Club Obi Wan

For those that have Aldens, I'm wondering how they take the wet
and slush of fall. (We've had snow and slush on the ground since the 10th!! Ick) I know we've talked about Aldens in the snow...with
some rather neat vibram sole examples but do the leather soles soak up
rain and wetness?

Are Aldens a one, two or three season boot?

My J Crews are on life support and I can't settle on whether to buy
the new J Crews with the rubber sole (for wearability) or go the distance
and buy the bad boy Aldens. This would be my Christmas present and then some eh!

Warm Regards
Kilgour Trout

Not good in rain/slush. They leak, so they're a better 3 season boot. If you can stay out of the wet in winter, still 4 season.

I don't see how you'd be able to do that up in Canada, though.

Regards! Michaelson

Not to mention the lethally slippery soles... not for snow and ice, the Aldens are intended...

Hey Kilgour - I was going to start a new thread, but I hope you don't mind if I just ask my question here - it might be good for you too!

I'd just like to know how Aldens are for walking in. I read some threads about how comfortable they are, but none really on just how they are for walking. Are they well padded on the bottoms?

About the rain - they leak?? Is it bad, or just kind of bad? Why do they leak, you think? Where?

In Christ,
Shane

They leak around the seams, and they don't have a gussetted tongue, so water will seep thru there as well. Also, no padding on the bottom. They are made for insoles, so you can put your own padded insole in them .

TR

About the only down side I have about them regarding walking is the weight. They're equal to any steel toed safety shoe I've ever worn, and once you're used to them, no problem. In my case, though, they now flat wear me out after a full day of wear. Otherwise, VERY comfortable shoes.

Regards! Michaelson

They aren't really padded. You might need/want an insert if you're going far. I walked about a mile in them one time though, and it wasn't too bad.

True, but then if these were prescribed for you by a doctor like mine were, you don't put inserts in the shoe as they build the platform to match your foot problem. An insert would counteract that correction, and actually do more harm than good.

Regards! Michaelson

I believe Aldens are listed as orthopedic shoes, which probably simply means (a) they provide some ankle support, and (b) they don't have a shaped insert or anything in the shoe. So, if you're wearing podiatric inserts (for bad ankles, knees, etc.), you can put 'em in the shoe with no real problems.

Michaelson's right. Weight wise they take some getting used to. This is true for driving as well as walking (see other threads about driving in Aldens). They're a good tough boot, though.

Weather-wise, I haven't worn mine long enough in the rain to get them to leak, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did. I've worn mine in the snow, and if the snow ISN'T packed down already, they're fine, provided you take a nice heel lead as you walk.

The soles, however, are completely smooth. They have ZERO traction, so if you're walking downtown by some fancy office after it rains, you'll want to be extra careful on the marble and granite sidewalks. Basically any smooth, wet surface + Aldens = bad news.

They're great the rest of the time, though. Just make sure you get the brown ones and not the orange ones.

I've told this story before, but I'll tell it one more time in brief. I wore my Aldens to my father-in-laws funeral, and was one of the pall bearers. It snowed that morning, and there was a fairly heavy covering on the path leading up oo his grave site. We were halfway up the path when my Aldens totally lost traction and I began literally sliding backwards.

Bottom line, it took 10 of us to get that casket up the hill.
I'm sure my father-in-law would have found the whole thing amusing.

Slick soles? You bet!!!

Regards! Michaelson

quick question for a relative perspective:

are alden's worse/better than doc martins in the winter? i've worn doc martins before and you really need to learn how to slide your way around .

regardless, i'm gonna see how these bad boys hold up to a canadian winter in alberta.....it would've been a true test if i was living in winnipeg though.......

I think comparing Aldens to Docs is like apples and oranges. At least all of the Docs that I have seen or owned have had pretty knobby treads. Obviously Aldens don't. Additionally, I haven't seen any Docs with shanks, which the Aldens have.
Based strictly on what's been written here, I think the Docs would be better in your scenario.

JKL
Ron

In winter, the classic DM sole (oil, fat, acid, petrol, alkali resistant yeah right) freezes into a hard and slippery slab. I'd say the Doc soles almost match the Alden in terms of slickness.

I guess here in Texas we don't have that problem. Just when I think I know what I'm talking about. I had no idea the DM soles would do that. Important safety tip. Thanks Scandinavia.

JKL
Ron

scandinavia is exactly right. those dm shoes are the slickest things that i ever wore through winter (it was even worse when the treads wore off the summer before )....i do recall when they did have treads but it didn't help much once the soft rubber sole froze up.

i will make sure to revisit this thread and post the day that i fall on my behind with the aldens.......but considering that those docs got me home every night in winter during university (even the nights after happy hour ), i think i'll be fine (knock on wood)!

Wow! I guess I've just never experienced that kind of cold before. At least not while wearing my DMs. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I saw snow. If there ever is a freak blizzard here in Houston, I now know better than to go out in either my DMs or my Aldens.
Thank you COW!

JKL
Ron

Well, today in Houston you had a good chance to try Aldens leakage possibilities. MAN that was a lot of rain...and we're getting it now!

As a matter of fact, my eldest daughter D.Jones is currently marking time at the Houston International Airport trying to get out to fly to Nashville where I have to pick her up tonight. She was supposed to leave over 2 hours ago, but just called and said they were planning on loading the plane shortly. So, my night ain't over yet with this weather.

No, I'm not going to wear my Aldens to Nashville to test the water leakage problem.

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson,
Yeah, I feel completely saturated right now. I have to take the dogs out for a walk periodically, since I haven't a yard, and I just haven't been able to get completely dry. I actually wore my waterproof Wolverines all day, so at least my feet have stayed moisture-free.
I hope your daughter makes it out alright. The weather seems to have finally calmed down.
I've got a legal memo for school that I'm working on in between posts, and it looks like I'm going to be up for quite a while myself.

JKL
Ron

I wouldn't wear Aldens for flying anyway. With the shanks and metal rivets and stuff, they'd probably set off the metal detector, and even if they didn't, they'd be a pain to take off in line. Pack your Aldens, wear something that slips on and off easily (like a good pair of cowboy boots).

Solo4114 wrote:I wouldn't wear Aldens for flying anyway. With the shanks and metal rivets and stuff, they'd probably set off the metal detector, and even if they didn't, they'd be a pain to take off in line. Pack your Aldens, wear something that slips on and off easily (like a good pair of cowboy boots).

Yes. They definitively set off the arch. Way too much metallic mass to pass undetected. Those shanks are huge - I looked at my Aldens in the airport security x-ray monitor once, and they look like a couple of horseshoes...

IndianaGuybrush wore his Aldens on the way to work during a 'frog strangler'--While working, the Aldens dried, and now they fit him better then ever. The small details of this story may be a bit off, but the fact that the leather dried to the shape of his foot is spot on.

So, if you are afraid of wearing aldens in the Rain because they might be wrecked, fret not. It may even make them better.

Cheers
Craig

Solution:

Snow chains or crampons for the winter.

Alden may have a supplier

How can you tell if you have brown or orange Aldens?

Oh, you'll know. Trust me.



Here's a comparison shot. I think you can tell which is which.

my shade is somewhere in the middle?!?!

Get the Alden's! I wear mine in all kinds of weather. Sure they get soaked but it's part of the natural distressing.

The original costumer plan was for him to wear Redwings, so you're not far off the mark.

Regards !Michaelson

Farnham54 wrote:IndianaGuybrush wore his Aldens on the way to work during a 'frog strangler'--While working, the Aldens dried, and now they fit him better then ever. The small details of this story may be a bit off, but the fact that the leather dried to the shape of his foot is spot on.

So, if you are afraid of wearing aldens in the Rain because they might be wrecked, fret not. It may even make them better.

Cheers
Craig

See, I don't even need to post anymore, my legend lives on through others!

If you wear your Aldens in a heavy downpour and let them dry on your feet they will break in MUCH faster than usual. Don't try to artificially dry them with a hairdryer or anything like that, just let them dry over the course of the day. The rain softens the leather so it can mold to your foot, and it keeps that shape when it dries. My Aldens are incredibally comfortable, largely because i'm not afraid to wear them. As far as traction is conscerned though, you'd be better off barefoot. And if you mind getting your feet a bit wet then I wouldn't wear them in anything more than a light drizzle.

Don't they sell material that you can glue to the bottom of your sole which will add more traction? You could also cut hashes in your shoes, I suppose, with a knife though I doubt it'd help much unless you went pretty deep with the knife. And then you'd just be inviting the water in anyway.

Oh, and Indiana G, the color you have may actually be in the middle. The darker one on the right is, I believe, a much older version of the boots. The one on the left looks to be the 2000/2001 vintage (the color I originally had), and I heard they went back to a more ruddy brown for later versions. They change leather colors not infrequently, I guess.

I used Meltonian #93 polish (Sandalwood) on my orange boots (like the ones on the left) and got them to this color:


With flash:




Without flash:

If you wear your Aldens in a heavy downpour and let them dry on your feet they will break in MUCH faster than usual. Don't try to artificially dry them with a hairdryer or anything like that, just let them dry over the course of the day. The rain softens the leather so it can mold to your foot, and it keeps that shape when it dries.

It works. I do that with all my leather boots, I soak them overnight in the tub, then wear them till they are dry. I only do this in summer. If I need a new pair I make sure and buy them when it is warm or buy them in winter and wait till summer. Works like a charm.

I have a little tip for anyone who may be interested.

After polishing as I have recently done with brown polish, I didn't like that the white toe stitching turned brown.

Solution: Use an eraser on the stitching. It will erase the color to reveal a whiter stitching. Be careful not to do it too hard or you may unravel the stitching slightly.

I have a different idea of coating the stitches in that face mask stuff that you can peel off, or coating in pva and then erasing this away.

Anybody done anything similar?

Nope, I like the brown color it changes, looks more accurate to me.

well on saturday morning, i woke up to a blanket of white snow EVERYWHERE....and it kept snowing all weekend long. i got the chance to try out the aldens in the winter wonderland. definitely not as slippery as docs and have about as good a traction as my other dress shoes. they're definitely not as good as my catepillar work boots but its good to know you can wear these babies anywhere!

I agree with those that say the more you wear them, the more comfortable they become.
I wear mine to work pretty regularly, and I'm on my feet on tiled concrete floors for sometimes up to 12 hours. I would guess I walk a couple of miles per day. After 10 months I can't say they've ever really bothered me.
I've also worn them in the rain, splashing through puddles and such, and I've discovered a good coating of Pecards ever couple of months helps waterproof them enough to keep the water on the outside (as long as you don't submerge your feet).

As for traction, I thought they had GOOD traction, but that depends on the types of shoes you're used to wearing. My other shoes are cowboy boots (leather soles). I grew up in boots, so the transition to Aldens was no problem for me. As a matter of fact, IndianaGuybrush mentioned wearing your Aldens while they were wet helps mold them to your feet, and while growing up, every time I bought a new pair of boots, the first thing I did was fill the bathtub ankle deep with warm water and stand in it in my new boots for about five minutes, then I'd wear them for at least a couple of hours without taking them off. This would give me a perfect fit every time. A well made pair of cowboy boots are waterproof, so my feet would stay dry.

I wear dress shoes to work every day, and the aldens are on par with those. When they're relatively new, they're a bit worse than, say, leather-soled cowboy boots (which I also wore for several years). I prefer rubber soled cowboy boots now, which is what I wear mostly when I'm not at work. Well, that and the aldens.

I've worn aldens in the snow, though, and while they're fine on unpacked snow, walking on sidewalks where the snow's already been trod upon and packed down...they're not that great. Not WORSE than anything else, just not great.

Good point, Solo4114, they aren't better or worse than any other shoes on ice or packed snow.
Last winter-during Central Texas' annual six hours of ice, I had the chance to wear my brand new Aldens. Aside from my toes getting cold, I thought they handled just fine. Of course, being that we don't get much ice or snow down here, I have a tendency to be VERY careful when walking on it, so any shoe would have handled about the same. A deep snow drift around here usually measures around three to four inches. And usually melts within hours. Yet every time the weather people call for ice or snow, people charge to the grocery stores to stock up on toilet paper, batteries and bottled water, as if we may be snowed in for months. I can't help but laugh. I've been snowed in for as long as all morning before it finally thawed and my batteries lasted the whole time. Thank goodness for Duracell.

ha ha! i guess the other canuck gearheads can attest to what a real snow drift is....one where you have to shovel your way into just to get the car door open!

it was about 3 or 4 degrees F here this morning....not too bad but still a little cold for november. in winnipeg they're still probably wearing their shorts in weather like this

I'm always amused at the Canadian Air Force pilots who come here to the Space Institute to work on their Master degrees. The temps get around the upper 30's and a lot of us are wrapped up in parkas. They, on the other hand, are walking around in Bermuda shorts and flip flops. Seriously!

Then again, they're probably more amused at US and the way we're wrapped up than the other way 'round!

Regards! Michaelson

Here in a military town, in the winter, I can always tell the natives from the "out of towners". Usually, we don't see the temp drop into the thirties until late Dec. or early January. But when the temp hits somewhere around 45 degrees, the locals bundle up like they're about to hop a flight to the Great White North (myself included). Meanwhile, the military personel who have been stationed here from up north are still wandering around in their grey army t-shirts and shorts.
On the plus side, I rarely need more than a sweatshirt under my Wested for winter, and my Aldens keep my feet warm enough. When there's ice on the ground, my feet may get cold, but I'm rarely out in it long enough for it to bother me much.

good morning,

i just wanted to mention that aldens are good in rain, snow, slush, etc....but are really, really, really bad in cold weather...ie less than -20 deg C (-4 deg F). its all out winter here in the great white north and my little pigglies almost died waiting for the bus this morning. i'm gonna go try to find some good socks but i may end up searching for some good cold weather boots.....anyone know if there is some indyesque boots that are insulated?

Indy G, I think you can get Redwings with a lining here. Give the Redwing Shoe Store a ring (ph: 252-5227/ 2015 32nd ave ne). I can't remember the shoe model that resembles the Alden, but they have them.

thanks sable. hope you're keeping warm in this #### (i actually just typed the # cause i know the forum would censor it anyways ).

Seeing as how we just got a snow dump yesterday, I thought it might be appropriate to ask a question here. Would it be sacrilege to actually replace the sole of the 405 with something a little more...well...grippy? Not talking about 1" chunky soles or anything. Just something a little more suitable to walking on snow...or even trudging through the Sahara. That's the only thing that bothers me about the 405. The sole isn't exactly made for anything 'off-road' so to speak.

i wouldn't call it sacrilege but it is a pricey mod to an even pricier boot. you can spend the money on a 'close enough' boot that had the grips you are seeking. just my 2 cents.

I know folks have had vibram soles installed on 405's with no problems at all, so it's not an unknown thing to have done. Not that costly either, but should be done by a good cobbler.

Regards! Michaelson

Let me just straighten something out, since they are listed as "orthopedic shoes" does that mean they have less padding than normal shoes to accommodate for whatever insert you put in? So, for hard/long wearing, you absolutely NEED an insert?

One of these days I may have a Vibram Mini-Lug sole put on my Aldens. It would maintain the profile, but add some tread.

Zach, yes, the Aldens have no padding in them so they are hard. I put a good insole in mine and they are very comfortable.

Any suggestions on a "good" insole? I don't want to buy 300 dollar shoes and then go to Wal-Mart and get the Generic Padded brand.

Zach, I bought a set of Herman Survivor insoles at Wal-Mart. They've done an excellent job of making an already comfortable pair of boots even more comfortable. I've found many insoles to be too think to work.

And here I've been running around with out a soul. Err...insole