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

[tifosi]



Alex from Harrison's was kind enough to send me these two pics of the Cigar PTB on Aberdeen. It's an interesting make-up; looks to be on the formal side with its sleek last, 270 flat welt with closed heel, and what appears to be a single leather sole, but the light or mid-tan welt screams casual. The shade looks pretty cool, like older Cigar; not very dark unless the lighting of the pic is deceiving. I would have preferred a double oak sole, but it appears to be single. Not sure yet if I want to pull the trigger?? Any thoughts?? @REguy

Spoiler

They look really nice. Looks like Plaza to me also. If I was a plain toe guy I might pull the trigger.

 

[mdubs]

Ravello PTB

Spoiler

-Mike

 

[mdubs]



Snuff LHS today: THE most comfortable...

Sir, I agree. The Unlined LHS is essentially a fancy dress slipper. Super light and amazingly comfortable. I would say my tan and snuff suede are equally comfortable though. ;-)

 

[tv2177]



Snuff LHS today: THE most comfortable...

love the shoe and sock combo!

 

[ironclad]



Ravello PTB

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Spoiler

-Mike

Beautiful, Mike. I'm a big fan of Ravello ptbs.

 

[REguy]

Let's get deep. How long have you guys been in the Alden game and why? It seems like there have been a number of members who have joined SF within the last couple years, discovered Alden, and have gone hog wild with purchases. Is the recent irrational exuberance for Alden due to the Interwebs saying they're cool, a return to traditional aesthetics, the thrill of the hunt for rare shell colors, hoarding mentality, etc.? Do you see yourself sticking with the brand long term, or is Alden just a passing fad in your sartorial evolution?

 

[ReppTiePrepster]

Let's get deep. How long have you guys been in the Alden game and why? It seems like there have been a number of members who have joined SF within the last couple years, discovered Alden, and have gone hog wild with purchases. Is the recent irrational exuberance for Alden due to the Interwebs saying they're cool, a return to traditional aesthetics, the thrill of the hunt for rare shell colors, hoarding mentality, etc.? Do you see yourself sticking with the brand long term, or is Alden just a passing fad in your sartorial evolution?

I certainly love the various shell colors and love the traditional, American-made aesthetic. My most recent purchases though, have been non-shell make-ups... brown Chrmxl unlined-PTBs, snuff PTBs, snuff LWBs, tan suede/blue chrmxl saddles, and the 403. At the end of the day, the comfort that double leather soles, Alden construction, and Alden lasts provide, make wearing dressy and sharp-looking casual make-ups fun again. Never thought I could enjoy wearing leather soled shoes especially at my age (40, I know it's not that old) and after several knee surgeries.

In sum, sharp-looking, very comfortable, American-made, high quality shoes keeps me coming back for more. I should also add that I have a bit of an obsessive personality. When I find something that fits comfortably I can go a little overboard, whether it's Aldens, golf shoes, pants, dress shirts, etc... I'll usually snag a bunch of them. I've been acquiring Alden shoes for 4 years now and will likely slow down with newer acquisitions but continue to enjoy the bunch that I have.

Nice introspective prompt, REguy...

 

[movoblast]

Let's get deep. How long have you guys been in the Alden game and why? It seems like there have been a number of members who have joined SF within the last couple years, discovered Alden, and have gone hog wild with purchases. Is the recent irrational exuberance for Alden due to the Interwebs saying they're cool, a return to traditional aesthetics, the thrill of the hunt for rare shell colors, hoarding mentality, etc.? Do you see yourself sticking with the brand long term, or is Alden just a passing fad in your sartorial evolution?

I'm in my mid-twenties and decided I needed some "grown up clothes". I'm still in the beginning stages of changing my wardrobe. I started off with Allen Edmonds but their lasts just don't work as well as the barrie last does on my feet. What attracts me to Aldens? They are very comfortable, and I don't like European sleek lasts. I like that most makeups are on barrie or on similarly clunky lasts. They look a little more laid back than sleeker lasts offered by European shoemakers, where I feel like I should always be sporting them with a sleek fitted gucci suit.

I don't have nearly as many pairs as you guys, but I think that's because I've only bought the couple pairs I've found on discount. I think my first full price purchase will be the ravello LWB with Adam. The only other pairs I would gladly pay full price for are the Cigar captoes, Ravello wingtip boots, and the tanker boots. Other than those, I would only buy if there is a discount of some sort. I do see myself sticking with this brand because they are very comfortable on my feet.

 

[Shawnc]



#8 Dovers in need of some TLC after a few wears. I've been living in these recently.

Spoiler

Wow, these look really good. I just ordered my first pair of dovers from Unionmade and I can only hope they age this nicely.

 

[sacafotos]

#8 Dovers in need of some TLC after a few wears. I've been living in these recently.

Spoiler

Wow, these look really good. I just ordered my first pair of dovers from Unionmade and I can only hope they age this nicely.

Which pair did you get?

 

[prez]

Not very close IMO. The first shot is the Carmina's, Alden Cigar, and King. The Cigar's just came back from being refinished so they are likely the 'new' cigar which is darker than some of the older models. The second shot swaps the King for AE Dalton's.

[/IMG]

Shawn, what is your size in Carmina comparing to Alden?

 

[kwhitelaw]

Let's get deep. How long have you guys been in the Alden game and why? It seems like there have been a number of members who have joined SF within the last couple years, discovered Alden, and have gone hog wild with purchases. Is the recent irrational exuberance for Alden due to the Interwebs saying they're cool, a return to traditional aesthetics, the thrill of the hunt for rare shell colors, hoarding mentality, etc.? Do you see yourself sticking with the brand long term, or is Alden just a passing fad in your sartorial evolution?

got in back in '09 I think.. pair of 405/3s from jcrew.. kept stumbling across them online in blogs etc.. scored with a 25% off coupon IIRC

now, about 20 pair in or so.. caught the shell bug. some from hoarding, some from the rarity and being in the right place/right time.. collection is mostly shell, sold off most CXL http://imgur.com/a/E0EfD#0 (various pics in imgur link, including none alden)

I think I'm at the point where I only have 4-5 shoes/boots left and I'll be good to go. A couple of these can probably be acquired outside alden (for a cheaper cost and/or better quality), so not sure how much more alden I'll be buying (nor needing)

 

[tv2177]



Let's get deep. How long have you guys been in the Alden game and why? It seems like there have been a number of members who have joined SF within the last couple years, discovered Alden, and have gone hog wild with purchases. Is the recent irrational exuberance for Alden due to the Interwebs saying they're cool, a return to traditional aesthetics, the thrill of the hunt for rare shell colors, hoarding mentality, etc.? Do you see yourself sticking with the brand long term, or is Alden just a passing fad in your sartorial evolution?

I have been on SF for a couple of years now and have been following this thread closely, but my first purchase did not come until recently with my 990.

I always love the idea that Alden is very comfortable, durable, and made in the US. Not to mention the fact that most of their style can be easily dressed up or down. I have the Leffot 975 and Navy CXL indy on order. At this point, I still have a lot of styles that I'd want to get. Such as, 975, 974, Cigar LWB (I lost my chance to Adam's Cigar order so I'll cross my finger for some other maker's offering.), JCrew Tan LWB, Natty LWB, #8 WT Boot, #8 NST, #8 Tanker with commando, #8 Tassels, and maybe some LHSs. I think I am not going to pick up any more PTBs, tho my 990 is a beauty but I am more of a medalion person.

So in the end, comfortable, versataility, durable, made in US is what Alden attracks me for.

 

[bl@ster]



They're definitely Hampton regardless of what J Crew might say. The toe is different, the heel counter is different, and the fit is different. Well, different from the Barrie. They look and fit just like all my other Hampton lasted shoes. While I'm usually not hung up on quality control issues with Alden, I might wind up exchanging this pair for another. The right shoe has a large area where the grain didn't quite get stamped fully, and the leather looks almost like dull, brown tissue paper.

For what it's worth.... (probably not much):

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out about this. I can confirm that these were made on the Barrie last as stated on the item description. If you find they don’t fit well or you are in any way unhappy with them, I’d be glad to facilitate an exchange and look at alternatives with you. We offer a variety of styles through our partnership with Alden—they are all well-built and made to last a lifetime!

Let me know if I can further assist with this or anything else! Always happy to help. My contact information is below for your convenience—feel free to reach out anytime. Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best,
Mary

Mary Feldman
very Personal Stylist
J.Crew

I then asked her if Alden themselves verified this, to which she responded:

Hi,

Yes, this information is straight from Alden.

Best,
Mary

Mary Feldman
very Personal Stylist

She sent this email at 1:15am PST. Given that I'm sure the Alden factory is closed at that hour, I very much doubt that she actually double checked with Alden. Can anyone else chime in on this issue?

 

[Beatlegeuse]



Let's get deep. How long have you guys been in the Alden game and why? It seems like there have been a number of members who have joined SF within the last couple years, discovered Alden, and have gone hog wild with purchases. Is the recent irrational exuberance for Alden due to the Interwebs saying they're cool, a return to traditional aesthetics, the thrill of the hunt for rare shell colors, hoarding mentality, etc.? Do you see yourself sticking with the brand long term, or is Alden just a passing fad in your sartorial evolution?

I've been buying Aldens since 2010, which is right around the time I started becoming interested in buying better (and more expensive) quality clothing. After I started buying Alden, I tried reaching out and buying other brands (at least 5 pair of Carmina, which were all returned or sold, C&J, Sutor Mantellassi, and some other Euro brands), but I never felt comfortable in the sleeker lasts and they never seemed to fit me right or feel comfortable on my feet. After lots of trial and error, I just kept finding myself drifting back to Alden. I have about 7 pair now, way more than I have with any other brand, and I wear most of them pretty much all the time. I also have more suede + CXL than I do shell, but that will probably even out at some point, although I don't see myself ever going overboard with tons of rare shell. Cigar LWB, Ravello wingtip boot, Whiskey PTB...if I have those, I think I'd be all set with rare shell and I wouldn't bother trying to find any other pairs. There was a question posed ITT a few weeks ago about whats on your dream list, and I could only think of maybe 5-6 pairs that I really want, and after that I wouldn't really have the need for chasing down anything else. For the most part, these things are built like tanks and once I have everything that I could reasonably work into my wardrobe, I wouldn't have a need to fill my closet with shoes that would only get worn once per month.

I don't know if the current popularity plays in here at all...I was on a pre-order for Epaulet's Brixton boot 3 1/2 years ago, and they never delivered but I still want a pair all this time later, and I'm sure if wear the hell out of them for years to come. I don't think that's very representative of being affected by a passing trend.