The Official Alden Thread for 2021 - Share Reviews, Sizing, Advice, and Photos.

[stook1]

The Alden factory's relatively small production capacity helps the company maintain both quality control and consumer demand. To achieve annual sales revenue growth, rather than increase production capacity, the company increases its product prices. This is a very sound business philosophy which has worked well for Alden for more than 100 years.

I wasn't advocating for increasing production capacity. I was suggesting that Alden has a broad sku assortment including a large number of models that I'd assume have limited demand currently. To me, it would be sensible to phase out of at least some of the deep range of more formal options in favor of meeting the demand for shoes that most people are wearing currently.

To be clear, I am not suggesting an Alden sneaker line. ?

 

[JSO1]

Give this podcast a listen — especially after the 27 minute mark …

Nick Horween on if Rare Shell Cordovan is Actually Rare, the CXL Lottery, and How to Tan Leather Responsibly - Stitchdown

Nick Horween is a fifth-generation tanner at the eponymous Horween Leather Co., the Chicago powerhouse that creates Chromexcel, shell cordovan, and an endless array of some of the best boot leathers in the world. So he, uh, knows a lot about leather. Nick stopped by the Shoecast to talk about...

www.stitchdown.com

 

[OldTown]

I wasn't advocating for increasing production capacity. I was suggesting that Alden has a broad sku assortment including a large number of models that I'd assume have limited demand currently. To me, it would be sensible to phase out of at least some of the deep range of more formal options in favor of meeting the demand for shoes that most people are wearing currently.

To be clear, I am not suggesting an Alden sneaker line. ?

That sneaker line was the end for Allen Edmonds. They can promote all they want on this forum about how "successful" it is but I refuse to believe it and it has only tarnished the brand image imo.

 

[sterlingindigo]

Not sure there is a desire to further sustain this conversation but just replying since I'd been away from the thread for a few days. To be clear, I'm really not coming at this discussion with any sour grapes about my own limited access to Alden's more exclusive shell colors. I was just commenting on it as someone that would have bought more Alden shoes if there was a reasonable way for me to buy what I wanted.

It just seems to me that the competitive landscape has evolved a bit. As @Hisherness23 noted AE is offering unlimited access to rare shell colors either annually or bi-annually. Is the quality, patterns, etc. up to Alden standards -- not quite. But for many people it scratches the rare color itch. Somehow AE is able to source those colors, generally, without limitation. Carmina has colors that are considered "rare" in the Alden world pretty much ever day and let's you build a completely custom makeup. Carmina is a different aesthetic and presumably smaller production overall but again they don't seem to have any issue with consistently sourcing shells in varied colors. Given Alden's size, history, and presumably their relationship with Horween, I have to think they could more fully satisfy the consumer interest in other shell colors. But they don't do that and, as @JSO1 suggested it's for driving customer engagement for Alden's retail partners among other reasons.

I find the capacity discussion to be interesting. I am, to be sure, not in a position to intelligently comment on this one but it just seems curious to me that in the post covid era (or for that matter post workplace casualization era) that Alden is truly capacity constrained to the extent that they're unable to add additional models to their production. Furthermore, it's hard for me to believe that something like a hypothetical whiskey Indy would not vastly outsell something like a black shell oxford in this day and age. Perhaps their is a need to modernize the assortment.

Ultimately, I don't doubt that there are people that will branch out from AE, stop at Alden, and go deep. For me, I started with AE years ago and branched out well beyond Alden, in part, because there was no realistic way for me to expand my shell color rotation with Alden. As I noted the other day, I don't really see the sense in that. I'd think Alden & their retailer network would be clamoring for someone like me (and presumably many others like me) to spend money with Alden rather than going to C&J or Carmina or other similar options. It seems to me that Alden's mission should be to sell what their customers want more so than maintain a commitment to producing shoes that most people are not really wearing anymore. I do acknowledge that my perspective is at least somewhat skewed as more of an enthusiast but I don't think it's wildly off target given the impact of the last 2 years on work life.

Nuanced rare shades aside, it’s a gdfing travesty that for anyone let alone an Alden customer of many years and dozens of pairs cannot easily source an indispensable wardrobe requirement such as cigar (standard available brown shell) pair of cap toe oxfords, PTB’s/LWB’s or LHS penny loafers without giving up and going out of brand. A gdfing travesty, I tell you! I absolutely do believe there are shenanigans going on about basic brown shell not being standard fare. If anything, purple color 8 should be the rarity before gdfing brown! /entitled rant

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Agree that Alden's deliberate decision to keep production limited has helped make it a profitable family business for over a century. This cannot be overstated. However, I do wonder whether Alden "rare" shell is artificially scarce. Lots of luxury brands play the artificial scarcity game. For example, right now it's hard to buy a stainless steel Rolex, and even before there was a "shortage" of ordinary stainless steel models, it's been very difficult to buy a stainless steel Daytona for the past 15-20 years. At least where Rolex is concerned, I just can't buy this. Stainless steel is plentiful. Rolexes are mostly made by machine, if there was really such a terrible shortage... the company could just purchase some more machines. Yes, that would require a capital expenditure but I'd be surprised if the CNC machines used to make Rolex watches cost more than a few million dollars -- they can afford to add some more machines to the production lines and hire some more technicians to operate them. The whole "shortage" of stainless steel Rolex watches strikes me as entirely fake, a deliberate method of ginning up demand and creating an image of desirability, since to some people scarce=desirable. See also Ferrari, diamonds, and lots of other luxury goods.

Alden is a little different. Rare shells probably aren't available in unlimited quantity, and they do have to hire -- and train, and retain -- skilled workers who make Alden shoes to Alden standards, in the New England area. I don't think they could easily double their production capacity, even if they were willing to spend the money to lease out a new factory, etc. Rolex could do that, but Alden probably can't. So it actually is possible that Alden can only make so many rare models every year. The thing is, it's not due to the scarcity of rare shell. I mean, let's be honest, Horween only makes #4 shell every few years but... I'm sure they'd make more if Alden were to order it. Alden probably DOES have limited production capacity. Right now they are probably running at or near capacity every year, and they need to make (1) regular shell; (2) limited quantities of rare shell; and (3) ordinary calf, suede, etc. models. So if were to greatly increase their production of rare shell models, to the point where you can just walk in off the street and pick up a pair of whiskey shell PTB's in 9E at your local Alden retailer... they'd probably have to limit their production of regular shell or calf and suede. That probably wouldn't be a wise business decision. So I suspect that Alden really can't make as much rare shell as we'd like them to make.

 

[mdubs]

New Years Eve. Alden Cigar Shell Cordovan LHS.

-Mike

 

[stook1]

That sneaker line was the end for Allen Edmonds. They can promote all they want on this forum about how "successful" it is but I refuse to believe it and it has only tarnished the brand image imo.

I have no interest in AE sneakers either. For that matter, I almost never wear sneakers of any type. But as a counterpoint, I'd bet that AE continues to see demand from retirement age men who bought their shoes while office working years ago. To be honest, this is quite likely their core demographic even now.

It wouldn't surprise me to hear that those men are buying AEs sneaker shoe models. It's not quite the same thing but my father is just about 80 and wears SAS sneakers, which aren't all that different from what AE is doing aesthetically (significantly worse, actually). He was never an AE buyer but he's after a shoe that has the comfort of a sneaker without looking like a sneaker.

 

[JayDotz]

Nuanced rare shades aside, it’s a gdfing travesty that for anyone let alone an Alden customer of many years and dozens of pairs cannot easily source an indispensable wardrobe requirement such as cigar (standard available brown shell) pair of cap toe oxfords, PTB’s/LWB’s or LHS penny loafers without giving up and going out of brand. A gdfing travesty, I tell you! I absolutely do believe there are shenanigans going on about basic brown shell not being standard fare. If anything, purple color 8 should be the rarity before gdfing brown! /entitled rant

What size are you? I find it pretty amazing you haven’t been able to purchase any of those models in cigar by now.

 

[whipcord]

The whole scarcity thing plays to the collectors more than people who actually want a shoe to wear. You see it right here on this forum where people wait with baited breath to grab some "rare" color or whatever, then it's for sale shortly thereafter, sometimes at a loss. Not sure of the thought process there. Then you have the speculators who are trying to "flip" them. I am not only talking Alden, I'm talking many brands.

For people like me who do not yet own a pair of Alden's but wanted to, this is not the time. There's a dearth of inventory, and competing with a bunch of collectors and speculators is off-putting. Again, this is not just Alden, it's everywhere. I think some of it has to do with this massive asset price increase (bubble) we've experienced.

 

[stook1]

So if were to greatly increase their production of rare shell models, to the point where you can just walk in off the street and pick up a pair of whiskey shell PTB's in 9E at your local Alden retailer... they'd probably have to limit their production of regular shell or calf and suede. That probably wouldn't be a wise business decision. So I suspect that Alden really can't make as much rare shell as we'd like them to make.

Honest question here... why would it be a bad idea to limit their production of regular shell or calf or suede and instead make a whiskey shell ptb? Just picking a shoe somewhat at random here but you don't think a whiskey shell ptb would significantly outsell this one in 2022? https://aldenmadison.com/collection/straight-tip-bal-black-shell-cordovan-9016/

 

[whipcord]

Stupid question alert: I see shell colors referred to by number, but also by name "Cigar," etc. Does anybody have some sort of glossary of colors for a newb?

 

[smfdoc]

Happy New Years eve forum pals. Out running some errands today in non-rare, non-shell scotch grain.

 

[stook1]

Stupid question alert: I see shell colors referred to by number, but also by name "Cigar," etc. Does anybody have some sort of glossary of colors for a newb?

All the Colors of the Shell Cordovan Rainbow

From Amaretto to Whiskey, we've got all the colors that you can find of the formidable shell cordovan leather.

www.heddels.com

This isn't totally accurate but a good start.

 

[mdubs]

Stupid question alert: I see shell colors referred to by number, but also by name "Cigar," etc. Does anybody have some sort of glossary of colors for a newb?

Check out the first few posts of this thread...

The Official Alden Thread for 2021 - Share Reviews, Sizing, Advice, and Photos.

Gentlemen, welcome to the Official Alden Thread for 2021. This thread is the continuation of the long running Official Alden Thread (2008 - 2015) and the subsequent annual threads (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020). This thread is intended to provide an environment to share information...

www.styleforum.net

You can also find it on my AldenOfSanDiego blog...

-Mike

 

[sterlingindigo]

What size are you? I find it pretty amazing you haven’t been able to purchase any of those models in cigar by now.

It’s the everyman’s size we joke about on the BST thread, which is somewhat irrelevant because I only buy new firsts and not over retail $ through a variety of Alden retailers. I still keep my eye on the BST thread though. eBay is no. I have had my feelers out for quite some time now (on the lists). ****, Rolex is easier to obtain at MSRP than Alden brown shell. It’s not what I would call a particularly light shade either.

I’ve been able to obtain non-mainline rare shell before by biding my time and waiting for my name to come up, just not in the cap toe oxford or LHS wardrobe essential standard offerings which in my opinion should be readily available in brown shell. My whole thing is that Alden’s mainline shell offerings should include brown shell if they already come in black and color 8. I don’t believe for a second that brown is a light shade and can’t cover natural blemishes in the uncolored shells. I don’t think people should have to wait years and years and jump through hoops for Alden brown shell mainline offerings when it’s readily available at other retailers. Let them schedule ravello and whiskey and color 4 all day long. But brown? C’mon Alden.