Club Obi Wan

I went to the Alden store on Madison Avenue here in New York Thursday and tried on a pair of 405s. I usually take and 11-and-a-half or twelve, depending on the shoe, but the boots I tried on were too big. So I tried an 11. The length was fine, but they were too wide. They were a "D" width, so I asked to try the next size narrower, a "C". The clerk said they only come in "D".

Is this true? I thought one of the selling points of Aldens is that they come in all sizes and widths.

He said you have to wear really thick socks with these boots. If I'm dropping $260, shouldn't they fit right without my having to buy new socks, too?

Any comments?

The store is wrong. They do come in varying widths. If you don't believe me call the Alden Shoppe in San Francisco or Fritz in Sherman Oaks.

-Sergei

Hi thre Flash, I recently took the plunge and purchased a pair of Aldens and had the same concerns about sizing. Since I was investing that much money in a boot I plan to wear and not just use for special events, I wanted to be sure the fit was right. I have worn steel-toed boots for several years and they have played havoc on my feet so I was anxious to see how these would feel.
There is an orthopaedic shoe store nearby that sells the Alden brand and I stopped in recently just to get some info and to get properly measured. I normally wear a 10M width shoe/boot and wasn't sure what they would recommend. He just happened to have a 10E that he wasn't sure would fit but to our surprise, they were just what I needed. He said even though in some shoes I would need a medium width, it could also be that I had been mis-sizing my shoes for some time. Since I tend to wear a thicker crew sock I knew that it would really be a nice fit. He also recommended using an insole to give a bit of cushion and I could not be happier. When you invest that much $$$ it pays to get properly fitted by someone who knows the exact size that you need. On a plus side, these seem to be one of the older models because the color is a nice rich brown and not the newer shade that I have heard about. He assured me that I would not regret selecting this shoe.........he said they were built like a tank and would give years of service. Seems like I have heard Michaelson say that very thing. Best of luck to you. Regard, Williamson

Thanks for your input Williamson! I'll drop by the Alden shop again with some heavy socks, and if that doesn't do the trick, I'll ask if they can order a narrower width. I've heard so many good things about the Aldens on this forum...and some not so good. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Flash, here is a cut and paste from the Alden site regarding shoe sizes and widths.

Trubalance Last

405 Dark Brown

In Stock
AAA 9 1/2-14
AA 9-14
A 8-15
B 7 1/2-15
C 6 1/2-15
D 6-13
E 6 1/2-12
EE 6 1/2-12
EEE 7-12

Hope this helps,
Pyro

Thanks, Pyroxene!

Now I'm much better armed for my foray into Alden territory. I probably won't get over to Madison until next week. I'll keep you posted.

Here's blinking at you!

Pyroxene wrote:Flash, here is a cut and paste from the Alden site regarding shoe sizes and widths.

Trubalance Last

405 Dark Brown

In Stock
AAA 9 1/2-14
AA 9-14
A 8-15
B 7 1/2-15
C 6 1/2-15
D 6-13
E 6 1/2-12
EE 6 1/2-12
EEE 7-12

Hope this helps,
Pyro

I want to make sure I'm on the same page with y'all.

If I order "dark brown" 405's, they actually arrive as "pumpkin orange" and they used to arrive as "brick red," and before that time the 405s would arrive as "dark brown."

However, I can specially order the "dark brown" color of the "dark brown" 405s for an additional $75 and the Aldens will arrive in true "dark brown." That's the picture I seem to get when I think back over the Alden postings of the past six months or so. Is this correct?