general, the BB Peals with single row of nails are C&J. The double row are Sargent.
The less than $1K English RL shoes are usually C&J.
Barney's sizes their C&J in US sizes (+1 from UK).

Haha, the only Alden's I would buy today is a pair of whiskey's...but no one at the moment has a pair that's in my size. I skipped the LWB's from Epaulet because they resemble the J. Crew's tan version that I have already.

Interesting to see Barney's carrying C&J. I wonder if they will make it to their sales at the end of the season.

ChrisGold · Feb 11, 2011

Originally Posted by interlockingny

The NST design on the shoe is more labor intensive since there is more hand stitching needed.

Exactly... they can only make a certain number of pairs a day - last I heard there were only a couple of women that did those shoes.

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