The Official Alden Thread for 2017 - Share Reviews, Sizing, Advice, and Photos.

[BackInTheJox]

Question to the many Indy boot owners (particularly the CXL/non-shell make-ups): in what context do you usually wear them? Strictly casual? Office wear? Elsewhere?

For reference, I'm a physician in a traditionally "well dressed" outpatient specialty, and nearly every person I work with (including another doc and two physician assistants) wear scrubs and sneakers/clogs all day every day. My standard dress is chinos (or the rare occasional slacks) and a button down shirt, +/- white coat. So, on the more casual spectrum of standard American "business casual" dress. My shoes are mostly CJ/AE/Alden/Rancourt/OSB bluchers or loafers.

I'm mulling over whether my natty CXL Indy boots would fit in, or look out of place. If you went to a physician who was dressed as I mentioned above, but was wearing natty CXL Indys, would you view them as any "less professional"? Briefly ignoring your Alden bias, as I doubt many/any of my patients will know what boots they are.

Thanks for indulging my neuroses.

 

[peppercorn78]

They're pretty damn casual. I only wear mine (403) with jeans on rainy days.

Maybe the shell one I could wear with trousers...

 

[marvaments]



Question to the many Indy boot owners (particularly the CXL/non-shell make-ups):  in what context do you usually wear them?  Strictly casual?  Office wear?  Elsewhere?

For reference, I'm a physician in a traditionally "well dressed" outpatient specialty, and nearly every person I work with (including another doc and two physician assistants) wear scrubs and sneakers/clogs all day every day.  My standard dress is chinos (or the rare occasional slacks) and a button down shirt, +/- white coat.  So, on the more casual spectrum of standard American "business casual" dress.  My shoes are mostly CJ/AE/Alden/Rancourt/OSB bluchers or loafers.  

I'm mulling over whether my natty CXL Indy boots would fit in, or look out of place.  If you went to a physician who was dressed as I mentioned above, but was wearing natty CXL Indys, would you view them as any "less professional"?  Briefly ignoring your Alden bias, as I doubt many/any of my patients will know what boots they are.

Thanks for indulging my neuroses.

I'm an M4. Found them to be too casual. Closest thing I could feel comfortable pulling off on the wards or clinic was plain toe snuff suede. But maybe once I'm a resident...

 

[MansardRoof]



Question to the many Indy boot owners (particularly the CXL/non-shell make-ups): in what context do you usually wear them? Strictly casual? Office wear? Elsewhere?

For reference, I'm a physician in a traditionally "well dressed" outpatient specialty, and nearly every person I work with (including another doc and two physician assistants) wear scrubs and sneakers/clogs all day every day. My standard dress is chinos (or the rare occasional slacks) and a button down shirt, +/- white coat. So, on the more casual spectrum of standard American "business casual" dress. My shoes are mostly CJ/AE/Alden/Rancourt/OSB bluchers or loafers.

I'm mulling over whether my natty CXL Indy boots would fit in, or look out of place. If you went to a physician who was dressed as I mentioned above, but was wearing natty CXL Indys, would you view them as any "less professional"? Briefly ignoring your Alden bias, as I doubt many/any of my patients will know what boots they are.

Thanks for indulging my neuroses.

I wouldn't wear CXL for the simple fact that it absorbs fluids and stains. What's your aversion to shell? It's infinitely more versatile than the CXL for only 250.00 more.

 

[ReppTiePrepster]



They're pretty damn casual. I only wear mine (403) with jeans on rainy days.

Maybe the shell one I could wear with trousers...

I actually wear my 403 frequently with khaki or even navy chinos, button down oxford, and a blazer. I keep mine looking in fairly new condition. If they're beat up and worn down like a good work boot would, my attire wouldn't look right. I like a clean 403 with some preppy clothes; I think it works well.

 

[mdubs]

Spoiler

Hello, Whiskey LWB first wearing today.

Just grabbed these from Adam. Been on the fence about them for a while. Really glad I pulled the trigger.

Summer's right around the corner...

color 8 in the sun

J Crew Tobacco Waxed LWBs. My gateway to Alden...

Panta cotton twill trou 6845 black shell

Gentlemen, a few lovely and terrific Alden samples here today. Agree that Black Shell, particularly on the Full-Strap is extremely under appreciated here and Spoo just showed how awesome it is. -Mike

 

[M635Guy]

My natty Indys are pretty much strictly worn with jeans, mainly because I didn't like how they looked with khaki/tan. They've darkened, so maybe time to have another look at that, though I have other CXL shoes/boots I'm going to prefer just based on color. My sartorial instincts are extremely questionable, but tone-on-tone isn't something I generally like with footwear and trousers unless you're at a formal suit/tux level. The tan-on-tan happening with khaki just doesn't look right to me. I don't wear my natty CXL derbies with anything but denim either.

I wouldn't think less of a doctor for footwear, but I've worked in jobs where I'm on my feet a lot and totally respect the choice for comfort and function. I agree with the other poster that natty cxl is likely to show a lot of any liquids/spillage/etc. Epaulets stingray trainers might be a better choice - they said they are scratchproof, waterproof and even fireproof to a degree

But seriously - wear what you want. I'd consider a commando sole over neocork just for grip. Neocork ain't bad, but it isn't wonderful on linoleum, etc.

 

[BackInTheJox]

I wouldn't wear CXL for the simple fact that it absorbs fluids and stains. What's your aversion to shell? It's infinitely more versatile than the CXL for only 250.00 more.

No aversion whatsoever to shell, I just don't own any shell Indys currently. I was looking for input on the CXLs since, in my eyes, they are a more casual style.

I've been exquisitely tempted to throw down for some shell Indys since getting my natty CXL boots. I wish (like everyone else does) that it was easier to get ahold of some non-black and non-color 8 styles.

 

[BackInTheJox]

They're pretty damn casual. I only wear mine (403) with jeans on rainy days.

Maybe the shell one I could wear with trousers...

Agree with the casual bent. If I had a pair of shell Indys I think I'd have no issue with throwing them on for work. I wear shell wingtip boots (non-Alden) frequently.

I'm an M4. Found them to be too casual. Closest thing I could feel comfortable pulling off on the wards or clinic was plain toe snuff suede. But maybe once I'm a resident...

It's funny how it's sort of cyclic. As a medical student I was pretty careful with what I wore as far as nothing out of the ordinary or even remotely perceived as eccentric or not falling in line with standard dress. As a resident, I felt much more latitude and this was when my wardrobe (and particularly shoe collection) began to flourish.

As an attending now, I have reeled that in slightly, if for no other reason than you want to present yourself as an authority, and as a professional. Not that you don't as a resident, but your role/niche is slightly different as a resident and the expectations are a tad different.

My natty Indys are pretty much strictly worn with jeans, mainly because I didn't like how they looked with khaki/tan. They've darkened, so maybe time to have another look at that, though I have other CXL shoes/boots I'm going to prefer just based on color. My sartorial instincts are extremely questionable, but tone-on-tone isn't something I generally like with footwear and trousers unless you're at a formal suit/tux level. The tan-on-tan happening with khaki just doesn't look right to me. I don't wear my natty CXL derbies with anything but denim either.

I wouldn't think less of a doctor for footwear, but I've worked in jobs where I'm on my feet a lot and totally respect the choice for comfort and function. I agree with the other poster that natty cxl is likely to show a lot of any liquids/spillage/etc. Epaulets stingray trainers might be a better choice - they said they are scratchproof, waterproof and even fireproof to a degree

But seriously - wear what you want. I'd consider a commando sole over neocork just for grip. Neocork ain't bad, but it isn't wonderful on linoleum, etc.

I agree on the tone-on-tone thing, and I generally avoid that. I wear natty CXL Oakstreet Bootmakers beefroll penny loafers with navy chinos quite often in the summer. I would have planned to wear the natty CXL Indys with similar tones (navys/blues mostly).

 

[M635Guy]

No aversion whatsoever to shell, I just don't own any shell Indys currently. I was looking for input on the CXLs since, in my eyes, they are a more casual style.

Are stains a concern? I have to admit that seeing a doc in shoes with blood/fluid stains would give me pause...

 

[BackInTheJox]

Are stains a concern? I have to admit that seeing a doc in shoes with blood/fluid stains would give me pause...

Not particularly, no.

I'm a dermatologist. I spend my day seeing patients for normal visits (which may or may not include a quick biopsy which is almost never a risk of getting any mess on me whatsoever), and usually finish my day with 2 or 3 larger excisions (cutting out confirmed skin cancers and putting in sutures, etc). For those, I usually don a contact isolation gown (those cheap-o thin gowns you're supposed to put on in the hospital if someone has a highly communicable disease), but don't wear shoe coverings. I have only once ever gotten a few specks of blood on my shoes, and thankfully it was a pair of beater AE brown Lasalles.

I have thus far had no issues with blood on my CXL loafers, or any other light colored (or dark colored, for that matter) shoes/boots/loafers. I do try to be careful in general.

 

[peppercorn78]



I actually wear my 403 frequently with khaki or even navy chinos, button down oxford, and a blazer. I keep mine looking in fairly new condition. If they're beat up and worn down like a good work boot would, my attire wouldn't look right. I like a clean 403 with some preppy clothes; I think it works well.

I see you, man. You're an ivy gent, so it makes good sense!

I guess I use mine for inclement weather, playground visits with the kids, and bar hopping, and Manhattan tromping, so they're definitely earning some miles at the casual end of the spectrum. That bright contrast welt is just asking to get fucked up with hard wear, in my opinion.

I have dressier options for dressier ensembles. But I can see a more pristine 403 working well with chinos, especially in coarser fabrics.

 

[BackInTheJox]

I usually try to keep my footwear in good shape, even more casual boots like the Indys.

For really bad weather I have Bean boots. For wet weather that doesn't necessitate Bean boots, I have some Allen Edmonds Long Branch boots which feel almost like wearing sneakers. They get beat up nicely.

Since my Indys have neocork outsoles (rather than commando), all the more reason I plan to not really do a ton of off-roading in them. Definitely a casual weekend-wear type thing, but I don't plan to abuse them terribly. Maybe that will change.

I might give my natty CXL Indys a whirl at work on Friday. On Fridays I work in a satellite office, in an area where the patients are much more salt of the earth/working class types, and I can't imagine any of them looking at my footwear and judging me negatively.

 

[M635Guy]

I usually try to keep my footwear in good shape, even more casual boots like the Indys.

Yeah - I'm not wired to be neglectful of things. I'm not concerned about keeping anything perfect (and with CXL that is not only fruitless it defeats the point of the leather), but I do address little bumps and scrapes every day and brush my shoes before I put them away. It is seconds of investment.

Quote:

I love my boots for days when I'm on my feet a lot. I've got three pairs of Barrie boots with commando, my Indys with Neocork and some brown CXL Grant Stone boots with leather and all except the recently acquired Choco tankers have seen some seriously long days with aplomb, and the Grant Stone and Indy boots have seen long days with many, many miles and gone on trips where they've carried me like that days in a row comfortably. It is kind of amazing.

Net: Given all that and what you've said, I'd give them a run. Commando soles would be more sure-footed and a just a tad more comfortable IMHO. (hint: I'm trying to give you a reason to get more boots

)

 

[Nvspwndamnstr39]

I usually try to keep my footwear in good shape, even more casual boots like the Indys.

For really bad weather I have Bean boots. For wet weather that doesn't necessitate Bean boots, I have some Allen Edmonds Long Branch boots which feel almost like wearing sneakers. They get beat up nicely.

Since my Indys have neocork outsoles (rather than commando), all the more reason I plan to not really do a ton of off-roading in them. Definitely a casual weekend-wear type thing, but I don't plan to abuse them terribly. Maybe that will change.

I might give my natty CXL Indys a whirl at work on Friday. On Fridays I work in a satellite office, in an area where the patients are much more salt of the earth/working class types, and I can't imagine any of them looking at my footwear and judging me negatively.

If you're wanting to justify the Indy style for your work setting and uncertain about it being possibly too casual, perhaps it could be useful to consider the Dr. Jones indy makeup on the plaza last in color 8 (see, e.g., Frans Boone). I've also found the Barrie-lasted tanker boots can go rugged or clean up for use with chinos. For a final consideration, maybe if chromexcel leather might run the risk of getting scuffed over time, you could entertain a boot in reverse tobacco chamois, like Yenni's wingtip boot makeup. It kicks butt in foul weather, reads to non-Alden-shoe-nerds like elegant suede, and requires basically no maintenance.

If you're very attached to the trubalance last, maybe a different approach is to think about the style of pants and jacket worn at the office. I've seen Indys dressed up in a smart way by the Engineered Garments and Arpenteur fans who somehow pull off the venn diagram of military-inspired clothing playing with French and American classic workwear vibes with a hint of Japanese edginess and texture (First Generation Ivy Kid on Financial Aid goes to War...). See, e.g., EG's baker jackets paired with ground pants and maybe a Gitman BD or band collar. I'm in full-time psychoanalytic practice and my clients have commented that they enjoy stuff like this as a departure from the average expectable male professional look consisting of the standard blue oxford paired with some sort of non-descript JosABank suit.

TLDR: wear what you like, like what you wear and own your look!