Shoes that look better with age...

[jdmcnary]

After seeing so many great looking pairs of Roy boots I had to pull the trigger on them myself. Worn em for a couple days now and love them

[Denim Phenom]

There is a pair of 1000 mile wolverine boots on eBay for $160 buy it now, 12D.

[Supawiwi]

Those Roy boots are really nice...

[Thanatos]

Fuck Alden. There, I said it. They must have some serious QC issues because I don't know what the flying fuck is going on. Remember the issues I was having 10 or so pages back with my second pair after the first had some fault? Well I just got my third pair! Special order none the less straight from the factory after a two month wait. And guess what? Fuck alden, thats what...

I really just don't believe it. I'm supposed to send back my other pair in exchange for these. I'm thinking of just driving back to the store and having a word with the owner there. I think I might just take these to a shoe repair shop and see what they can do on my dime.

Does anyone know of a reputable shop preferably around Walnut Creek, though I'll go to the city if I must.

[lostinthesupermarket]

i think Alden are working beyond their real output capacity these days. Their quality control seems to have suffered. The same is true of Red Wing IMO.

Shoe production needs skilled staff so it's near impossible to up output by large amounts quickly without there being problems with quality.

Anyway,I won't buy either brand over the internet these days. I wanna see the actual pair I'm buying before I shell out.

I blame the current mainstream popularity of "Americana" and rather selfishly I hope it all blows over soon.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

wow. haven't bought an alden shoe in more than a year. never had any problem with any of their product.

got my semi-dress yesterday. fit was perfect, thanks in part to the running commentary on sizing in this thread. put it to work immediately as i had to dig out an ancient bush in front of my house. no pics yet but as soon as i get a free minute.

the "distressed roughout" is not really distressed. i was put off by the name but reassured by photos i've seen on .jp boot fetish sites. marketing is not their forte, i guess. the arch-ease system rules. it's like being in a spa and having one of the jets hit you in just the right place, namsaan?

[denimdestroyedmylife]

quick question, so I'm planning on getting my first pair of nice boots, probably a pair of red wing chukkas. I was wondering how they run as far as sizing goes? I can wear anything from a 10 to 11 depending one shoe brand. should I just find one of those feet sizing dealies they have at a lot of shoe stores or is there a quick and dirty way to approximate my actual shoe size?

i've got RW chukkas

same size as chuck taylors

or size down one from your nike SB size

[dr.house]

And again some sneakers-PF Flyers 1943 Rambler high:

[Roguls]

i think Alden are working beyond their real output capacity these days. Their quality control seems to have suffered. The same is true of Red Wing IMO.

Shoe production needs skilled staff so it's near impossible to up output by large amounts quickly without there being problems with quality.

Anyway,I won't buy either brand over the internet these days. I wanna see the actual pair I'm buying before I shell out.

I blame the current mainstream popularity of "Americana" and rather selfishly I hope it all blows over soon.

I would hope for them to expand production to demand in a sustainable way, rather than wish them a smaller market - all of the specialty retailers are creating fantastic styles available nowhere else. Why would you want this to go away? Think of the Roy boot, or any Leathersoul collab, etc.

I recently had some RW 875s special ordered from a local retailer, and I have a pair being re-soled at the factory right now. The craftsmanship on the 875 is astoundingly good; I'm hoping my re-sole goes nearly as well. I just wish Red Wings fit me better (875s giving me pain in left leg right now; trying to break them in).

[lostinthesupermarket]

Well, I wasn't being altogether serious but...

All joking aside, these brands are playing a dangerous game by letting any substandard product out into the marketplace. A lot of peoples enthusiam for these companies and what they make is rooted in the idea that they are committed, above all, to quality. If they give people any reason to doubt that, they are in trouble.

The temptation to make hay while the sun shines and fill whatever amount of orders you can generate, regardless of iother considerations is enormous, but unless you can do so at a consistently high level of quality, you are destroying your brand equity.

I agree with you that the current range of products available from these manufacturers is fantastic and would love to see it ( and their commercial success) continue, so let's hope these are just short-term, transitional problems.

[stabliu]

One big problem with a concentrated effort.to ramp up production like that is the investment cost is usually pretty high and if the level of demand isn't sustained it can lead to severe cut in quality in an effort to recoup the initial investment. Obviously I have no idea what's going through the heads of people that run Alden, but increasing production isn't nearly as simple as just "making more stuff".

[Happy Hooligan]

since it seems it's the same place on every pair you buy.. would a wider size maybe fix that?

[TallyHo]

^ my exact thoughts. i'm not saying you bought the wrong size, because i trust you'd know better than any of us, BUT that looks like a very common problem from buying your boots too narrow.

i have wide feet and have had that sort of thing happen on sneakers a lot. i buy E width aldens no problem - yet.

moreover, simple common sense would be that when it happens to one person 3 times, but doesn't happen to anyone else - the issue is that person's foot / sizing, not the boots.

kinda ridiculous people calling alden out when they've already replaced the pair twice with no questions asked.

put a rivet there. probably look cool anyhow.

[fre-co]

I was under the impression they were like that before he's worn them at all.

Come on Mr Thanatos, are you cramming in your fat feet and busting out the seams of our beloved indy boots?

[Thanatos]

Yes they were like that when I received them. Perhaps one or two stitches have loosened since then but they were bad when I got them. And I was fitted at the Alden shop so I don't think they're too tight, just snug. I have medium wide feet and the shoes are an E width. Also, the other shoe is fine.

Edited just to mention that aldens customer service has been excellent. Only the CQ has been, shall we say, lacking.

[slide13]

Alden QC sucks....which is really too bad because I love their shoes. I have had some issues in the past and recently myself and twice sent in an email expressing my concerns and asking for a reply...never got an email or phone call back. Also tried calling them a number of times and never have gotten an actual person to answer the phone. Maybe their customer service is good once you get a hold of them, but I have never been able to and so far my experience with them really sucks.

That being said I have a wonderful pair of Tankers from Context that are very nicely constructed and have been great boots, along with a pair of Indy boots that are very good, though the cotton lining in the toe of one of them has torn and come loose a little....but I think that is from my toe nail digging into it so not really Alden's fault on that one. Though for the two good pairs I have from them I have had issues with 4 or 5 so not a really good record.

I think I'll stick with White's more in the future, the quality has been very high on their boots (I have 3 pair) and the one time I had trouble their customer service was very good, excellent actually.

[lostinthesupermarket]

I was under the impression they were like that before he's worn them at all.

That was also my understanding.

This is also not the only problem that I have run across with box-fresh Aldens in the last year or so.

QC always seems to be the problem...with Red Wing as well. Materials, design etc are all top notch....but QC seems to be the blind spot. Maybe the QC departments are the last to be allowed recruit extra people and are thus understaffed?

[jake431]

I have two pairs of Aldens, with no issues, but I bought neither pair directly from Alden. It sounds like I should keep a store and their own QC process between myself and Alden for the time being.

[ethandesu]

Wesco Big Boss

I love that these have a rust brown stitch on a black boot. Gives them a great vintage feel. Still deciding if I should cut these down to a shorter boot, or just keep struggling to get them off until they are a bit softer. 5 years young now and still tough as nails, so I don't see these being retired before me.

desu

[Happy Hooligan]

^fantastic wescos! That's how an engineer should look after 5 years...

not worn away like some of these boots I've been seeing after a few months...

cutting them is forever so think about it before you do.

[wgmds]

Nice warehouses. Is that the original heel too?!!?!?!

[ethandesu]

Thanks, Hooligan. I am wearing them now trying to decide if they are cumbersome enough to commit to lopping them off. A beautiful boot, and I'm sure when I start riding I'll be greatful for the extra protection.

desu

[kazti]

stick a spur

would be kiss-ass

[jackg]

[jackg]

[rnrswitch]

Just to add to the Alden love. I have 5 pairs and not a single problem... ever. Three of the pairs have been bought within the last year. So if there was a recent horrible QC issue I might have had a good chance to experience it.

Are the boots in question 405s? Aren't the normal 405s made to a different standard, whereas the newer "upgraded" 405s are made to the "Alden of New England" standard.

[WhiteShark]

since it seems it's the same place on every pair you buy.. would a wider size maybe fix that?

This can cause the problem with the quarters ripping off of the vamp if your feet are too wide, and I'd agree with that if it were not for the fact that I wear size 10 1/2 3E in aldens and my first pair of alden boots was a size 10 1/2 D, so unless his foot is super wide that can't be the problem.

I gotta agree I think its just aldens quality shitting the bed here...

I sold my last pair of aldens to my father at the end of last year because my feet are wider due to fitness training I've been doing the past year and they no longer fit me at all. (they were tight to start with) But after I sold mine I tried to buy a new pair of aldens in 10 1/2 4E and the quality was absolutely horrible. I wish I could find the pictures, because they would really say a lot.

The leather was pure crap. I do leather craft in my spare time, and I can tell shitty leather by looking at it. They were made out of shitty leather. The uppers had stretch marks from them like the leather was taken from the worst part of the hide. The welt on the bottom of the shoe was poorly attached. There was space between the toe in the front and the welt. I could not believe this is what I received for how much money I spent on them. I compared them to my old pair of 405's, (6 years old) and they really did look like they were made in china. It's really too bad because I love Alden boots. They were my favorite.

Since then I've just heard more and more horror stories, including someone who had shoes that started flaking just after 3 months of wear. Sounds like Chinese shit to me. Alden really needs to get their act together.

Switch.

These boots are more than 300$, there should not need to be "Alden of new England" Standards. If I'm paying that much for boots it should not be acceptable to get shit just because its not "alden of New England" standard. Is that another way alden has of saying "oh by the way, these shoes are not shit, now that we are making you pay 400$

I can't believe these things are 400$ now. (The 405) Who the hell has the money to blow on shoes and have them break? I certainly don't want to take the risk.

[rnrswitch]

Switch.

These boots are more than 300$, there should not need to be "Alden of new England" Standards. If I'm paying that much for boots it should not be acceptable to get shit just because its not "alden of New England" standard. Is that another way alden has of saying "oh by the way, these shoes are not shit, now that we are making you pay 400$

I am not saying it is okay for them to sell you shit for shoes that are not "Alden of New England" standard. I was just wondering if the QC was different for one than the other. I have not had any issues, but the one's that I did buy were all shell (except Roys), and all would have received the "Alden of New England" treatment.

I also don't believe that the pics posted of the Indies with the threading coming undone arrived out of the box that way.

[jasonfoote303]

I'm still gonna buy Aldens.

[Happy Hooligan]

I'm still gonna buy Aldens.

I see sherman brothers has 15% off Aldens right now... actually on all their shoes.