Club Obi Wan

Are the heels on the 405 special orthopedic heels that need to be replaced by an Alden specialist? Or would a local cobbler have the correct heels? Future reference.

-Kyle

It's sourcing the heels that's the trick. I had to have a set replaced last year, and got a pair of heels directly FROM Aldens, but my local shop put them on with no problem at all. I've heard that some larger shops can get the heels themselves, without you having to contact Aldens for heels, so it's just a matter of what your shop can get, and what you have to supply them, but they can put them on. Regards. Michaelson

How much did Alden charge you for the heel components? Did you call them directly or go through Allen White in San Fran?

-Kyle

I just wrote Allen White at the Alden shop with those very questions so we'll have fresh information. Once I hear back, I'll post his reply. Regards. Michaelson

I recently had my Trubalance Last boots re-soled. I ordered two pairs of #405 heels directly from Alden's Middleborough factory. They run exactly $12.00 a pair, plus $6.00 shipping & handling. Each set comes with a pair of light-tan U-shaped inserts, designed for adding another layer to the heels if you want them higher.
I carried my boots and replacement heels to a local shoe & leather repair shop, owned and operated by a British family with generations of experience in the field. He was delighted to find that I'd taken the liberty of ordering the correct heels directly from the manufacturer, and stated that it would be no problem to replace them. The entire operation was a one-day turnaround, and costed a mere $8.50. My boots are good as new, and I have the pleasure of being able to add them to my array of British-crafted Indiana Jones gear.


-Dale

Excellent! Thanks, Dale!

This topic needs to be included on the main Indygear page. Great information. The othopedic heels will eventually need replacing and I'm reassured that you can do this without spending the $125 for the "Alden's Refurbishment" program.

After hitting a few shoe/boot shops I found one place that would work on the heels. They had to go get the heel but found them.

They are called Cats Paw heel



Altogether, it cost $18 to get the heels replaced.

Pyro

Here in Melbourne my cobbler hand cuts the rubber from a car tyre and fits them with screw in nails.Solid as rock
Sam

He says heels and soles can be ordered directly from the factory by calling 1-800-325-4252. No prices were given (he said 'not sure' ), so we got SOME of the information. Regards. Michaelson

See that Cat's Paw heel in Pyroxene's post? That's what I've been using for a while. There's an old shoe repair place here, and the old fellow who runs it is super-nice. He has resoled my Aldens twice (!) for me in the two years I've had them (I don't own another pair of shoes). The first time, he did the entire sole and heel (a perfect match). The second time, he did just the soles. I think it cost around $20. (The first time I think it was $80, but I had him put a non-slip coating thing on the soles because I was tired of sliding everywhere - I think that was an extra $20.) Anyway, my point here (there is one, somewhere) is that he said those Cat's Paw heels are somewhat hard to some by, and he said he bought out the local warehouse's entire supply of them about ten years ago, just to be safe. He says no one really uses them anymore, but he digs 'em, so he wanted to be sure he'd always have some.

Then he complimented my hat (he used to block fedoras for a living, back in the day) and told me how to fix the a/c on my van. He's a very versatile shoe man.

You could probably send your shoes to him to be re-soled and he would be very fair, price-wise. Email me if you're interested and I'll ask him if he can do it (although, doing it by mail, you're missing out on the fifteen to twenty-minute dispensing of wisdom that accompanies any trip to the store!).