Some time ago, I ordered a pair of Aldens- they eventually came in the post- but, alas, after a while they were too tight (I posted here about it all). I tried to get them to fit... but to no avail. Luckily, I was able to sell them to a COW member who was happy.
My beginner's luck gone and wallet burnt, I ordered again (going up 1/2 a size and width to order my actual size- 10 EE) to be informed that it would be a 16 week wait. So wait I did...
It seems so long ago now, but they came... and they fitted perfectly! I've waited to post this to make sure it wasn't premature- but they are simply the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned- not only this, but they are also the most diverse- which was a surprise. I've had them over a month and have worn them hiking, shopping, in the office, to church and to a wedding (after a good clean)- everywhere just about... Lovin' the way they make you stand straighter too.
Anyway- definately worth the buy... and damnn happy camper I am!
Neo, if they come in the post does that mean you skip the import duties?
I remember when my Wested came I got stung for like an extra $190 just in import duties, which has kinda put me off purchasing many things overseas. Our lousy exchange rate makes it hard enough for bottom earners like myself, but then the extra 50 per cent or so duties kills me.
Neolithic, congrats on finally getting a pair of Aldens that fit! My Aldens are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. In fact, I tought I'd actually give them a rest and went about my usual Saturday morning excursions with a pair of sneakers instead. Halfway through it, I came back home and put my Aldens back on! My feet were practically begging me to take of the sneakers (which had minimal, if any support) and stick them in the Aldens. My feet are happy again!
Merrick wrote:Neo, if they come in the post does that mean you skip the import duties?
Hey Merrick- there were no import duties to be paid on Aldens or anything else Indy Gear except the jacket.
I waited until I actually went to the UK to get mine and I wore it through the customs gates coming back home. If you are smart, I think you can also get a tax back form from Wested (at least you can do this with other stores) and at the airport when leaving, you can get the VAT back- or so I've been told... anyway, I didn't know about it until it was too late.
Bink, Aldens are amazing aren't they? They certainly put to shame all that techno-babble spiel you get with today's modern sports shoes. To look at, you'd never realise how comfortable you'll be, plus you can walk around- and no one knows that they are same boots Indy wore.
Neolithic wrote:Bink, Aldens are amazing aren't they? They certainly put to shame all that techno-babble spiel you get with today's modern sports shoes. To look at, you'd never realise how comfortable you'll be, plus you can walk around- and no one knows that they are same boots Indy wore.
Yep! No one knows that I'm wearing Indy boots, but I've had people comment on how nice they look, regardless. I've become spoiled by these shoes. So much so that I think all my shoes from here on out may have to be orthopedic shoes! I wonder if I can get a steel shank sewn into my Converse Chuck Taylors? Then I could wear them again for more than fifteen minutes at a time.
I didn't want to post a live ebay auction, but I was surprised to see an auction end with zero bids for a pair of Aldens just the other day. The starting bid was $160 and they looked brand new. They were a size 11 D which is a fairly common size. I certainly thought someone would pick them up as a second pair, or someone that has been holding off on buying some Aldens because of the price.
I just got my first pair of Aldens. I had to send the first pair back because they were too big, but this time they fit perfectly! I can't believe how comfortable they are! It feels like they've got hidden springs in the heels. I know they've certainly put a new spring in my step!
Well to add to this... I also got my Aldens a few days ago. I had to send a pair back because they were to big. So i got a half size smaller and had to wait a few extra days because of the holiday. I got them within a week and half thanks to Buffleheads post about the Washington DC store where Kathy was really helpful. Would have been 2 days if i didnt have to send them back once. I'm waiting for my leather conditioner from Pecards so i can start darkening them. Someone posted they feel like they stand straighter, i agree. I feel like my posture increased a little bit. Not to mention wearing my old boots just isn't the same now because of the less support on the heal. Saving for the Jacket now.
Congratulations to you both. You'll never look back. I was hesitant at first because of the price, but the Indy factor just drew me in, although I still had a bit of 'dang they are Indy, but are they worth it?' going on in the back of my head (just call me a not a true believer) but now I've got them.. well... I don't want to sound like a corny advertisment.
Yeah, Bink- I've been wearing Converse Chuck Taylors for the past 15 years or so. Maybe we'll see them in Indy IV- they are fairly 1950s.
Merrick wrote:I remember when my Wested came I got stung for like an extra $190 just in import duties, which has kinda put me off purchasing many things overseas.
That's soooooooooooo unlucky!
I think duties are a random kind of thing. I paid no duty on my Wested, I'm sorry to have to tell you
Bufflehead Jones wrote:I didn't want to post a live ebay auction, but I was surprised to see an auction end with zero bids for a pair of Aldens just the other day.
I remember seeing occasional pairs of Alden 405s on eBay from time to time when I was still drooling for my own pair. However, without knowing exactly what size they needed to be for me, I was always leary of bidding on a pair. I was afraid I'd get them and they's be the wrong size and I'd be stuck with an expensive purchase I couldn't use. THAT being said, now that I own a pair and know what size I wear, if a pair of 9D 405s pop up on eBay, hmmmmm.....
Well, my Aldens arrived today, and as everyone have already used all the superlatives there is to describe them, I don’t think I need to give you my thoughts about them. You should know by now what owners think about the shoes.
I asked them if they could stitch the tongue in place for me, and they did, as far as I can tell, free of charge.
The only thing I wonder is: What can you actually wear with them? It might seem like a stupid question, but I really have no sense about this at all. I have the new Wested pants, but when I compare them with the shoes, the Aldens look a little too red to match. Should I try to darken them, or is it just my lousy sense of fashion?
You can wear your Aldens with almost anything. I wear mine with blue jeans, khakis, work clothes, about anything, really. You can darken them with pollish if you prefer, but it's really a matter of personal preference. I like the color. They go with much of my wadrobe... or maybe I should say that I've found myself picking out clothes to wear that match my shoes!
Honestly, though, with the exception of black trousers, you can wear your Aldens with a huge variety of attire. And once you've been wearing them enough, you won't want to wear any other pair of shoes!
It is not that I don't like the color of the shoes; I was just worried about them not matching the rest of my clothes. To be honest, I am mostly wearing black pants, but I guess I have to stop doing that now.
What about grey pants? I've read somewhere that you shouldn't wear brown shoes with grey pants, is that correct?
I just came back from a walk, and they are really great. My other pare of shoes took me two weeks to break in, and they hurt my feet like h*ll during that time, but it feels like I have worn my aldens for a very long time.
hmmmm.... I'm not sure about the grey... but you could always get a second pair and pollish them black! Heck, I thought I even heard you could special order a pair in black, though I don't know how you'd do that, or how much extra they might charge...
You can, and I can't remember who did it either, but it was a special order, and believe added about 6 weeks to the ordering process. Cost quite a few more bucks to the bottom line to. Was that you, Pyro? Regards. Michaelson
Yeah, I heard about that special order too, and if I am not mistaken it cost 100$ extra. But maybe we could cut the cost if a couple of us got together and ordered the black aldens at the same time.
I called about ordering a pair of black Aldens a while back (maybe it's me you guys are referring to). I wanted them for more dressier occasions. It was like 100 bucks more plus a longer wait time, because they were going to dye the leather instead of just using black leather.
I opted for a pair of black Kenneth Cole's instead for somewhere north of 100 dollars. They are ankle-boots like the Aldens. They are a lot lighter than the Alden's, but while being very comfortable, the Aldens are very much more comfortable in different ways.
I own two pairs of Aldens and I've worn one particular pair that has been beat up a lot over the past 5 years (some of you have seen pictures, if you haven't I'll post them again) and I can't sing their praises enough!!
I have a vintage pair of black ankle boots and am finding that after getting used to my Aldens that these shoes are more comfortable than I remember! So my problem is solved! I can wear black shoes again!
Hey Bink, those look just like a pair of jump boots I used to have when I was in the service. Very cool.
As far as Aldens go, mine are taking a #### of a beating at work, but they just keep getting better and better. I can't believe how soft and felixable the leather has gotton. When I first received them, they seemed as if they would take awhile to break in, but that's definately not the case with these boots. I love 'em, and I admit I was one of the skeptics before I owned a pair. I thought, how comfortabl;e can they possibly be???
Boy was I wrong.
Yes indeed, Aldens ROCK!
'Blues
Well, they're not jump boots, I can tell you that. They're just civilian shoes, but I took the pic after pollishing them up, so they probabply give more of a military look because of it. I decided to let my Aldens air out a day or two because I was building up some moisture in the toe area. I want to take are of these shoes!
Like I said, I think duty is a really random kind of thing. Especially amongst the smaller packages. I brought a guitar out here once... had to pay duty. I expected that.
Other stuff, however, which I know other people have paid duty on, I have not. The jacket is just another example. I can't explain it any better than that.
I've had those vintage boots for a number of years. So long, in fact, that I can't remember exactly where I found them! It was either at a thrift store or a vintage clothing store, though I remember I didn't pay a whole lot for them. I try to keep them "Pecarded" though I should get some Pecard Antique Leather Dressing for them. In fact, I'm wearing these shoes as I type! Thanks for the compliments, guys!
I'm waiting on for my order from Pecard to arrive and wondered about something. Pecard says to take care and not get any of the pecard cream, jell, etc. on the cloth of your boots. They don't mention why, but I would guess it is because it could possibly stain the cloth. My question is: Do I need to worry about getting pecards on the stitches or seams of the boots? If it's just a question of stains I don't mind. In fact I would like it if the the stitches around the sole of the boot were darker! If the pecards, however, would cause the thread to deteriorate more quickly then I definitely want to take care when conditioning my boots. What do you guys think?
The thread used is waxed cotton, so no problems with the use of Pecards. it will darken with use. I've used Pecards and Meletonian shoe cream on mine for years with absolutely NO problems what so ever. Regards. Michaelson
Honestly, I use the same tub of Pecard as I use for my goatskin Wested. I think it's the "Jell/Creme, but I can't remember what the actual label reads. I think about any standard Pecard product will work, though. In fact, I believe Pecard even offers shoe pollish with protectants built right in.
I'm planning on using the jell at first to help break the boots in. After that I'll be using the weatherproof dressing with brown tint to help darken the boots a bit, and after I'm satisfied with the color I'll probably switch to the classic leather dressing.
Before anyone says anything, I just wanted to say that I think the neutral is probably just the standard Pecards in a shoe paste size tin. I am not for sure. Maybe a consistency that goes on a little better, I don't know. But it does work good. The black and brown obviously have a little color added.
So wait I did...
I've waited to post this to make sure it wasn't premature- but they are simply the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned- not only this, but they are also the most diverse- which was a surprise. I've had them over a month and have worn them hiking, shopping, in the office, to church and to a wedding (after a good clean)- everywhere just about... Lovin' the way they make you stand straighter too.
