It appears I have been bitten by the Alden bug. This last Saturday wore my new AE Park Avenues. Love em. But I think coming very soon I will try the Alden 907’s. I have opted to go with this last because as I’ve aged I’ve noticed I like more room in the toes. So I did ask about the Aberdeen last and unless I were ever in SF (a near rarity it ever happens again) to try it on I think the 907’s are my best bet.

Can anyone that owns both A 907 and AE PA comment of the differences in fit?

 

Wish I could be of help but my only AEs are a pair of shell tassle loafers...and my only Alden oxfords are a pair of Brooks Brothers black shell wingtips on the m75 last. I do have a pair of George Boots on the same last as the 907...but I haven't worn them yet. 🙄😬😜

 

My 2nd ever pair of Shells (and Alden). Going on 15 years now (😱). Medallion cap toe derbies in #8 shell cordovan on the Aberdeen last..

 

Ravello Shell Cordovan PTB on Barrie Last

Cheers!

 

Short wings in #8 shell lakeside yesterday..

 

Maiden voyage for these George Boots in Whiskey Shell Cordovan. Had them since June but the right occasion never presented itself.

 

Maiden voyage for these George Boots in Whiskey Shell Cordovan. Had them since June but the right occasion never presented itself.

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Magnificent!

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, behold my latest acquisition.

Whiskey Shell Cordovan Norwegian Split Toe on Plaza Last!

Happy 2025!

 

Fantastic! If we were the same size I might consider venturing into burglary 😅

 

986 penny loafer LHS, cordovan, color #8.

I hope the heel slippage calms down somewhat. I put my custom insoles in the shoes and they feel very comfortable otherwise. I believe it was Jim Smith at the Alden Shop in SF (where I bought the shoes) whom I spoke with via phone and he recommended I wear them around the house on carpet for a few days and then make a decision to keep or return (how cool is that?). These are size 6D, their smallest size in this style. I really want to keep these kicks so I hope they work out. They are gorgeous!

Does anyone here have experience with this style and potential heel slippage?

 

I had fairly significant heel slippage with the 986, but it felt great in length and width, and I had no pinching at the top of my foot by the strap. It took a while, but I wound up with no slippage under normal walking. If I tried to walk very quickly, it would slip a bit. It has been suggested that the stiff oak bark tanned sole is the main cause of slippage, and breaking this in plus general molding of the shoe to one’s foot reduces or eliminates it.

 

I too have the #8 LHS on Van Last. Fantastic shoe in every way. I was fortunate enough to grab the BB variant which is completely unlined and thus very, very comfortable. Enjoy your newest acquisition @Preppy Climber!

 

Thank you, @Watchman!

 

Just got these plain toe boots in Ravello back a couple nights ago. Purchased them in October. Took a month to get the shoe trees. Shipped to my brother (alden US stores can't ship out of the US). Got them to Switzerland in January. Opened the package...flaw on the toe box. Back to the shop, on to Alden for 6 weeks (missed stich), and now in my closet. I really like the shop. I really like the lady I dealt with. I really like the model. Not overly thrilled at having a new pair that needed to be redone out of the box...and that you can still see some indentations on the toe box ..but in this case I'm just going to put it aside and enjoy the boots.....they're footwear, not museum pieces. Hate to waste all the back/forth and time/energy. Probably wouldn't get the Swiss taxes back either.

The damaged area(s)..

 

Note as to how dark the Ravello is compared to other Ravello and next to #8 (abeit older, faded #8).... I really love the shade...but it's a good example as to the variance in what Alden describes as Ravello

 

I have had Alden tassels in No. 8 that were a lovely deep brown and others that were almost black. Time in the sun makes a big difference. I prefer the brown.

 

@justonemore at this juncture, it is worth noting that while Alden are generally incredible footwear, their models are unique and highly collectible etc.

The glaring shortcoming of Alden is obvious in your above experience...their customer service and quality control can be very "hit or miss".

This is unfortunate because those of us who are dedicated to the brand would love to see Alden make strides forward in this regard. Really, this is what hinders Alden from being a true "top tier" shoemaker the most...

Nevertheless, time for those plain toe boots to have a nice sunbath. Have a great day!

 

It's a dilemma. Obviously I'm an Alden fan...but they aren't particularly cheap abd living overseas I get the "privilege" of paying extra for shipping and taxes on Aldens coming out of the US. I get to pay US taxes, have them shipped to friends/relatives in the US, they have to take time and to re-ship them, takes 10 days or so shipping and customs, and then I get to eat the Swiss taxes too...so when something goes wrong.. as in this case...it's a huge pain in the rear. The shop was great and quite supportive. Alden handled the main issue...which shouldn't have existed to begin with..but as long as they were repairing a new pair of shoes they couldn't smooth out the indentations? You mess up and can't get them perfect the 2nd time around? Come on.

And with all this..C^J costs about the same, usually with shipping included, and taxes are only levied in Switzerland. 2 days later I yet my package...and I've rarely heard of C&J QC issues. With shell I prefer the Alden lasting and aethetics..but Alden sure doesn't make it easy for me to remain a dedicated client. Carmina too has QC and customer service issues..but they're cheaper, include shipping, and only Swiss taxes. Makes you want to scream sometimes. 😅

But I agree...part of the fun with Alden is hunting down some of the more unique models out there. I don't have the connections some folks do for rare shell but there's the occasional BNIB Ebay find and I've made a couple connections here and there.

All that being said, I haven't really had all that many issues with Alden myself but I have seen plenty of complaints on TOF..and not just from the whinier members either...this never looks good..

" I’ve got four pairs of Aldens and three of them had issues when they arrived. I’ve got 11 pairs of C&J and I haven’t had a single issue. " 🙄

 

As long as I had them out of the box figured I'd put the Ravello Long Wings to use for Wing Wednesday 😁

 

A couple new pairs added to the Alden collection. Both on clearance for around $400 (or so...currency conversions aren't an exact science 😅). Of course for such a price they're not my usual shell selection.

Chamois Atom derbies (Atom = style of Wing tips combining short and long wings). Earth (colour). Tremont last. 360 Pre-Stitched Reverse Welt

Black calf boots on the Barrie last. Brass hardware. Crepe soles.

 

Very nice. I really like the work boots. I guess a standard 6 inch? And that’s a decent price. I need to wait a few years until I make it back to a 4 season part of the state. I’d have to import winter conditions for Texas swamp country to make them worth the investment and that could get costly. But love them. Very stylish.

 

Haven't measured them..😁.. pretty sure they're the same height as my other Alden lace up boots...interesting question though ..now Ill have to measure them all when I get home. 😅

 

I did not yet read through all this said yet, but I'm glad to hear that Alden has still got it.

I sent a few pair made on the, what's that last that's supposed to be more anatomical? My memory loss is kicking in here this evening.

As I was saying, I sent a few pair to another forum member to sell on eBay. He had done this for me pre-pandemic I believe it was with quite a bit of success. He said however that right now the market is not good for them. These are shoes that are barely worn, I mean barely.

Funny how the markets change, isn't it? I haven't looked into myself, but take his word for it.

 

I did not yet read through all this said yet, but I'm glad to hear that Alden has still got it.

I sent a few pair made on the, what's that last that's supposed to be more anatomical? My memory loss is kicking in here this evening.

As I was saying, I sent a few pair to another forum member to sell on eBay. He had done this for me pre-pandemic I believe it was with quite a bit of success. He said however that right now the market is not good for them. These are shoes that are barely worn, I mean barely.

Funny how the markets change, isn't it? I haven't looked into myself, but take his word for it.

I suppose consumer confidence is hard to measure. In these uncertain times folks might give a pass on luxury shoes...a bit of a niche market anyways.

A few long winded considerations...

There are lots of used shoes on ebay. If something makes your pairs special then perhaps they'd sell. Color #2 Alden Long Wngs below retail? They'd probably go quick even with a few wears. But I've been watching a pair of Cigar Long Wings for over 6 months. Listed below retail but still there even though worn only a couple times. Same with the Brand New In Box Cigar Shell loafers which have been listed 14 months. The BNIB Whiskey shell boots I thought might sell quite quickly are still there after a month. I've gotten numerous pairs of BNIB "rare shell" off of ebay the past year, I have a couple BNIB options available right now. I don't keep much of am eye on the used market as I'm not into "vintage/used" shoes but I get ebay notifications on shell and there doesn't seen to be a shortage of used Alden shell.. some of it going for rather low prices

Standard model shoes? Might be waiting awhile to find an interested buyer. And of course the price will have to be attractive (and they are always deals to be found). Odd sizes, odd detailing might make it harder to find a buyer.

And speaking of price. How much energy does the potential seller want to put into packing the shoes, getting them shipped, people demanding returns, etc for what price? I have pairs that see little use that I could probably get rid of but I don't want to kill off half a day for a pair of Carmina's that I might get a few hundred for...and of course there's another half a day getting listed on ebay.

 

I see your point. So maybe he's meaning that it's the whole market for luxury kids as opposed to Alden in particular.

I totally get it about what's involved with selling, shipping, and so forth. That's why I sent everything over to him. He does it as sort of a sideline and sold some Aldens for me pre-pandemic. He himself is probably a compulsive thrifter. I think he told me he had a whole garage full of clothes that he had picked up here and there.

I'm realizing there are some things I do just to pass the time and to get some kind of strange enjoyment out of. For example, my machete got all rusty and I've been periodically putting some effort into taking all the rust off. I could probably just buy a new machete for all the time and effort I put into it. On the other hand, I got to play with some rust dissolver, and get out my electric palm sander and play with that. I've got a couple of weeks off and I think I've been into harbor freight a few times and home Depot once or twice. Not just for the machete but for various. It makes me feel manly while on a break from my usual duties.

Some guys get a lot of satisfaction from polishing and caring for their shoes. Then there is P&P who is quite innovative in his clothing and shoe customization for himself.

So I'm thinking about your organizing project, and that apart from the satisfaction it gives the added benefit of reducing clutter and making your shoes easy to find.

Can you remind us, or do you know, how many pairs of shoes do you have? . I'm just curious about the scale of this project. Or maybe you shouldn't count them. Who was it that had a streak of bad luck after deciding he needed to do a census and count everything. Was it Pharaoh?

I started out yesterday looking for a wing nut bit for my drill. As I looked more and more places and realized how disorganized things were, the search for the wing nut bit was abandoned and it ended up being an all day organizing project (which has barely made a dent in the chaos). I told some friends that when I retire, I could probably spend a whole year trying to get my place squared away, lol.

🙏

Disclosure: This post was not written using AI or any other type of intelligence.

tldr thanks for your reply, and also blah blah blah etc

 

Almost missed your post...

I have a bit north of 50 pairs. That's probably the best way of putting it. Hard to keep exact count. And do I count them all? The ones in storage the past decade? The ones that have fallen out of favour and haven't been worn in years?

Unfortunately your premise is mistaken. I was not organizational project versus just taking pictures of shoes. I only got a few groups done before the kids got home and I had to call it quits.

I enjoy maintaining my possessions well enough but I'm not obsessive about it. Brush and wipe down whatever I wore fore the day. Perhaps a spot of cream if victimized by a public transport orgre. I don't get into mirror shining my shoes versus what I consider a bit more natural glow...so...maybe 5-10 minutes a night spent on shoe maintenance (unless I'm caught in a storm or have spent the day walking off trail).

I am not really a project or organization type. I would hire out most things and I'd probably just hit the store for a new case of organized bolts and screws versus trying to sort the out. I'd much rather spend my afternoon walking lakeside than going through things I have little need of. I keep my closet and kitchen well organized. The other areas of the home are corrupted by the home's other occupants. I keep these areas "neat"...but organization is almost short of impossible... bar instilling military rule...and I'm not willing to promote the wife to 5 star general. 😅.

I'm mostly a city dweller living in a flat. Some of the projects I might be interested in taking up are rather inconvenient. Forget gardening and having a classic jaguar in the garage to tinker around with. No home shop. I enjoy shooting but not enough to get out very often. The chalet is rented out far more than I'm ever there nowadays. Everyone is extremely busy throughout the week with heavy activities on the weekends. My free time is spent walking lakeside/hiking, reading, listening to music, and traveling. I enjoy cooking and being in the kitchen but won't pretend to be Gordon Ramsey or whoever. 😜

 

Gentlemen,

I wanted to post pics of my most recent acquisition.

Alden Ravello Shell Cordovan Norwegian Split Toe on Plaza Last with Brass Eyelets.

They are a classic example of Alden boot-making. You will notice the top notch attention to details on this pair.

Enjoy!