I just got my pairs of J Crew boots, and I'll concur that they are VERY stiff out of the box, but have a lot of potential, especially for $40 a pair. All I'll add is this pic:
From left to right:
4 year old Aldens with a recent coat of Neutral Kiwi
J Crew with a coat of Brown Kiwi and Pecards (with Alden laces)
J Crew fresh out of the box
Magnoli, what an excellent comparison picture! This is what I wanted to see, a direct comparison between the Alden 405 and the JCrew (before and after darkening).
I used the brown Kiwi shoe polish on my JCrew as well and the results were immediate. It darkened right away. The shoes are stiff out of the box, so keep creasing them so that they'll eventually break in and look like your 4-year old Aldens.
I wear mine almost every day now, they even go great with jeans. I understand that the JCrew are a little higher cut than the Alden, but judging from the style and design plus the heel as well, they got great potential to make a perfect substitute.
I picked up a pair of these...and they are fantastic. With the proper distressing and darkening, they're the perfect alternative Indy boot. 40 bucks! Magnoli...I owe you one for this post.
I can't take credit for originally finding the J. Crew boots... only for taking the comparison photo above.
I've warn mine on a four-hour hike and they worked very well and I had no blisters (after having broken them in the week before).... but then I wore them the other day for a game of rugby (it was too wet for my no-tread tennis shoes)... and I got a good quarter-sized blood blister on the bottom of my big toe afterwards. That'll teach me to use the wrong tool for the job.
I also ordered a pair last night from the website. However, the "final sale" tag worried me, so I called and asked about exchanging for size (sometimes "final" really isn't...and it was a toll-free call). Basically, if they don't fit...you're stuck with 'em.
If they don't fit me when they arrive...anyone wanna buy a brand new pair of 9.5s?