Club Obi Wan

....is a store here in calgary that carries the alden 405's (i believe its the only store here that does).

per indy max's post of his new boots......

viewtopic.php?t=21343

......alden is currently making them a tadd darker from the regular brickish colour that we have all been acquainted with for some time now (and what are currently in my closet)....but the colour is still not the chocolate brown tone that the raiders boots were as seen in the temple scenes.

since i'm a loyal member of the "screen accurate" camp, i opened up a dialogue with the resident alden shoe specialist. it seems he's done his homework on this boot....quite extensively actually (he'd be a great addition to the forum, i found myself thinking ). he and i sat down and chatted on what the boot looked like in the 80's and we soon planned out a custom boot for me...the ultimate SA indy boot if you will, right down to the colour of the stitching and of the ridge that binds the upper to the soul. he also added that he was going to talk to the good folks at alden shoes to see if they still have kept the original plans to ford's boot from "the first movie" (as he put it), and if they are on file, they would be followed for constructing my boots. another thing that i brought to his attention was that the tongues on my boots kept slipping to the outside. he mentioned that he could tack the tongues down when they arrived. here's the kicker, the order will take approx 6 - 7 months to process (no exceptions)....and i thought waiting on an AB was torture enough

so in the end, i should have some nice SA boots for the upcoming fall. i'll post pics then....maybe this thread will still be kicking around then...who knows?

while i was there, he did share an interesting story with me about the boot's history. i do not know if this was posted before, and if so, maybe it'll illuminate things for our plethora of new members. back when ford was filming star wars, he was involved in a stunt where he accidentally twisted his ankle. his doctor prescribed orthopedic alden shoes with the foot balance technology (ie - the boot is constructed to safe gaurd the ankle from rolling and ensures that the foot is housed with extra (longer) leather in the upper and that the heal is fashioned for optimal balance when walking). i believe it was ford's physician that sent him to alden shoes to get fitted. this is pretty much why ford refused to wear the red wing shoes that nadoolman picked out for the costume....it was against the doctor's orders

SA boots like that viewtopic.php?t=21018 :

I believe Pyro blazed that trail a few years back, yes.

Aldens will custom make just about anything for anyone. Problem is, I'll be surprised if they DO give your man any specific information regarding Ford's shoe construction, as it would be an on- file medical record, and not for public release. These boots when made based on a doctor recommendation are considered prescribed medical devices for a specific patient. That's why folks who DO buy these for those problems get them paid for by their insurance companies.

If he gets it, and it IS published, prepare for rough waters ahead, as it would be violating doctor/patient/medical vendor prescription
confidences.

All they can do is try and get as close in appearance to the original boot as they can when they made his in the late 70's, as their supply of leather changes annually. THAT'S why the color changes so often.

Regards! Michaelson

thats exactly what i meant michaelson....just wanted the appearance of the boots, not the exact orthopedic specifications of it

anyways, make sure to keep your calender open in september when i get them and post my review

Indiana G wrote:...the ridge that binds the upper to the soul.

I think you're getting just a bit too philosophical about these boots!

Kind regards,
indy

For some, buying their first Aldens can be a religious experience, I suppose....

Regards! Michaelson

For some, buying their first Aldens can be a religious experience, I suppose....

not only that, here are some enlightening experiences i've had in my short tenure as a gearhead:

- morgan bullwhips are how much?!?!?
- turning my hat and having the front pinch way too far left
- orientation of those #### jacket straps
- what the #### is cavalry twill?
- noel howard clothes are how much?!?!?
- hello....hello...peter...anyone home?
- i have to wait how long for a hat?
- what are leather facings and why don't i want them?
- no, no, no....no brass zippers for me please

i can go on and on......but the bottom line is, THIS IS SURE ALOT OF FUN!!!!

Indy Magnoli:

I think you're getting just a bit too philosophical about these boots!

- good catch Magnoli!

But you know I'm glad G is getting that part of the boot changed for his screen accurate pair. Because I never notice Ford's Boots Looking like our modern ones around where the "sole" is attached to the top of the boot. Maybe it's just my pair but that area seems much wider on mine that HF's ever do in the movie. Makes my boot look too big when looking down on them, it's like a quarter of an inch all the way around the perameter.

Looking forward to seeing those boots.

Doug C

does it look too wide on today's boots?....or is it because its such a light cream shade that it contrasts more making it appear larger?

once you polish your boots a couple times, this area darkens and you don't even notice how bright they use to be until you see a pic or hold a brand new 405 in your hand.

the gent at the store recommended that this area be built with darker leather. i agreed, but i don't think it would have made much of a difference as within a couple of months, it would be that dark already.

I guess that's true about the polishing darkening that area, I've never polishe mine though. I said that they were about a quarter of an inch around the boot, but looking down at them as I type - I'd say they are about 1/2 inch..which seems more than Ford's boots in the movies, but I haven't really studied any screen caps too closely, just my general feeling.

Doug C

i got a call from the o'connors salesman today. the lady at aldens is quite sure that the file for a late 70's/early 80's spec boot exists and the gentlemen in charge of these records will contact my sales guy directly to go over them. it is also assumed that not only the correct colored leather can be sourced, but the actual supplier of the correct colored leather from back in the day. if they are however, not per the raiders boot (ie - still calling for the brick colored leather in whatever specifications are found), we have already come up with a specification of how to make the boot similar to the ones in the movie with the correct chocolate brown hue.

here's another kicker of an update though....the wait will be 8 months to get them. well consider it an early x-mas gift to myself then. i'm pretty sure my current 405's will easily last until then.

cheers

That's all very cool, but what could possibly take 8 months !!??? Please tell me that's just for the initial pair, others will be made quiker -right? Also, I've never been under the assumption that they were a chocolate color in the movies, you have any screen caps that show this? I do believe the area around the perameter was slihtly different.

Doug C

Alden custom orders have always taken that long.

Regards! Michaelson

I should have known

Doug C

How much would this service cost?

I'd be really interested in getting a pair, made to the specs before they changed some details, although I actually prefer the reddish hue of the shoes, which has a more vintage flavor than the standard boring brown.

)hey dougc,

the scenes that i definitely can see a colour difference is in the temple scene where he's walking across the booby trap floor. i know, i know....too dark to tell right? this is confirmed in the bonus dvd where ford is practicing with his whip next to the bantu wind i believe.

i believe there's another picture of ford under an umbrella with his legs crossed (in the dessert....probably the truck chase or the flying wing shooting) that shows the distinctive colour.

regardless, its definitely not the colour of what i have now (brick colour) and not whats available currently. i can't really comment about the area around the perimeter of the soul (ha ha )....but that part of the boot changes colour drastically after you start wearing them anyways....at least mine did.

as far as the waiting goes, i think its over 18 weeks or so just to get in the factory cue i think. perhaps they have to pick out the right calves at the barn....."hey earl, check him out....he'd be perfect for indiana g's left boot"......booo....did i go to far this time?

...oh yeah...and michaelson has a pair of boots from that time frame with the right color as well.....i almost forgot that.

actually, it's michaelson's boots and scandinavia jones' "fedora aficianado" cover that pulled me in this direction.....curse you guys!!!

btw the cost is $290 or so for the alden boots and an extra $150 for the custom order....that's only $55/month over 8 months. thats dirt cheap

Ya know, you might try buying the standard-colored boot, then taking it to a shoe repair store and having professionally redyed. I know this used to be quite common for women when I was a kid. I don't think it's gone the way of buggy whips. That would cut your wait AND your costs. Comments?
David

Ya know, you might try buying the standard-colored boot, then taking it to a shoe repair store and having professionally redyed. I know this used to be quite common for women when I was a kid. I don't think it's gone the way of buggy whips. That would cut your wait AND your costs. Comments?
David

wayyyy too easy david. where's the fun in that?

after 6 long months of waiting, i decided to contact my salesman and he has just informed me that my custom spec boots have just got "listed" by the factory.......after 6.....SIX....1,2,3,4,5,6, months of waiting........for boots! that means i would have to wait another 18 weeks for construction. no thanks....normally i would keep waiting but i do like those 'rugged' 405's that they sell out of the carmel store. i'm planning on buying these instead and pulling my order from the que.

what are your guys' thoughts? in all likelihood, the carmel boots will be cheaper, faster in delivery and are pretty much what i speced out except for the vibram soles (which i can resole when they wear out). on one hand, i can have a truly unique, personalized 405 in 2008 but on the other hand, these are available now in specs which mostly match mine.....don't know.......

It can take a while, but I'd almost believe your salesman forgot to put in the order, and to cover his posterior told you the delay was on the Alden factory side of equation.

Personally, I'd suggest you go ahead and cancel the special order, then order your boots from Carmel.

Regards! Michaelson

thats what i did

i don't know the real story, but my salesman did mention that he thought his verbal order back in april was all that was needed, but he did not react quick enough when alden did not send him a order request form to sign and submit back to them.

a very nice gent and extremely helpful but 6 months is about 5 months and 20 days too long for mr. G to wait for .......yeah, yeah, yeah...{all of the vendor's that indy G has bought gear off of over the past year are chuckling quietly to themselves}

Indy G
I am sorry to hear what you went through for the shoes. I was really looking forward to the pics you'd post.
The ruggeds look pretty sweet though

Oh. Gil. This is information that I didn't need to know. Alden's at O'Connor's. Dang.

Guess I'd better sell that kidney on the black market.

It's okay, my kid has another one and I have two myself.

come on sable....you don't have to use yours or your loved ones organs.....there's plenty of unsuspecting victims.....er...i mean, individuals who can be "convinced" to donate an organ for your alden funds. i'll help you....that would be a good summit for a scoundrel and a scoundrel to be