Club Obi Wan

I recently acquired a pair of Aldens while on holiday, and after an interesting "getting to know you" session with these boots (walking from dusk to dawn for a week in them), I broke them in rather quickly.

I seem to have discovered that while at first, the boots are almost as stiff as steel, which turned out to be a bad thing for someone wearing a new pair as hard as I did. They managed to give me a cut on the side of my leg where the top end of the boot reveals sock... all that constant rubbing throughout the week must have gradually rubbed off skin.

However, after getting them unintentionally soaked in my travels, they now seem to have moulded to the shape of my feet, and certainly feel 'custom'.

Now, before I turn this into a review and a sort of travelouge, I really should get to the point...

Over the course of the week, I've noticed that the boot has developed certain pronounced wrinkles, most likely on account of the bouts of rain to which it was subject to. I'm got rather afraid, especially after the first soaking, when the wrinkled areas seemed to retain the water much better than the rest of the shoe, leaving a temporary dark stain which evaporated as soon as the water dried.

After that, I KNOW that I have to treat these boots.

However, I am uncertain which product would be a better choice for them: Alden's own boot cream, or Pecards?

I know how much Pecards is praised and celebrated around here... I'm actually guilty of doing that myself. But I am curious as to how the Alden boot cream holds up in comparison? I probably should add that I'm not a big fan of distressing, so I'd like to keep these boots looking in as good condition as possible.

Anyone have any ideas? Experiences? I'm all ears...

I'm curious to hear the results of someone using the Aldens cream myself.

I use both. The cream over the entire boot, but Pecards on the areas that flex the most. Pecards provides lubrication for the leather fibers to pass by each other in an area that has been flexed, so you don't have break through at a cracked area.

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:I use both. The cream over the entire boot, but Pecards on the areas that flex the most. Pecards provides lubrication for the leather fibers to pass by each other in an area that has been flexed, so you don't have break through at a cracked area.

Regards! Michaelson

I'm thinking of trying the Pecards on those crow's feet around my eyes!

Just don't use the brown or black. It draws attention to those areas.....though they make a great moustache wax....

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:Just don't use the brown or black. It draws attention to those areas.....though they make a great moustache wax....

Regards! Michaelson

Now, how to you know what color my skin is?

I've seen your photos, remember?

That is, if those WERE you....

Regards! Michaelson

.....though they make a great moustache wax....

Why wouldn't I be surprised if you knew that by experience!?!?

Who? ME? 8-[

Regards! Michaelson

Thanks for the advice Michaelson, I'll do as you've suggested, but I am wondering... wouldn't Pecarding the boot make it tougher for the cream to penetrate the leather for later applications? And how effective would you suppose, if color is a non-issue, that either cream or pecards would be as a stand-alone product?

On a related note, regarding the contrasting white stitching on the boots, does anybody know what the consensus is around here regarding brown cream darkening the stitches, and therefore giving them less of a contrast?

Doesn't pecards offer a non-color cream?

nicktheguy wrote:Doesn't pecards offer a non-color cream?

Most likely, but I was referring to the Alden boot cream

I asked the people at Aldens where they are made what to use and they told me to use brown shoe polish, the Kiwi paste type in the tin. They said Pecards is alright if the weather is inclement.

The factory recommends Meletonian shoe paste for regular wear, and Pecards for inclimate weather. I use both. Why take a chance?

Regards! Michaelson

Not to argue the point but I asked about Meltonian boot cream, which is what I used to use, and theysay to use a a paste like Kiwi. I didn't know that Meltonian made something other than a cream. Why pay more for polish if Kiwi is good enough for the manufacturer?

I'm interested in the question posed above about how the brown boot cream (or any kind of brown shoe polish) would affect the stitching.

When I first got my Aldens, I was thinking that I would want to polish them right away to get rid of the contrast between the stitching and the leather. But, after I've been wearing them "as is" for about two weeks, I'm used to seeing the cream-colored stitching against the brown leather.

Has anyone here used polish or boot cream on their Aldens and wound up missing the lighter stitching afterwards?

Tony

RichardSK wrote:Not to argue the point but I asked about Meltonian boot cream, which is what I used to use, and theysay to use a a paste like Kiwi. I didn't know that Meltonian made something other than a cream. Why pay more for polish if Kiwi is good enough for the manufacturer?

Who were you talking to, Richard? I got my information directly from the factory.

Just curious.

If you want to use Kiwi, go for it. It's a good product....but I'll use what the factory recommended (and sent me, by the way), and it's done the job perfectly all these years.

With regular use, the threads tone down with the use of the shoe creme, as it penetrates the thread over time, unlike paste that colors and polishes the surface but does not penetrate thread or leather.

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:

RichardSK wrote:Not to argue the point but I asked about Meltonian boot cream, which is what I used to use, and theysay to use a a paste like Kiwi. I didn't know that Meltonian made something other than a cream. Why pay more for polish if Kiwi is good enough for the manufacturer?

Who were you talking to, Richard? I got my information directly from the factory.

Just curious.

If you want to use Kiwi, go for it. It's a good product....but I'll use what the factory recommended (and sent me, by the way), and it's done the job perfectly all these years.

With regular use, the threads tone down with the use of the shoe creme, as it penetrates the thread over time, unlike paste that colors and polishes the surface but does not penetrate thread or leather.

Regards! Michaelson

Is the Meltanoian cream the same as the Alden cream? I ask, because Alden does offer boot cream, and I'd be puzzled as to why they would promote another's product over their own...?

I wouldn't be a bit surprised that it's one and the same, just under their own label.

For example Pecards subcontracts a lot for shoe companies. Eg: Redwing boot oil is Pecards.

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:I wouldn't be a bit surprised that it's one and the same, just under their own label.

For example Pecards subcontracts a lot for shoe companies. Eg: Redwing boot oil is Pecards.

Regards! Michaelson

That's what I figured too, but never hurts to ask

They used to ship a jar of Meletonian creme in the color of the boot with every pair they shipped from the factory. That's been a few years back, though.....

Regards! Michaelson

I just applied the classic leather dressing to my new Aldens, and I wondered about something. Am I correct that I leave the Pecard's on for 24 hours or so, and then use a cloth to get the excess off? The info it came with said it won't change the color, so I hope this is true.

I got my Aldens about 3-4 weeks ago and applied Pecards to them as you described. No difference in color for me at all.

With that said, I also can't tell any difference in how water behaves on the leather. Granted, I haven't had them in the rain yet....

Tony

TonyRush wrote:I got my Aldens about 3-4 weeks ago and applied Pecards to them as you described. No difference in color for me at all.

With that said, I also can't tell any difference in how water behaves on the leather. Granted, I haven't had them in the rain yet....

Tony

Tony, how long did you keep the initial treatment on? I'm glad there was no color change.

I Peccarded (is that a word?) my Aldens when I first got them, they had dried out a bit since (and I had a bunch of mud and stuff to clean off).

I just put some Meltonian shoe creme #136 Brick on them and polished them up nicely and then Peccarded them. They look great now and feel very soft. Can't wait to wear them tomorrow!

While it is called a creme, Meltonian is a bit paste-like and goes on nicely with a small applicator brush. It is far more viscous than boot polish though.

(Brick was a perfect match for my boot leather, I wouldn't say it darkened them though, if anyone was thinking it would do that.)

I'd post pics but I am lazy.

(Brick was a perfect match for my boot leather, I wouldn't say it darkened them though, if anyone was thinking it would do that.)

Not initially, but over time and several applications, it really does darken them up nicely. What you just described doing to your boots is exactly how I work on mine.

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote: Not initially, but over time and several applications, it really does darken them up nicely. What you just described doing to your boots is exactly how I work on mine.

Funny that

Great minds think alike.

Mr. Z wrote:Great minds think alike.

or fools never differ. No, I just read Michaelson's posts on the subject.