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

[docalden2013]

I have 2 pair of shoes on the Plaza last, #8 monks and cigar PTB with 6 eyelets, and they are 2 of my favorites during the week with dress slacks and/or jacket.

I had a pair of plaza PT boots and ended up selling them as I couldn't get comfortable with wearing them casually.....hopefully the SF member that now has them is enjoying them!

Similar to you Doc, they seemed to dressy for me when I tried to pair them with chinos or jeans.....strange because the look so good when others post their pics on this thread.

Everybody has their own preferences......for me a lot of it is trial and error with finding what works for the individual with their style.....I have bought a number of make ups that I thought I would love but the just didn't feel right with what I tried to wear them on a day-to-day basis.

Sorry I didn't get a chance to follow up earlier. I was with my sick child all day and he's finally stopped coughing long enough to get to sleep.

I agree with you. To each his own regarding dressiness, last shape and what works with one's wardrobe. Perhaps I should have restricted my comment on plaza lasted shoes to the medallion captoe (as I said, I think it may be more a thing with me regarding the 6 eyelets than the plaza last itself). I can see how, for example, a king monk on plaza would look nice. It is indeed trial and error. I've tried MrDV combos and have gotten compliments, but then have tried other heavy hitters' aesthetic and gotten strange looks from people close to me.

It really comes down to this - personal style.

Plaza is easily my favorite last for boots (and I also own, or have owned, Alden boots on Barrie, TruB, Aberdeen, and Grant). I have Plaza boots in WT, NST, plain toe, and captoe. The first three are 360 welt and commando. The captoe is 270 welt and double leather. Of the four, I consider the captoe the dressiest. I wear them all in casual and business casual settings.

Plaza is not my favorite last for shoes, but I do not dislike it for shoes.

Seven, you're right. Last-appropriateness is in the eye of the beholder. Kind of like the question about whether wt boots are ok with suits.

 

[docalden2013]

Due to the awesome weather this winter, I’ve been bagging my shoes are carrying them in to work. For some reason, I’ve been reaching for my #8PTBs once a week. Wearing these so often has reminded me why these were the first Aldens that I wanted from Day 1.

Here they are, dirtied from a walk at lunch, where the rain came down and the slushy puddles are still abound.

I thought you said these got dirtied on your walk? They look great!

 

[docalden2013]

Hello everyone. My new Alden x Epaulet Natural CXL longwings arrived today, and the craftsmanship looks a little off to me. Before I contact Epaulet, I'd like to get your opinion on the shoes.

The left shoe looks fine to me, but I immediately noticed that the brogue holes on the right shoe looked a little off-center, twisted to the side a little. (See photos.) The top view doesn't seem to look so bad.

One the one hand, I spent $500 on these shoes, so I'd like them to be made better. On the other hand, they are hand-crafted, and some people believe it's the little imperfections that make hand-crafting worthwhile.

Personally, I'm leaning towards the "I spent $500, so I'd like them to be made better" hand, but...am I too picky?

I'd appreciate any opinions.

Thanks in advance,
Christopher

Left Shoe


Right Shoe


Top View

They're shoes, not rembrandts, as a famous senior member has said. I myself have been forgiving at times of the variations in quality with our handcrafted shoes. That said, your pics suggest that the only good resolution would be for you to send them back, Ep to apologize and take good care of you.

 

[ATLVol]

I feel you Doc......my 4 year old daughter was down for nearly a week with a virus recently......not much fun...hope all is well soon.

I actually like the snug feel of the 6-laced model and the Plaza-lasted shoes seem to be the best fit for my foot.

These are among my favorites, and happened to come from Harrison, Ltd a couple of years ago.....they told me at the time they were on the "new Barrie" last.....it was my 2nd Alden purchase and I didn't know any better but I am fairly certain they are Plaza as the overall look and feel is very similar to the #8 monks from LeatherSoul.

 

[docalden2013]

Go with the Indy. More versatile.

It seemed to me that the Indy design is more versatile for a jeans and workwear-centered wardrobe, but...

+1, I actually think the wingtip boot is significantly more versatile than the Indy. But that might just be me.

...I actually find myself reaching much more frequently for the wingtip boots in my collection--whether I'm dressing casually, business casually (with an emphasis on the business), or casually for business. I think it could be that the perforations and undulating lines of the wt add elegance that is not overstated when paired with certain welts, whereas the Indy design in my eyes never fully deviates from a rugged look.

I would get the #8 wing tip boot.

If men in America followed MrDV's wardrobe advice, some of my bicycle-toe, dad-jean wearing friends would not be made fun of by my European friends for being provincial and ungraceful. No offense to the Indys; I'm not calling them provincial or ungraceful. A patient of mine, who has never once noticed any of my shoes, complimented me on my cxl indys on a day we had crazy snow and I came to the office for an emergency appointment with her in jeans and a sweatshirt.

Indy boots are great but they are among the least versatile styles of Alden boots.

This. And I need to learn how to write more concisely.

 

[docalden2013]

#8 shell cordovan wing tip boot from TSM for sure. I have already put a "reservation" in for a pair myself a few weeks back.

In other news, looks like I have a pair of Frans Boone "Indy's" en route.

I'll be calling a few retailers to try and scratch my wt in 8 on Barrie itch tomorrow. It's all your fault, guys. I was going to be done for a while.

Congrats on your FBI's. I hope you receive a top quality pair replete with Horween stamp on the tongue!

 

[sevenfoldtieguy]



Due to the awesome weather this winter, I’ve been bagging my shoes are carrying them in to work. For some reason, I’ve been reaching for my #8PTBs once a week. Wearing these so often has reminded me why these were the first Aldens that I wanted from Day 1.

Here they are, dirtied from a walk at lunch, where the rain came down and the slushy puddles are still abound.

A guy can never go wrong reaching for the color 8 PTBs. I would recommend them as the first pair for any new Alden convert - either the Alden for BB version or the 990. Well done.

 

[docalden2013]

I feel you Doc......my 4 year old daughter was down for nearly a week with a virus recently......not much fun...hope all is well soon.

I actually like the snug feel of the 6-laced model and the Plaza-lasted shoes seem to be the best fit for my foot.

These are among my favorites, and happened to come from Harrison, Ltd a couple of years ago.....they told me at the time they were on the "new Barrie" last.....it was my 2nd Alden purchase and I didn't know any better but I am fairly certain they are Plaza as the overall look and feel is very similar to the #8 monks from LeatherSoul.

Dear ATL,

It's awful when such young kids are down for the count with a tough virus. It's been a tough illness season here in the northeast. I hope your daughter has fully recovered! My son has had a rough couple of days, but I honestly am excited to have had the opportunity to be home with him. We watched action movies and played chess most of the day. Time away from work may mean fewer pairs of fresh shell to brush around here, but his head on my shoulder as we watched movies in the basement was a far more precious moment than the unboxing of the FB indys.

Thank you for sharing the pics of the Plaza shoes. You are helping to disabuse me of my mistaken understanding of the Plaza last. In your image, the 6 eyelets look great. Maybe my issue was simply with whatever angle the medallion captoe was taken from. (I'm still convinced that I wouldn't have worn them enough given that I'd more likely have been defaulting to the ravello lwb over the mct). And those monks--so lovely! Again, makes me wish there was a double monk offered by Alden.

Have a good night! -d

 

[docalden2013]

What is the alden dc cigar cap toe boot going for these days

Most sought-after plausibly-obtainable grail boot of the month.

 

[docalden2013]

Can someone please clarify Barrie-lasted chukka sizing for me? (My son is coughing and intermittently waking up tonight, so I'm not sure I can delve into the archives to recall each opinion on the matter...) My hazy memory at this hour seems to be recalling that the Barrie chukkas fit particularly loosely, with some thinking a drop of 1 full size from tts was the way to go. I don't recall if this applied to shell, calf or cxl barrie chukkas or all of the above.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

[thebeebs]

^ I wear my chukkas in the same size as my Barrie shoes, which is 1/2 size down from TTS. What makes your feet swim in the shoes, IMO, is not the last size/shape, but rather the fact that there is a shitload of upper shell material and only two eyelets on each side to cinch it all together. Very little stability.

 

[mdubs]



Can someone please clarify Barrie-lasted chukka sizing for me? (My son is coughing and intermittently waking up tonight, so I'm not sure I can delve into the archives to recall each opinion on the matter...) My hazy memory at this hour seems to be recalling that the Barrie chukkas fit particularly loosely, with some thinking a drop of 1 full size from tts was the way to go. I don't recall if this applied to shell, calf or cxl barrie chukkas or all of the above.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

^ I wear my chukkas in the same size as my Barrie shoes, which is 1/2 size down from TTS.  What makes your feet swim in the shoes, IMO, is not the last size/shape, but rather the fact that there is a shitload of upper shell material and only two eyelets on each side to cinch it all together.  Very little stability.

I personally go with my standard Barrie size on Chukkas (TTS - 1/2)...

-Mike

 

[ReppTiePrepster]

RTP, those are absolutely amazing shoes. I really love the color / design combination...

I can't believe it, I FORGOT to take a picture of my shoes today!!! Got too busy at work too quickly...

-Mike

Much thanks my friend. The color is starting to develop nicely.

 

[ReppTiePrepster]

Quote:
+1

 

[Michigan Planner]



^ I wear my chukkas in the same size as my Barrie shoes, which is 1/2 size down from TTS.  What makes your feet swim in the shoes, IMO, is not the last size/shape, but rather the fact that there is a shitload of upper shell material and only two eyelets on each side to cinch it all together.  Very little stability.

This.

I personally go with my standard Barrie size on Chukkas (TTS - 1/2)...

-Mike

And this.


I have a two-eyelet chukka in #8 and a black shell six-eyelet chukka, both in 7.5D (which is the same size as most of my other Barrie lasted shoes) and they both fit the same around the bed of the foot and in the toe and heel. The six-eyelet chukka is significantly more stable around the ankle though. After experiencing both, I don't think I could comfortably drop down a half size in the two-eyelet chukka.