Doesn't Alden make the Brooks Peal line? They're made in the US, so I sort of figured they did...of course, I could be completely wrong. Anyways, I do like the Aldens, but prefer C&J for most shoes.

 

Alden bal 907

I have a pair of Alden 907, a black calf captoe bal, that I like a lot and it's one of my workhorse. I have AE park ave as well. But it seems to me AE park ave gets all the attention as far as a good value captoe bal goes. Perhaps, your impression is right that Alden bals do not get enough repect.

~Alex

 

abc123, I think most Peals are still made in England by Seargent. There is one C & J (the perf cap bal I think) and at least one USA made. A mixed bag and a bit confusing for those of us who follow these things more closely than is considered healthy.

Alex - I agree about the AE Park Avenue. Perhaps it is better loved because it is easier to find on sale.

Regarding the above mentioned retailers, they may think that anyone who will shell out for an Alden cordovan will have no issues with the cost of the English calf bal. They may have a point. Personally, I consider the cordovan to be an extravagance and welcome the chance to save a few bucks on calf.

 

Longwing,

You are correct, the Peal line is mostly made in England. To make sure I wasn't nuts, I checked the BB website, and it is the "Dress Calfskin" line that is made in the US. The pricing seems in line with Alden, do they make this line? I wish they would make it easy on us and just say on on the site...

 

My understanding is that the 907 is Alden's bestselling shoe. Why the shell cordovan equivalent 9071 is not a standard offering is beyond me. Fortunately, it is available. Citishoes $445 and The Shoemart $500. IMO, this is the ultimate suit shoe.

 

Peal is Brooks' made in England line. At one time Peal was a bespoke maker and sold the name rights to Brooks for a RTW line. Eventually Peal the bespoke maker was no more but Brooks still used the name for RTW. Edward Green made the Peal shoes for some years then Crockett & Jones. There seems to be a shift to Sargeant currently. There was also a "Brooks English" line at one time apparently made by Church's.

Of course Brooks has a longstanding relationship with Alden as well, and those are simply "Made in the USA" Brooks Brothers shoes with no other designation to my knowledge.

 

There was also a "Brooks English" line at one time apparently made by Church's.

I believe that to be correct: my oldest church's (labeled as such) came from BB in the olden days of yore. Sadly, as I lamented some time ago, those church's and a perfect straw boater I bought from bb on the same day went to goodwill by accident during our last move in 2002. Thankfully, I was able to replace them from stock made prior to prada at heavily discounted prices at Neiman's when they discontinued the line.

 

Even our very own Leather Soul turns his back on the lowly Alden bal in favor of Edward Greens.

Any ideas? Yes, Tom, I'm talking to you.

Hey now, I have nothing but love for the Alden bal! The 907 is a great seller for me and I think it should be a part of every well dressed American man's wardrobe.

I do have a very nice burnished walnut wingtip bal that sold very well as well and a saddle bal with tan suede and brown calf in the works.

Yes, I do agree that maybe the Alden bal doesn't get enough respect, but I sure think they're great!

Hmmm, maybe it's time to start thinking of more unique bal styles...

 

Views of the 907 and 932, both in black calf.

 

I don't know that I've ever seen that Alden plain toe bal. That's a great looking shoe.

 

I don't know that I've ever seen that Alden plain toe bal. That's a great looking shoe.

Yeah, I'm thinking that with a high shine it would make a great tuxedo shoe, yet could also be worn with a suit.

 

Hmmm, maybe it's time to start thinking of more unique bal styles...

How about a true Balmoral (in the British sense of the word) like the EG Gladstone, with polo suede above the line and cigar shell cordovan below? Or all cigar shell cordovan if the suede-and-cordovan combo seems too out there.

 

So LeatherSOUL is off the hook. Since he features only his Aloha Edition Aldens on his website, and since people are understandably less adventurous with their bals than bluchers and loafers.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking that with a high shine it would make a great tuxedo shoe, yet could also be worn with a suit.

They seem to make it in formal patent as well as calf. I would agree with you that a black calf could certainly do double duty. One could simply buy some ribbon laces to switch in.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking that with a high shine it would make a great tuxedo shoe, yet could also be worn with a suit.

I have a pair and use them for just that purpose as well as wear with suits.

 

Aren't these cordovan bals from Brooks made by Alden?

https://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCa...oductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=225&Product_Id=1075654&Parent_Id=522

 

my oldest church's (labeled as such) came from BB in the olden days of yore. Sadly, as I lamented some time ago, those church's and a perfect straw boater I bought from bb on the same day went to goodwill by accident during our last move in 2002.

That's tragic, tho' I am glad to hear that you were able to locate a replacement pair.

I'm wearing right now a pair of the made-by-prePradabuyout-Church's "BrooksEnglish" captoes in burgundy calf that are going on 20 years old and still have their original, supertough oak-tanned soles.

They cost $215 new, which seemed like a truly astronomical sum to me at the time (I was just out of grad school) but have turned out to be one of the best investments in a wardrobe item that I've ever made.

 

Aren't these cordovan bals from Brooks made by Alden?

https://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCa...oductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=225&Product_Id=1075654&Parent_Id=522

No doubt.

 

Some would argue that the strip of perfing makes the shoe less formal and hence less desirable.

 

I've got a pair of the 909's in black, and they're nice shoes, but if I had it to do over, I'd have gotten the 957's or 971's instead. Over time, I've come to prefer the blucher style -- partly on aesthetic grounds, partly because my instep prefers them, too.

 

I've got a pair of the 909's in black, and they're nice shoes, but if I had it to do over, I'd have gotten the 957's or 971's instead. Over time, I've come to prefer the blucher style -- partly on aesthetic grounds, partly because my instep prefers them, too.

Everyone should have at least 1 pair of bals. Well, almost everyone. There are those who will wear nothing but loafers, but they are not as vocal here as they once were.

 

Some would argue that the strip of perfing makes the shoe less formal and hence less desirable.

The perfed strip does make the shoe a notch less formal: Not formal enough for morning dress, for example, but still plenty formal to wear with even the more formal end of the suit spectrum (navy pinstripes and such).

But therefore categorically "less desirable"? I don't think that follows.

 

The perfed strip does make the shoe a notch less formal: Not formal enough for morning dress, for example, but still plenty formal to wear with even the more formal end of the suit spectrum (navy pinstripes and such).

But therefore categorically "less desirable"? I don't think that follows.

I understand what you are saying. We all have our everyday workhorse shoes. Some perfing is fine. Bluchesr are fine.

However, if I am in a full-on formal context, I want a full-on formal shoe. The guys who wear anything less are often perceived as either ignorant or arrogant…neither of which helps to advance their cause.

If for some reason I were limited to only two pairs of shoes, I'd opt 9071's and 986's. With those two shoes, you are covered for nearly every context you are likely to encounter. The same can not be said for bluchers or perfed shoes. So perhaps while not "categorically" more desirable, I do see them as being a superior choice on more than one level.

 

Kingsfield,

As one who is contemplating purchasing the Perf Cap cordo in No. 8, please inform me of the types of events at which I would be better off in a 9071. I doubt that I will be attending any such events, but it's best to be well informed. For me, the need to wear a suit is pretty much limited to weddings, funerals, fund raisers, rubber chicken dinners and other evening social gatherings. The chances that I would need a black cap toe bal in a business setting is extreemly remote. No, non-existant. Neither do I forsee any White House dinners.

Thanks,

LW

 

I think too much is being made of the formality difference because of the punch/perfing on the cap. See this thread, particularly this post by manton:

Thinking along purely rational, aesthetic lines, the plain cap should be more formal, on the principle that less decoration usually means more formal. Nonetheless, in the extant 30s sources, the punch cap had the edge as the preferred daytime formal shoe. A remnant of this tradition can still be observed today, for instance, in the E.G. Shannon, a punch cap bal boot identical to the daytime formal boot most common before WW2. Personally, I prefer punch to plain caps.

Who would consider someone else ignorant or arrogant based on cap perfing, especially on a business shoe?