Club Obi Wan

Great job, Marc- these are beautiful boots.

Thanks for the kind feedback mate!

immediately changed shoes and have been wearing them all day. No framed box for mine, I'm gonna get good wear out of these puppies for the price I paid and use them as every day shoes.

I agree. They're simple to nice to NOT wear them.

Regards,

Marc

Okay here is some pics of my pair I just got in...Loving them...

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1374/5 ... 361449.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1374/5 ... 361455.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1374/5 ... 361456.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1374/5 ... 361458.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1374/5 ... 361486.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1374/5 ... 361461.jpg]

I've had 4 pairs of 405's in the past and these are different in a couple places than a general pair...

First of course is the boot color...It's a nice deep brown that I must say matches the temple scene from raiders perfect...

The moc toe stitching is also a nice deep brown to match the boot color...

The welt and welt stitching is a dark brown and not a natural color like the general 405's...This also matches the boot, and moc to stitching in color and really gives the shoe a smooth feel...I love the color contrast on a general pair of 405's but I must say after having these and putting them on my feet I really love these as well...

The lining of the boot is also different as it has a more old fashioned heel pad as well as a leather lined tongue...The tongue adds a great deal to the comfort of the boot right out of the box...It's been my experience with all my past pairs of 405's that the tongues is very stiff on a brand new pair but with the leather on this pair it wipes that problem away...

Another thing I noticed is the size of the heel...I compared it to another pair of (Unworn) 405's and noticed that it was easily a half inch bigger...It's very noticeable when your walking in the boots as they seem to be more stable...Not sure if this is due to the way the heel was made or crafted but I love it...

Overall great boots and if your contemplating on purchasing a pair from Marc then do yourself a favor and buy them...It won't be a regret I guarantee...

mod edit: photos changed to links due to large size

Now that is a great looking boot. Considering that we, Indy fans, are probably the only ones buying them, it boggles the mind why Aldens refuses to make them in this color. They do use that color leather for the inside trim. Perhaps now, they will realize that if mass-produced, that they would sell almost every fan a new pair just to have the correct color. As an owner of two pair, I would immediately add a third if available at the regular price.

Those are GREAT BOOTS! ENJOY! Placed my order for Marc's 2nd run. With the exchange rate getting better I was able to get these shoes at $580.00 It's still $240 more than a normal pair, but hey , i'm paying for the exact boot from 30 years ago. WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY. Hopefully the dollar recovers more and they'll get even more affordable for those gearheads that want them down the road NOW ALL I HAVE TO DO IS WAIT .

I received mine today. Picked them up at the post office on the way to work. BEAUTIFUL!

Not to be a downer, but the boots in the above pics look way too red to me. I thought the hero boots from Raiders were supposed to be brown. Maybe its just the camera or the lighting. Also, what is all that black goo at the back by the heel? For $700 Aldens should have cleaned those up a lot better.

rbinko2001 wrote:Not to be a downer, but the boots in the above pics look way too red to me. I thought the hero boots from Raiders were supposed to be brown. Maybe its just the camera or the lighting. Also, what is all that black goo at the back by the heel? For $700 Aldens should have cleaned those up a lot better.

I'm sure it's just the lighting. These are mine next to my first pair.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3155/300 ... 204154.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3168/300 ... 0cbdaa.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3137/300 ... 9838d6.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3072/300 ... 6bcfcd.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/300 ... 90f9fa.jpg

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Night and day. Can't wait till mine get here.

I can't wait to see what these look like once they've developed a little character. Fresh out the box they look like they've been made by a Belgian chocolatier!

Yes it's lighting. My boots are NOT that reddish, see my pics for a very faithful colour reference.

Great looking boot!

Regards,

Soup

rbinko2001 wrote:Not to be a downer, but the boots in the above pics look way too red to me. I thought the hero boots from Raiders were supposed to be brown. Maybe its just the camera or the lighting. Also, what is all that black goo at the back by the heel? For $700 Aldens should have cleaned those up a lot better.

Here is some better pics I took today...

The mark on the heel is not any type of goo per say but just a scuff mark...Didn't really bother me since I have a habbit of wearing my shoes out anyway...



http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1374/5 ... 004305.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1374/5 ... 004306.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1374/5 ... 004308.jpg

The first set of pictures I took was with the flash on my camera so that is why I think they look more red then they really are in person. Plus I put on a coat of shoe cream as soon as I got them so that made them really shiny for the flash which may also have something to do with the color in the pics. Here is some I took today with the flash off and with one of my older pairs (That I wore today) for color contrast...These are a really nice dark brown in person...

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1374/5 ... 003881.jpg

mod edit: photos changed to links due to size.

Marc Kitter, you're my new hero!

I just got my pair of AB Aldens in and I must say my search is now over. I don't think pics are required since we all know what they look like. I was scared the fit might be a bit off as they're custom boots but they are exact to my old pair. I just couldn't be happier. Well, I would if they were cheap ;-) but in this hobby you get what you pay for and the price, as we already know, was out of Marc's hands. The cost really doesn't bother me because you just cannot get these boots anywhere else in the world that I'm aware of. I've looked for years for a pair of vintage Aldens only to be disappointed again and again but Marc has now solved that problem.

Now comes that hard, hard part...breaking them in. My last pair killed my ankles for a week and after trying these on in the house they already hurt just after wearing them for 5 minutes. It's not the size, it's that they're so stiff around the ankle when new that they dig into the back of my leg when walking. Looks like they'll be getting a steady light coating of Pecards to help them out.

I also just got off the phone with Schmitty who's ordering me a pair of heels for my older pair since they're worn down to the metal. So, if you need anything of that sort don't forget you can ring him up and he'll hook you up if you're in the states. All of you in Europe can get Marc to do the same. I'd rather give my business to these chaps than a dealer I don't know. Help our brothers out!

Thanks Marc for setting this all up and giving us this special piece of gear. I haven't been this excited about any piece of gear in quite a long time. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up." Only, make it a pair.

Just a quick note to all the Alden owners out there, either Marc's, Schmidty's or from the factory. Remember to take good care of your investment. When your feet are not in the boots, keep a nice pair of cedar shoe trees in them, and let them rest for at least a day before wearing them again. This will draw out the foot moisture and allow the leather to rest, making your shoes or boots last a lot longer than if you don't follow this practice.

Alden sells the shoe trees based on the shoe/boot size to ensure a proper fit, and compared to the price of Aldens, from any source, $30.00 for a pair of cedar shoe trees is a worthwhile investment.

Happy Adventuring in your Alden 405's.

MarkVII

Browncoat wrote:Very nice boots!! Why Alden decided to go with the pumpkin color is beyond me....can't see it outselling a brown boot if they were side by side with matching prices.

Actually, the pumkin ones probably did outsell the browns and that's why they were discontinued to begin with. It was only after the Indygear boom that they've gravitated back to a more brown color standard (not the AB's). Of course that's all here say on my part. I have no idea.

I've had a pair of old stock Aldens (probably LC era) that I got from Fritz, for years. To be honest, I've always prefered the "Pumpkin" ones.

Rundquist wrote:

Browncoat wrote:Very nice boots!! Why Alden decided to go with the pumpkin color is beyond me....can't see it outselling a brown boot if they were side by side with matching prices.

Actually, the pumkin ones probably did outsell the browns and that's why they were discontinued to begin with. It was only after the Indygear boom that they've gravitated back to a more brown color standard (not the AB's). Of course that's all here say on my part. I have no idea.

I've had a pair of old stock Aldens (probably LC era) that I got from Fritz, for years. To be honest, I've always prefered the "Pumpkin" ones.

I too prefer the "Pumpkin" color as well. In point of fact I placed an order for a pair in "Burnished Tan" (As Close to the Pumpkin color as Alden has right now) back in June and was just contacted yesterday informing me that they are ready to go into production. Of course they won't be here until April sometime but hey it's progress. By that time my AB pair should be good and worn down and ready for a rest...

Ummmmm.....Pumpkin....Aaaagggghhhh....



;-)

Jason, thank you SO much for the kind review!!! Being able to please you and Chris King with these boots are really the icing on the cake! I know both of you guys for several years and just BECAUSE I know you guys, I cannot put in words how highly such a high praise is appreciated!

As for the shoe trees, Alden recommends NOT to use any shoe trees on the 405's. I did it on my first pair that I bought several years ago, because I didn't know better. However when I wanted to order shoe trees in various sizes, so I could have some in stock, I was asked if I had plans to use them on the 405's and if so I was adviced against that. I cannot exactly recall the reasons, even though they were told, but the advice remains.

Regards,

Marc

If Alden doesn't recommend using shoe trees with their boots, then why do they include a set with their refurbishment service? I've been using my Alden cedar trees since 2002, with no adverse effects whatsoever.

Marc,

Please contact Aldens again, admit your forgetfulness about the shoe tree issue, and ask them again. I've grown up with the habit of putting shoe trees in any shoe I wanted to last. Trees are supposed to help dry out worn shoes/boots and help them keep their shape. It really puzzles me that Alden would recommend against using shoe trees in their 405 boots.

Mark

Holy cow!! Where do I find me a pair of these "AB Aldens"?! Is this a new run that Alden is doing, or am I missing something here?

They're a special screen accurate run that Adventurebilt [Marc's European end of the conglomerate] did with Alden. If you look at the vendor section, there's a thread or two about them.

here's the latest. http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=34742

Randy

Whoa. 450 Euros? Too rich for my blood.

I thought so too, But I'm considering the investment if they do a third run. They'll last so many years it would be worth it in the end.

Randy

I don't wear my aldens daily, so for me it wouldn't be worth quite that much. Especially given the exchange rate. That's just shy of $600. I'll spend $200 on shoes, but not $600. Not when I have a house that needs repairs. $600 buys a decent amount of paint and drywall.

I paid for mine last year sometime, I believe. I can't wait for the SA special order AB Alden 405s from Marc. For a pair of shoes to fit me properly, $200 seems to be the starting point (New Balance excluded), if they don't start around $300 at a minimum. I need an odd-ball size, so when I find a good quality fit, I patronize that company as much as I can.

Solo4114 wrote:I don't wear my aldens daily, so for me it wouldn't be worth quite that much. Especially given the exchange rate. That's just shy of $600. I'll spend $200 on shoes, but not $600. Not when I have a house that needs repairs. $600 buys a decent amount of paint and drywall.

Oh yeah, that's for sure, I don't blame you in the slightest for saying that! House repairs should take a front seat to gear.

I'm youngish [26] and still live with my folks to save on overhead, so I can afford to splurge on select things.

Randy

Hey man, live it up while you can. If I had the scratch I might go for it myself, but my money's spoken for at the moment. They do look amazing, though. I just wish Alden would get a clue and go back to that color. I suppose I could always try a different maker, though. Anyway, that's just my personal financial situation. Your money (and mileage) may vary.

I have heard that people have had success with taking their boots to a reputable shoemaker/cobbler and have been able to have their color stripped and a more brown color applied....I have not done this myself though.