Shoes that look better with age...

[Chicken]

^ thanks man.

not to sound backpedal-y, i agree with the above. personally, its just a case by case basis. my experience with used boots is better than used shoes for some reason. maybe most people wear boots differently, and they have different construction as well. certainly i have purchased used shoes that were too molded to someone elses feet, and were never comfortable to wear for long periods of time. i was never able to "reshape" them to my foot... not too mention i have worn used shoes that after i wore them a bit, began to stink and it wasnt me i was smelling, it was someone elses trench foot...ugh.

i might sound backpedal-y too, but there's always that scary factor with used boots -- other people's stanks.

but so far, i've been lucky with my purchases. knock on wood.

about the fit -- that's all the more reason i think we need to know good cobblers. they could help reshape the boots if it doesn't happen enough naturally.

[poly800rock]

did you polish with black on your indy's chicken?

[Chicken]

close but nope. i've been applying some dark brown cream in scuffed areas, then topping them off with a coat of cordovan polish.

[kert]

does anyone know of a good cobbler to send shoes to that will put soft skins on the bottom? can't find shit in dc.

[kert]

i cannot comprehend your request. are you thinking of something like native american moccasins, with rabbit skin soles or the like?

no. more like a thin protective rubber sole to protect the original sole of the boot. i believe cobbler's can do this.

[kert]

think i found one: http://www.shoebeautician.com/shoerepair.html

[Bill2]

think i found one: http://www.shoebeautician.com/shoerepair.html

Just about any shoe repair guy at your local dry cleaners can do this. They will be glued on, not stitched. You can ask for Topy by name, they are a brand like vibram that makes very nice aftermarket sole protectors.

Thank you everyone for your support on the Paul Smith boots. They have already been sold, and are going to a good home!

Make sure to check out the Stronghold thread a little later tonight....I got my custom 17oz super slub natural indigo Straight legs today..... oh sweet mama....

[kert]

thanks bill. tried repping you but it wouldn't let me.

[hawkeye]

Is he wearing his old Aldens?

[ccl127]

I've been reading this forum for a while and bought these. They are too big for me and instead of paying the ridiculous shipping back to Europe, I'm sellin them on ebay. They're brand new, never worn outside.

item # 290186347009

[Chicken]

Is he wearing his old Aldens?

fo sho.

but i think they had to sand them down artificially, for effect.

[proteus]

It almost looks like they had to sand down Harrison Ford's face though. Man is looking almost as ancient as the artifacts he's looking for.

[PG2G]

Those Paul Smith boots are great, I have them in what they call "Nero." I guess that's the color. Its near black but with hints of red, I only notice it in sunlight though.

[nightdeposit]

anyone else with alden 4060s ever have problems with the boots pinching their feet when the creases set? i feel like someone just mentioned it in this thread but i cant find it...

its bumming me out, i just started to break these after a week and the creases in the right boot are bruising the top of my right foot, basically around the base of my big toe... ouch! my hope is that it works itself out, otherwise these are going to be too torturous to wear. argh.

[moykky]

anyone else with alden 4060s ever have problems with the boots pinching their feet when the creases set? i feel like someone just mentioned it in this thread but i cant find it...

its bumming me out, i just started to break these after a week and the creases in the right boot are bruising the top of my right foot, basically around the base of my big toe... ouch! my hope is that it works itself out, otherwise these are going to be too torturous to wear. argh.

What size are those? If it gets too intolerable I can take them nasty boots!

Seriously... I was serious but I've had the same thing in my redwings along with some other issues. It disappeared with some use.

[amlai]

anyone else with alden 4060s ever have problems with the boots pinching their feet when the creases set? i feel like someone just mentioned it in this thread but i cant find it...

its bumming me out, i just started to break these after a week and the creases in the right boot are bruising the top of my right foot, basically around the base of my big toe... ouch! my hope is that it works itself out, otherwise these are going to be too torturous to wear. argh.

Haha... that was me with, but with the AF60s. For me it is my left toe, in exactly same place. I wore them walking to and from the gym for about a week and then for one full day and discovered the hard way that they still hadn't been fully broken in. I have since then worn them to and from the gym for about another week and now they're getting pretty close to being comfortable. I was about to give up on mine.

I recommend wearing slightly thicker socks for a while so as to not bruise your toe so badly. You can also try buying some Dr. Scholl's moleskin padding to pad your foot from the crease.

A trick I tried that supposedly works on calfskin, but I'm not sure it has any effect on cordovan is to pour some rubbing alcohol on your sock in that area to try to act as a shoe stretching solution. I'm not sure if it accelerated the process at all, but I tried it and it didn't do any damage to the shoe.

You can see in this picture where the crease is growing a bump to accomodate the first metatarsal phalangeal joint:

[bathtime]

Any suggestions for a suitable wax/polish for Crockett and Jones Coniston's in the Tan Scotch Grain finish? I'd like to maintain their natural color.

I ordered C&J Tan Wax along with the boots (yet to arrive), but don't know if that will work. I'm a newbie to polishing.

I tried the Conistons on in New York - amazing boots! More elegant and a better fit than the various Trickers I'd tried earlier.

Sizing info fyi. The Coniston's in UK 8.5E seemed a perfect fit. I'm normally a 9 in Converse and a 9.5D in Allen Edmonds. US 8.5 in Red Wing Gentleman's Travelers.

[bankershill]

anyone else with alden 4060s ever have problems with the boots pinching their feet when the creases set? i feel like someone just mentioned it in this thread but i cant find it...

its bumming me out, i just started to break these after a week and the creases in the right boot are bruising the top of my right foot, basically around the base of my big toe... ouch! my hope is that it works itself out, otherwise these are going to be too torturous to wear. argh.

Mine did the same thing for the first couple weeks but they eventually got better. I've actually noticed a little bit of stretching in the width from when I first got them.

[old viking ring]

Is he wearing his old Aldens?

dude next to him is wearing some selvedge as well

[Chicken]

and some engineer boots.

[datasupa]

damn, imagine the fadez indy could achieve if only he'd wear jeans, fleeing from boulders and natives and shit

[mizanation]

yeah, indy fades would be awesome.

i called up the alden store. looks like they are having a sale on the indy's in february. about $30 off. better than nothing.

[mizanation]

some 9.5 indy's on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALDEN-indy-boots-405-9-5-D-Unused_W0QQitemZ320184750154QQihZ011QQcategoryZ63850QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[dunkin deeznuts]

some 9.5 indy's on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALDEN-indy-boots-405-9-5-D-Unused_W0QQitemZ320184750154QQihZ011QQcategoryZ63850QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

damn, popularity on these has definitely risen. i got mine brand new on ebay last year for less then $100

[mizanation]

i think we are partly to blame for this and the renewed popularity of aldens in general.

[Yakboy Equals Nurturer]

haven't worn these yet, considering putting half soles on them...

You should definitely do that. Get taps on the heels as well. I found the leather on the soles of C Diems to wear through really quickly if not protected. $20/$30 to replace the vibram and taps as they wear out and the boots will last long enough to make the price tag worth it

[nightdeposit]

thanks for the feedback fellas... im going to press on, hopefully the situation will right itself. it would be a bummer if these incredible beautiful boots were made especially for masochists only...

ive endured sore hips, blue hands and bruised feet for my interests, heres to pain!

miz, anthony at alden got my information and said there was a private sale 2-3 times a year, ever been? something tells me thats where we'll meet ...

and certainly this board rekindled my interest in aldens. finally i couldnt stand all this shoe porn and had to get some for myself...

[Chicken]

some 9.5 indy's on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALDEN-indy-boots-405-9-5-D-Unused_W0QQitemZ320184750154QQihZ011QQcategoryZ63850QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

definitely not "unworn" like the guy's listing it.

liar!

[Tiro]

chicken your aldens look so damn good with that dark thread and other soles... :eek:

[Happy Hooligan]

definitely not "unworn" like the guy's listing it.

liar!

What year are those from? They have a completely different sole than what I've seen.

And the reason they're going up in price and popularity is be partly due to blame with this thread....

the more people who know... want...