ok,so yesterday it rained here in the uk heavily all day,and for the most of the time I was out in it getting drenched wearing my alden405.
by the end of the day the boots were soaked through. I let them dry out over night but when I examined the boots the next day I noticed
that where the wooden inserts of the heel had gotten wet they must have expanded slightly causing a small gap between the wood and the cork sole ! has any other alden owners noticed this in their boots ? seems aldens and water do not mix.
alden heels in the rain
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- Jeremiah
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Re: alden heels in the rain
If true (wearing in rain or wet environs is a no go)that's too bad. Are these boots not meant for everyday use? I have a pair of 403s I planned to wear the heck out of. Never been one to buy stuff only for display or occasional use.
Re: alden heels in the rain
What you're seeing in the heel stack is leather, so maybe it did swell with the water. Maybe it's not all the way dry, either--perhaps the outside dried and returned to size (or shrunk slightly) leaving the middle inside still a little damp (swelled). That might cause a slight gap along the outside edge. And since it's leather, maybe it will settle back once the middle is also 100% dry and you start wearing it again--leather conforms, so... I'd give it another 24 hours to dry and see what happens.
The good news is that since the heel is nailed in place, you might (probably) be just fine. If I were you I'd give Alden a call. Here is the contact info for the different locations, who have been helpful whenever I've had questions (especially the San Francisco one). And I'd be sure to also ask them whether you need to condition the heel stack and if so with what--since the leather got water logged and then dried out I would think it needs conditioning, but I could be wrong.
Alden San Francisco, https://www.aldenshop.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, (800) 273-7463, online@aldenshoe.com
Alden New York, https://aldenmadison.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, 212-687-3023, https://aldenmadison.com/contact/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Alden Washington, DC, (202) 347-2308
Alden of Carmel, http://www.alden-of-carmel.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, question@alden-of-carmel.com
The good news is that since the heel is nailed in place, you might (probably) be just fine. If I were you I'd give Alden a call. Here is the contact info for the different locations, who have been helpful whenever I've had questions (especially the San Francisco one). And I'd be sure to also ask them whether you need to condition the heel stack and if so with what--since the leather got water logged and then dried out I would think it needs conditioning, but I could be wrong.
Alden San Francisco, https://www.aldenshop.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, (800) 273-7463, online@aldenshoe.com
Alden New York, https://aldenmadison.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, 212-687-3023, https://aldenmadison.com/contact/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Alden Washington, DC, (202) 347-2308
Alden of Carmel, http://www.alden-of-carmel.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, question@alden-of-carmel.com
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Re: alden heels in the rain
Seeing how you already bought a pair, it doesn't help to recommend buying a cheaper pair of boots. I'd be surprised if a Walmart pair of boots lasted 12 years with normal use. That said, Alden's are great for everyday wear, and I never had an issue wearing them in rain, even a downpour. The only problem I had was with snow and salt. Bits of the leather in the heel deteriorated. I agree with McQ7 and just wait to see if the gap goes away once the leather in the heel has time to dry. Jeremiah, don't let this worry you. They're an excellent boot and you'll be very pleased with them. They can take a lot of abuse, just stay away from snow and salt but last I checked you don't get much snow in Florida
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Re: alden heels in the rain
thanks for the help and advice . the boots as suggested have probably not fully dried yet - if it had been any other pair of boots I wouldn't even have noticed or bothered too look ,but as with all things indy related all details are scrutinized and over analyzed ! cheers
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Re: alden heels in the rain
Of course, I've inspected every inch of my boots plenty. Just try to be patient and see if they dry. If the gap doesn't go away and it bothers you that much there's plenty of options to have a heel put on. I don't think you'll have to do that though. Your boots should be fine.
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