Club Obi Wan

Hey guys I'm not sure if this is the correct place to put this but I have been in contact with the owner of LeatherSoul an Alden vendor in HI and CA. I've been asking Tom periodically if he was going to put in another order for their "Vintage" Indy boot. He finally responded to my latest email which I've pasted below. If you are interested in this boot or any other custom Indy he's willing to work with us.

LeatherSoul
http://leathersoulhawaii.com/

I wrote 12/9/11;

Hello Tom,
I'm a member (lantzn) of the Indygear.com C.O.W. forum. We are serious collectors of all types of Indy gear and often buy products from the very companies that made them for the Indy films. I've been collecting since the fall of 2008 and have built up quite a collection myself.

You might recall I have been literally drooling over your Indy Vintage boots and didn't learn of them until they were long gone. Let me run this by you.
If I were to drum up some interest in the forum for this boot, how many orders would make it worth your while to place a re-order? Also I'm sure the members would love to have another "in" for Alden boots of various models if joining the forum is something you would be interested in.

Tom responded 11/8/11;

Lantz,

It's obvious to me you really want these boots. I appreciate your passion for them. As long as you don't mind the wait, I will place an order.

Please keep in mind that Alden is currently just starting to make shoes I ordered 9 months ago which makes the current wait time for orders about 13-15 months.

Please fill out the enclosed order form and either email or fax it back to me. We require a $100 non refundable deposit for preorders.

If you and the members of your forum would like to make up anything special just let me know. The wait time would be a few months added to normal and I do not discount any merchandise but I am willing to order something unique within Alden's available specs for your forum.

Aloha and best wishes,

Tom
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Whoohoo I get to order my dream boots! Finally. Anyone else interested in jumping in with me on these boots?

Indiana Jones Fanatics are constantly trying to achieve “screen accurate” gear. We believe we are pretty close to acheiving that (along with a few major improvements as well) with our new Leather Soul Exclusive Vintage Indy Boots.

A follow up, or shall we say, Sequel, to our ever popular Ultimate Indys, these Vintage Indys are built with the same upgraded features such as Full Leather Linings, Higher Grade Leather (Vintage Oiled Nubuck), and a Leather and Commando Sole. We also chose an All Around Reverse Welt for a “cleaner” rugged look.

http://leathersoulhawaii.com/2008/12/14 ... tage-indy/

I have a pair of these of love 'em. They are by far the most comfortable boots I've ever owned. I'd be interested to see the "special" options Tom mentioned.

Good luck on the order!

I've got a pair as well, and they are my favorite boots.
Although I love the the commando sole, a normal sole might be interesting.

Man! My timing is MOD EDIT. DO NOT GO AROUND THE WORD FILTER! poor.

wwtwo wrote:Man! My timing is p*ss poor.

Well considering its going to be over a year before they arrive, you could certainly enjoy your recently purchased Alden's and then sell those once you receive the others. There is a good demand for used Alden's.

What size are you? For me no matter what I have to order because of my odd size 8.5EEE.

lantzn wrote:

wwtwo wrote:Man! My timing is p*ss poor.

Well considering its going to be over a year before they arrive, you could certainly enjoy your recently purchased Alden's and then sell those once you receive the others. There is a good demand for used Alden's.

What size are you? For me no matter what I have to order because of my odd size 8.5EEE.

The very thought crossed my mind. In fact I just shipped of my old 405s which I placed on eBay late yesterday and were bought overnight. Those were 10D and were too big, which was something that had bothered me since I got them a decade ago. The new pair are 9.5D and fit very, very well.

Kudos for tracking down the Leather Soul folks and arranging to have more Vintage Boots made. I appreciate the utility of lug soles, but I really like the 405's leather sole. Do they really not react well to a wet environment? I guess I'll just have to have both the 405s and Vintage. 'Tis a shame...

These look great! I can't wait till he has some more.....which should be in a year or so, lol!

I'd be in for some Ultimate Indy's, rather than the Vintage. I'd be willing to give up the orthopedic heel, but I'm not a fan of the all-around welt.

I have some Ultimate Indy's in black, as well as some of the tobacco chamois with the commando soles, and they are outstanding.

Keep in mind if you just wait for LSH to get boots in, you're probably already too late when they get there! Tom has many eager customers, I think!

Man, those are beautiful.



My only problem, aside from sinking $500 for a new pair, would be the wait. I couldn't wait the year, I just don't have that kind of patience.

Illinois James wrote:I'd be in for some Ultimate Indy's, rather than the Vintage. I'd be willing to give up the orthopedic heel, but I'm not a fan of the all-around welt.

I have some Ultimate Indy's in black, as well as some of the tobacco chamois with the commando soles, and they are outstanding.

Keep in mind if you just wait for LSH to get boots in, you're probably already too late when they get there! Tom has many eager customers, I think!

I believe he currently has the Ultimate on order already. Not sure how many are spoken for.

I wandered into Leather Soul Hawaii yesterday to show a friend. He was interested in a pair of 403s. To my surprise a pair of Ultimate Indy Boots were sitting there amongst the 403s and 405s. I couldn't believe it since I was told they wouldn't be in stock for a few more months. Bottom-line: I dropped $500. They had quite a few wrapped and ready to be shipped, but I got the impression they had more in the back. If anyone is interested I can call today and find out how many and of what size and I can post here. Of note, my 405s are 9.5D. I first tried that same size in the Ultimate, but they were too big (feet were swimming in them, actually). I went down to 9D and though a hair snug, they're perfect in the length. They are great boots, lighter than 405s, but the Alden quality is more than apparent. Oh, the commando sole squeaks a bit on tile. And the pictures:

wwtwo those are some real nice looking boots. I sure wish I had the spare change to buy a pair now.

ShanghaiJack wrote:wwtwo those are some real nice looking boots. I sure wish I had the spare change to buy a pair now.

Thanks... Me too!

I much prefer the Ultimate to the Vintage Indy. It's the big welt in the back of the Vintage Indy that just makes the boot look way larger than it really is, particularly in the larger sizes.

Those are beautiful. I'm going to contact Tom, but I have a feeling I'm waaaaay too late!

You DO know that you can take a normal pair of 405s and make them look just like these, right?

Kyle

knibs7 wrote:You DO know that you can take a normal pair of 405s and make them look just like these, right?

Kyle

C'mon! Show a little back bone, will yah?!

knibs7 wrote:You DO know that you can take a normal pair of 405s and make them look just like these, right?
Kyle

You can do that, and I have a pair that pretty much do look like them now. Except for the commando soles, and not having the orthopedic shaped heel, which is probably good but most people don't really need anyway. I really like the small lugs; they make a big difference in the winter months near Chicago. I have the Ultimate Indy boots in black, which I really wear only when it's freezing outside (for traction), or sometimes riding the motorcycle.

So many variants of this boot now!