Alden Restoration Update

Pyroxene · Post by **Pyroxene** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 6:22 pm

I have sent my Aldens off for restoration.

I called the number that's on their site. They sent an envelope in the mail.

In it contained a letter:

Payment Envelope

And a postage paid shipping bag.

I took some photos inside and outside of the shoes and included them in a letter thanking them for their service.

I put everything in the bag and mailed it off. Therefore, there shouldn't be much question as to the condition of the shoes when they were mailed. Restoration services are $125.

According to the envelope, they will:

replace the laces
replace the outsoles
replace the heels
replace the cork bottom filler
replace the welting if necessary
refinish them using paste wax
return with shoe trees and cloth bags

When I get the package back, I will post the results.

Pyro

randystokes · Post by **randystokes** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 6:50 pm

I'll be interested to see the results. I have fairly new Aldens that I'm wearing a lot on weekends, etc., especially up at our cabin in the mountains, trying to get them to look more like the ones in your picture.

What was the restoration you needed done on your Aldens? They look pretty good to me from the picture you posted.

Randy

Baggers · Post by **Baggers** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 6:51 pm

Wow, the price includes a set of shoe trees and shipping both ways? That actually sounds like a good deal. I'll be curious to see what kind of trees they give you, full wood or a lesser type.

Did they give any indication of the turn around time?

Cheers!

Hemingway Jones · Post by **Hemingway Jones** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:20 pm

Pyro,
That is an excellent deal! I can't wait to see your "After" photos. As you know, nice shoe trees like cedar, can cost $35 dollars.

Best,
HJ

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:29 pm

That's nice customer service, paying for shipping and the extras! I'll have to keep that in mind when mine finally need a little TLC!

bink

bastoon · Post by **bastoon** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 2:57 am

I wonder if they can do the same for us who live in Europe

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 4:31 am

bastoon wrote:I wonder if they can do the same for us who live in Europe

Maybe for as much money as for new aldens yes

Pyroxene · Post by **Pyroxene** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 9:55 am

I sent them off to see if they could fix a few things. One of them is the loose stiching in the toe.

And I would like to have the inside heel replaced on both shoes. The leather was wearing out. I don't think there's anything they can do to the back wall.

Mainly, I sent them off because I wore them on a jungle trek in Belize and it rained on me. I was walking in 6 inches of water. So, I figured the cork inside needed to be replaced. I figured water had gotten to parts of the shoes that I knew Pecards couldn't reach.

I too am anxious to see what the "after" photos will look like. There have been some reports of them coming back looking worse than before and some reports of them sending back a completely different pair of shoes. So, that why I decided to document my experience here with full photos so everyone can see the tricks and traps of the process.

Pyr.

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 10:09 am

They lived a real adventure then!!!! That's what we call natural distress!

Vannevar · Post by **Vannevar** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 10:13 am

Pyroxene, I commend and thank you for your attention to detail and for sharing the information with us.

ShanghaiJack · Post by **ShanghaiJack** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 10:27 am

Pyroxene,
Do you know if they will replace the cloth lining of the boots? The lining in the front of my boots above my toes has already worn through after only a year of wear. It would be nice to know if they will or can repair that when I send them in for a rebuild.

IndianaRedmon · Post by **IndianaRedmon** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 5:27 pm

Pyroxene,
Great deal thanks for posting that info.

Pyroxene · Post by **Pyroxene** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 11:36 am

So, here's the latest....

I received a call from Alden today. They said that when they took apart the shoe, it fell into pieces. They said it was beyond repair and they offered to send me a new pair at cost.

Additionally, they said the 405's are on backorder for 6 weeks. So, it looks like the waiting game continues. They said they will not charge for the service that they performed.

Pyro.

randystokes · Post by **randystokes** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 12:06 pm

Well, it's sad news that they couldn't repair your old Aldens. Although the insides and some of the stitching looked, from the pictures, to need help, it didn't appear they were a lost cause. Kind of like losing an old friend, I'm sure. I'm glad they made you an offer to replace them at cost (depending on what "cost" is . . .), but it's too bad you have to wait. Hmm, maybe I need to order a pair of backups

Randy

J_Weaver · Post by **J_Weaver** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 9:53 pm

Ah, thats bad news Pyro. It seems like I remember that someone else around here had a similar experience. How old were they?

Texas Raider · Post by **Texas Raider** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 2:49 am

I must say, that would make me kinda mad :evil: . Sure they weren't in the greatest shape, but it looks like you could have still worn them as a beat-around pair, now they just took 'em from you? Hmmmm. Just curious, what was 'cost'?

have a nice day.

J_Weaver · Post by **J_Weaver** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 11:08 am

Texas Raider wrote:I must say, that would make me kinda mad :evil: . Sure they weren't in the greatest shape, but it looks like you could have still worn them as a beat-around pair, now they just took 'em from you? Hmmmm. Just curious, what was 'cost'?

have a nice day.

I was thinking the samething Tex. After hearing Pyro's story and a few others, I think I'll just wear my Aldens out and then get a new pair.

Indiana Jerry · Post by **Indiana Jerry** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 3:48 pm

Ouch! Sorry to hear that, Pyro!

I had something similar happen to me. I had two old pairs of cowboy boots (I USED TO live in the countryside) that I'd had a long time. One time when I took a pair in to have re-heeled, the cobbler decided (after I left) that I really needed to have them re-soled.

So on his own initiative, he resoled my old boots - stitched the old uppers onto new leather soles. It RUINED them. The old leather, despite how I cared for it, now wanted to bend and break in new places, and it was quickly tearing them apart. He offered to buy them from me for very little, saying he could easily sell them and make a lot of money off them. That ticked me off worse, so I told him he wasn't making any more money off what he did to my boots, and walked away. I eventually tossed them, heartbroken.

The OTHER pair I still have re-heeled once in a great while, but even though they are curled and the stitching is going, I am very cautious of letting anyone 'fix' them. I restitch the soles myself when they separate. I love those old boots - over 20 years old now, and will never let them go.

My old boots lament your loss as well.

If it's true that yours just disintegrated, it's decent that they are offering you a discount and not charging for services. (Hope it's a good discount, though.) But it's a shame they couldn't figure out before they took it all apart that it wouldn't survive, because the leather uppers would have gone on forever.

Wishing you good luck on the next pair. Who knows, maybe you had to lose these to get your next boots, which will be far superior.

J

Pyroxene · Post by **Pyroxene** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:06 am

The interesting thing is that there are so many angles to look at it. The angle I choose is:

Yes, they were like old friends but at the same time, I am replacing them with the exact same thing. I won't treat this pair as rough. Instead, I will get a pair similar to maybe Red Wings and use those as my beat-up boots.

They said the cost for these was going to be $150. We shall see what happens.

Pyr.

Indiana Jerry · Post by **Indiana Jerry** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 3:11 pm

Not a bad price to 'update your subscription'. Good to hear, Pyro. Thanks for the info.

J

Pyroxene · Post by **Pyroxene** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:19 pm

Look at the amazing restoration job Alden did!

Actually, my replacement pair of Aldens arrived today. So officially, I record 43 days from dropping them in the mailbox to receiving them back.

As much as I might miss my older pair, I happy to finally have a brown color and not the pumpkin orange color. They turned a darker color from the Pecards I put on there. The color they turned was almost a brick red instead of a good brown.

Here's some things I noticed on the new pair:

The stitching on the sole seems to be made out of a different thread. And, the stitches seem to be close together than I remember.

The thread around the outer edge of the sole seems to be thicker than what I remember.

The stitching on the moc toe seem to made of a thinner thread and further apart than I remember.

So, odd that I only notice differences in the stitching. All the other features appear to be the same.

Overall, I give Alden an A- for their customer service and restoration experience. Naturally, an A+ would have been if I had gotten my old pair back in some way/shape/form. But, I understand they are in the business to make money. However, they worked with the customer and had really good communication. (I received little postcards throughout the process telling me my shoes were only 4 weeks backordered. Then I would receive another one a week later stating only 2 weeks backorder.)

Regards,
Pyroxene

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:21 pm

WOOOOOOOOW

LIKE NEW!!!

how much you paid for restoration sorry?

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:27 pm

Uh, erri, go back up and re-read this entire string. These ARE brand new, and he explains why.

Regards! Michaelson

Indiana Jerry · Post by **Indiana Jerry** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:29 pm

Pyroxene wrote:Look at the amazing restoration job Alden did!

Gosh, they look just like new boots. How do they do that?

Glad to hear you found some highpoints to be happy with - like getting the nice new brown color. Thanks for great closeups, too!

J

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:31 pm

Michaelson wrote:Uh, erri, go back up and re-read this entire string. These ARE brand new, and he explains why.

Regards! Michaelson

ah ... oops

Pyroxene · Post by **Pyroxene** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:52 pm

I walked down to the shoe shop to pick up a different pair of Aldens I was having reheeled. I showed him the new boots and he made an interesting comment. "Those are the Bentley of shoes," he said.

I think the reason why my old Aldens were so far gone was due to them being totally soaked from my rainforest trek in central Belize. I walked in 6 inches of water that soaked the boot through and through.

So, take care of your shoes and they will take care of you.

Pyr.

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:57 pm

Pyro, I STILL have mine that I got almost 5 to 6 years ago, and they look about as nice as your new ones...though redder in color. (grins) Meletonian shoe creme and Pecards does wonders for the longevity of Alden 405's!

Regards! Michaelson

Pyroxene · Post by **Pyroxene** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:00 pm

I guess I really put mine through H-E double hockey sticks. I didn't mean to but I just wore them everywhere.

I am glad Alden values their customer. I hope they are around long after I am gone.

Indiana Williams · Post by **Indiana Williams** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:42 pm

Nice Aldens Pyroxene, did you have to pay retail for them or did they give you a discount since they couldnt repair your old Aldens?
- Joe

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:51 pm

Go up 17 posts, then 11 posts. Your answers are there. Regards! Michaelson

Indiana Williams · Post by **Indiana Williams** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:02 pm

Michaelson wrote:Go up 17 posts, then 11 posts. Your answers are there. Regards! Michaelson

Thanks Michaelson

IndyMo · Post by **IndyMo** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 8:28 pm

Pyroxene wrote:I guess I really put mine through H-E double hockey sticks. I didn't mean to but I just wore them everywhere.

I am glad Alden values their customer. I hope they are around long after I am gone.

I hear ya Pyro - I received my Aldens just about a year ago - and I wear them everyday in the office. The problem now is I will never be able to wear another boot. No boot can come close to being as comfortable.

Cheers,

Mike

Alabama Jones · Post by **Alabama Jones** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 10:02 pm

Pyroxene wrote:
The stitching on the moc toe seem to made of a thinner thread and further apart than I remember.

So, odd that I only notice differences in the stitching. All the other features appear to be the same.

First of all, congrats!

Glad to see someone else noticing the difference in stitching between the old and new Aldens. The stitching IS further apart and, at least on mine, it comes closer to the end of the boot on the new ones.

You can really see in the above pic.

Thats a new Alden compared against one from the late 1980's.... same size. You can see that not only is the stiting different, but the material supporting the laces comes closer together on the old ones as well.

Pyroxene · Post by **Pyroxene** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:24 am

Look at the difference!

I did not know that. Very nice documentation.

You can see that not only is the stiting different, but the material supporting the laces comes closer together on the old ones as well.

We have see that before. I am shooting from the hip here but there may have been a size adjustment that caused that. Michaelson always said that it MIGHT work if you got one size wider. Which sorta makes sense. On the other hand, my old pair started to come closer together as I wore them more. So, perhaps it has something to do with the flexibility of the upper toe.

The problem now is I will never be able to wear another boot. No boot can come close to being as comfortable.

I agree. These obviously aren't broken in yet but already I feel like I'm back with an old friend.

Cheers,
Pyr.

Pyroxene · Post by **Pyroxene** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:36 am

Here's an illustration of what I am talking about when I say I see a difference in the stitching. (I mean this is really nit picking...no...nitpicking would be counting the number of stitches on the shoe.)

I think where the holes are in the leather on the moc toe are futher apart. Of course the two photos are not to scale so I have no proof. It's just what my feelings tell me. I am sure there's a setting on the machine and it's up to each operator's preference. And, I'll bet you the same person that makes the left also makes the right so the two shoes match as close as possible.

I'll keep an eye on this to see if there is any change with wear. But you have to remember that these shoes are hand made. So, unlike Nike, each one that comes off the line will be slightly different.

Texas Raider · Post by **Texas Raider** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:58 am

This has been discussed before. I noticed this on my Aldens when I inspected the moc toe closely. You can see it in these pics really good! The old ones really ARE a moc toe- two distinctly different pieces of leather- the top piece sewn to the lower wrap around section. On the new Aldens, it's a SIMULATED moc toe! Look, there is no seam, only the stitching. There is a line DRAWN on there,like a measuring mark or something, but no real seam. So it is really ONE peice of leather for the top and they just stitch it to look like a moc toe. A one piece upper is really more durable than the two piece, so I really don't care too much, it's just interesting that they changed it!

have a nice day.

Indiana George · Post by **Indiana George** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:28 am

I hate to say it but those are brand new shoes they sent you, they would have to be miracle workers to make your old shoes look like that. Maybe the pics are deciving but man those look new.

George

Texas Raider · Post by **Texas Raider** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:54 am

And this, boys and girls, is why they taught us, in 1st grade, to read the instructions from beginning to end before we start.

have a nice day.

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:58 am

Indiana George wrote:I hate to say it but those are brand new shoes they sent you, they would have to be miracle workers to make your old shoes look like that. Maybe the pics are deciving but man those look new.

George

Hi George, further up the tread he does say the old ones fell apart when they inspected them and were unrecoverable. This is indeed a brand new replacement pair.

On topic, how do you get them to look that nice faded brown and not the red we see in new ones?

Texas Raider · Post by **Texas Raider** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:00 am

Wear them!

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:04 am

lol, thanks TR.

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:15 am

So.. are those your old shoes? JUST KIDDING!!!!!! I have to say, though, that I'd be a bit disappointed if the newer Alden 405's didn't have a true moc toe. It worries me a little, though mine are still the best shoes I've ever owned...

bink

J_Weaver · Post by **J_Weaver** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:49 am

Kt Templar wrote:On topic, how do you get them to look that nice faded brown and not the red we see in new ones?

I use brown Kiwi polish on my Aldens. It has darkened them up nicely. In fact maybe a bit darker that what you see on screen, but I like it.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:09 am

Pyroxene wrote: Michaelson always said that it MIGHT work if you got one size wider. .

Cheers,
Pyr.

The key word in this sentence is 'MIGHT'. Please note. I'm a firm believer in getting professionally measured and fit for these boots, rather than guesswork on sizing, as they can either be the most comfortable items of footwear you'll ever own, or they'll cripple you, as they're orthopedic platforms, made to correct foot problems. Guesswork can easily cause your foot to try and correct itself to an incorrect platform in the boot, and actually cause harm.

Don't guess. Get measured.

Regards! Michaelson

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:43 am

I have to fully agree with Michaelson on that one. Michaelson is right.

bink

Sergei · Post by **Sergei** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:21 pm

Hey Pyro,
I think this phenomenon on different stiching varies from boot to boot. Anytime there is a gathering, we often do the "put your right foot in" routine. And you can see the variation from boot to boot. I am talking about both places, moc toe and the sole.

Mr. Das · Post by **Mr. Das** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:58 pm

On topic, how do you get them to look that nice faded brown and not the red we see in new ones?

I'm not quite sure on that either. I've been wearing mine for about a year and a half, and the colour is starting to fade at the toes, but no dark brown colour.

Texas Raider · Post by **Texas Raider** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:50 pm

Well the difference from boot to boot is probably due to the fact that, (and I forget where I heard this, I've corresponded with Alden before, so they may have told me, or I may have heard it here) BUT, I've heard that there are only a handful of people (2) actually working on this particular model of shoe at the Alden factory. So each boot is literally hand made, so they are each gonna be a little different due to leather cuts and variations during construction. They have a basic pattern, but they probably know it so well that they play it by ear and they each come out with their own 'character'.- JMO

have a nice day.