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

[BlueWord]

Those Natty Brixton boots look great. If only I was more liquid...

 

[Chien]

Hmm so the rough out part is no big deal? it isnt a sign of the leather requiring some serious conditioning from drying out or something?
I got these for about a month and its my first pair of cordovan, so still figuring out the do's and dont's or what is normal and what is not.

Yep I don't really baby them that much, i treat them as normal shoes to the point i wear them to club, I'm not so sure if its such a good idea still with people stepping on them from time to time... Or I dont have to worry about it as its "indestructable"?

But at the end of the day I will always do a wipe with a damp cloth and then try to brush out the scruffs if its possible

 

[NAMOR]

its normal and also common in high-volume last like Barrie and Plaza. Hows the fit on your boot? snug?

 

[CTYGGG]

Cigar PTB

LS CXL NST

 

[CTYGGG]



color 8 ptb
argyles otc

Uncle, outstanding shine & great socks.

 

[cielo]

I hate to ask a size question, but...

I received my first pair of Alden cordos in 9D Barrie (J. Crew WT boots). My Chromexcel Indys are 9D all other makes are 9.5D. The new Barries are a little tight from the back of the toebox to the throat. The length and vamp are fine and I have minimal heel slip, which I would expect to be resolved after break-in.

I don't think I'm an E but from what I've read, these won't stretch very much so maybe that's more appropriate. Is there any hope of them stretching after a month or is this last not for me? I'm on the order for the MTO Whiskey Indy so I'm hoping the 9D Barrie works. FYI, my Indys did not need to stretch when new. Worst case scenario is that I resell them but I would of course like to determine if the best size.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Simplicio]

These posts really have me thinking about another pair of PTBs, this time in cigar. Like the previous poster I would want the commando sole. In the past I have sent shoes back to Alden to switch the soles, but since they no longer do this I suppose I will have to go with B. Nelson. I gather they do a great job, but it would be great if the commando sole were more widely available.

 

[Chien]



its normal and also common in high-volume last like Barrie and Plaza. Hows the fit on your boot? snug?

I'm satisfied with the fit, I dont feel any discomfort from tightness, the fit in the toebox is good, its fits snugly, i dont get any heel slips either.

But then again, I'm inexperienced with how shoes should be fitted.So i do not know what are factors do i have to consider to actually call it a good fit.
What are the other factors anyway if any?

 

[closerlook]



Against all odds, UPS actually delivered my new shell boots in three days. They look a little goofy fresh out of the box, but I bet they'll look better after some breaking in. I stepped into them, and they fit exactly like my LWBs, but minutely snug across the ball of the foot. I'm sure they'll loosen up for a perfect fit.
Bonus: These were advertised as having a single leather sole (and are pictured as such on the J Crew website), which was not my preference. I was happy to see mine show up with a double leather sole!

that's a single leather sole. the split you are seeing is between the sole and the welt.

 

[TWorksheets]



It's an increased liability shipping overseas and the customs are a ***** to deal with. Try shipping internationally a few times and youll know what Im talking about

I thought Shoemart and J. Crew do ship internationally, although the lists of countries are still limited. (especially J. Crew)

To be more specific, I live in Canada. What irks me is that sites such as J. Crew already offer flat shipping rates on everything else they offer, but then turn around and won't even ship their Alden footwear into Canada. I assume that it goes deeper than just 'it's a hassle'. It must be a trade/legal restriction or something.

Also maybe it's because I've never known any other way, but I think people grossly overstate the difficulty of shipping US -> Canada. If we're willing to pay for things such as expedited/express services (which greatly alleviate shipping delays/problems), then why shouldn't Canadian customers have access to those products?

Anyways, more to the point:

Are there any online sites with a wider selection of Aldens that will ship to Canada? I know of Nomad, Roden Gray, etc. but they only stock 2-3 make-ups at a time.

 

[mr chorizo]



Those Natty Brixton boots look great. If only I was more liquid...

they really are...i've been yearning for the natural cxl indy's for a while but now i don't know what to buy. and by buy, i mean fixate on.

 

[mcbrown]



To be more specific, I live in Canada. What irks me is that sites such as J. Crew already offer flat shipping rates on everything else they offer, but then turn around and won't even ship their Alden footwear into Canada. I assume that it goes deeper than just 'it's a hassle'. It must be a trade/legal restriction or something.

Either that, or it is just Alden's attempt to control differentiated pricing across markets by limiting the conditions under which their resellers can ship internationally. Put it this way: how long do you think Alden could charge $1,000+ in Japan for shoes that sell for $650 here, if buying from Tokyo was as easy as ordering in the US and paying shipping?

 

[Bonggoy]

To be more specific, I live in Canada. What irks me is that sites such as J. Crew already offer flat shipping rates on everything else they offer, but then turn around and won't even ship their Alden footwear into Canada. I assume that it goes deeper than just 'it's a hassle'. It must be a trade/legal restriction or something.
Also maybe it's because I've never known any other way, but I think people grossly overstate the difficulty of shipping US -> Canada. If we're willing to pay for things such as expedited/express services (which greatly alleviate shipping delays/problems), then why shouldn't Canadian customers have access to those products?
Anyways, more to the point:
Are there any online sites with a wider selection of Aldens that will ship to Canada? I know of Nomad, Roden Gray, etc. but they only stock 2-3 make-ups at a time.

Do you have to pay for duties when ordering shoes from the USA? If that is the case, that is probably the reason why they don't want to ship to Canada.

 

[zippyh]

To be more specific, I live in Canada. What irks me is that sites such as J. Crew already offer flat shipping rates on everything else they offer, but then turn around and won't even ship their Alden footwear into Canada. I assume that it goes deeper than just 'it's a hassle'. It must be a trade/legal restriction or something.

Also maybe it's because I've never known any other way, but I think people grossly overstate the difficulty of shipping US -> Canada. If we're willing to pay for things such as expedited/express services (which greatly alleviate shipping delays/problems), then why shouldn't Canadian customers have access to those products?

Anyways, more to the point:

Are there any online sites with a wider selection of Aldens that will ship to Canada? I know of Nomad, Roden Gray, etc. but they only stock 2-3 make-ups at a time.

Do you have to pay for duties when ordering shoes from the USA?  If that is the case, that is probably the reason why they don't want to ship to Canada.

Ever heard of NAFTA?

 

[Islander]

Usually no duty on Alden when shipping to Canada (yeah NAFTA) but DHL, UPS, FedEx will act as your default customs broker at the border and crush you with brokerage fees if you let them. USPS is the best option.