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

[zippyh]



The one hard metric, eBay resale value, seems to indicate new cordovan Alden shoes and boots are probably worth their retail price

I believe the metric for shoes is a binary "do they make me feel pretty".

Dudes just need to accept that we buy these things because we like nice stuff.
So many try to perform some economic analysis to come up with some BS justification to buy nice shoes.

I've gotten to the point when reading this thread that the barrie/grant sizing questions and "is this a defect?" question are just so much noise I just scroll past.
And the regular price increases with the "hell no I won't pay that much for Aldens" posts are just like the passing of the seasons.

 

[cyc wid it]



I believe the metric for shoes is a binary "do they make me feel pretty".

Dudes just need to accept that we buy these things because we like nice stuff.

Pretty much this.

 

[stevent]

This discussion about Alden quality never ends. Same points every single time.

Clearing up space on my computer and found these. Some posted before but redited them now. Back during happier times when I only had these shoes plus 2 Indy boots (403, 404). Way too many shoes now. Also passed up on a Cigar Brixton and Ravello Shortwing during this time too. Those are two out of five that I probably regret passing the most on, along with day dripper, Ravello plaza Indy and color 4 captoe preorder.

 

[docalden2013]

+1, you're a good man Doc...

Thanks for the kind words, rtp! Hope all is well with you and the family

 

[docalden2013]

This discussion about Alden quality never ends. Same points every single time.

Clearing up space on my computer and found these. Some posted before but redited them now. Back during happier times when I only had these shoes plus 2 Indy boots (403, 404). Way too many shoes now. Also passed up on a Cigar Brixton and Ravello Shortwing during this time too. Those are two out of five that I probably regret passing the most on, along with day dripper, Ravello plaza Indy and color 4 captoe preorder.

Wonderful photos. You could have stopped at this point and would already have had a versatile, highly functional collection.

 

[mtc2000]



Some random thoughts on Alden Shell, quality and OCD.  


Aldens, AE's, C&J's, Carminas etc. will not be perfect, they are going to have glitches which we can call character.  They are hand made.  Stitching and finishes are applied by hand and not by a computer controlled machine dolling out exactly the same amount of finish in exactly the same spot on every single pair of size 10D Color 8 LWB's that pass down the line.  

No one should dispute there are variations in quality in the manufacturing process. There will always be some variations in quality. But what should be allowed to be sold to the customer as first quality mechandise? That's QC. I just hope the factory does not lower QC for the sake of improving yield.

 

[Briar Snob]

If anyone is interested in the LS version of the dark brown CXL Tanker please get in touch with Will at LS ASAP. The weirder your size/width the better. The only way I will get my size 12.5D's made anytime soon is by getting LS to include 6 sizes they wouldn't normally order to an existing order. This includes sizes of 11D and up, and I am assuming weird widths. Not LS's fault, it is of course one of Alden's weird stipulations.

I sent Will an email yesterday and just heard back from him. He said that it was too late for the current order, but put me down for a 12.5D for the next run of these -- whenever that is.

 

[bespoken pa]



No one should dispute there are variations in quality in the manufacturing process. There will always be some variations in quality. But what should be allowed to be sold to the customer as first quality mechandise? That's QC. I just hope the factory does not lower QC for the sake of improving yield.

IMO yield is what matters to Alden. Why not? There is no reason for them to change their business model. It has been proven that even with price hikes and QC issues, someone somewhere will buy their products. As shell increases in cost there is more motivation than ever to pass along seconds quality or worse shoes. Add with it the pressure to fill the orders of their retailers.

 

[bespoken pa]

I accept this fact every time I place an order and just hope for the best. I really try to rant if I get a substandard pair bc in the end I know the risks and accept them. Is it frustrating? Sure but I hold my wallet and I am responsible for opening up. Is it right to accept poor QC, it shouldn't be but I do it for a glimpse of that beautiful shell dancing in sunlight.

 

[Alcibiades]

Wearing olive herringbone Epaulet pants tomorrow... Should I wear color 8 plaza captoe boots, whiskey PTB or tan calf wingtip boots? I'll be wearing a camel sweater...

 

[rydenfan]

Thinking tan calf

 

[bkotsko]

Wearing olive herringbone Epaulet pants tomorrow... Should I wear color 8 plaza captoe boots, whiskey PTB or tan calf wingtip boots? I'll be wearing a camel sweater...

#8 plaza

 

[docalden2013]

Wearing olive herringbone Epaulet pants tomorrow... Should I wear color 8 plaza captoe boots, whiskey PTB or tan calf wingtip boots? I'll be wearing a camel sweater...

This is a trick question, right? You'll be good to go in any of the 3. However, when in doubt, I often default to 8. Have you already broken in the plazas? I thought they just came days ago...

You'll be in the DonL / DV league tomorrow.

I keep saying I'm going to Ep up my wardrobe, but the $ keeps going to the category recently known as "shoes I 'need' for spring/summer"

 

[Alcibiades]

It would be the maiden voyage for both the plaza and tan. Both are commando sole. I just got my herringbones hemmed, should have had it done months ago

 

[movoblast]

With these thoughts I would like to point out something that I was told that has greatly helped me with my OCD over the past few years. When I complained to a craftsman about a job he was doing, and in hindsight he was doing it very well, he told me: "if you expect perfection you will always be unhappy, it does not exist. Expect excellence and I will strive to give it to you."

If someone I hired for a job told me that I would have fired him on the spot. I rather have someone with the mindset "I will strive for perfection, and give you excellence."