Club Obi Wan

What is the average price people have paid for sole replacement on their Aldens? I know the restoration service from Alden is $125, but I just need the soles replaced right now. There are a few places in town I am looking to get it done at, but I want to make sure I don't pay too much. Is it better just to send it to Alden, and if so what do they charge? I need to get the whole sole replaced, not just the heel. The toe area is really wearing thin.

I am in the same boat as you are my friend, do you have the alden restoration number?

Here is the form to request a restoration http://aldenshoe.com/pro_res.htm
The telephone number for the restoration service is 1-800-325-4252.

Hope this helps!

Just take them to a local cobbler - my local shop qouted me around $40 in US money for a complete resole.

$125 seems like a lot of money to spend on a resole, don't you think?

I had my cowboy boots resoled at a local cobler for 30 bucks! Thats way to much money!

Had my heels redone in a shop right near the Alden Store in San Francisco. The guy charged me 20 bucks. I guess I lucked out...

I'd take a look at this thread for a little more detail of the service.

http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic ... ight=alden

BDJ,

There's a shoe shop here in San Marcos that does good work. I am thinking about putting leather soles on my Aldens and not neoprene like what comes from the factory. I seem to wear it out too quickly. Should be about $75.

Neoprene would be about $30 - $40 if I were to guess.

Just a thought,
Pyro.

Just an update . . .

I had my 405's resoled by a local cobbler with part obtained through Alden back in February. This place had the soles, but did not have the correct leather mid-soles or heels (I went ahead and had the heel relpaced as well). The parts from Alden were $35 (including shipping). The resole was to be $75, but the cobbler gave me credit for the parts from Alden, since he didn't use any of his parts.

Just some extra information. Alden, according to the woman I talked to on the phone, does not offer a sole or heel replacement service. They do offer a restoration sevice which includes new soles, heels, as well as work on the rest of the shoe. So, the $125 is not for just a new sole and heel, but also for a rebulit shoe.

Band Director Jones wrote:Just an update . . .

I had my 405's resoled by a local cobbler with part obtained through Alden back in February. This place had the soles, but did not have the correct leather mid-soles or heels (I went ahead and had the heel relpaced as well). The parts from Alden were $35 (including shipping). The resole was to be $75, but the cobbler gave me credit for the parts from Alden, since he didn't use any of his parts.

BDJ,

From this, I take it that you purchased the complete sole and heel from Alden for thirty five dollars and had a local cobbler put them on. Is this correct?

That is correct. He just charged me for the labor. The price for the entire job is usually $75, including the labor. Since I provided the parts, he took $35 off the price, so I ended up paying $40 for him to put them on. This isn't bad for a total sole and heel replacement. I could have lowered the cost my having just the sole replaced or by having a half-sole job (where they replace only the front half of the sole and not the back). But, I'm also the kind of guy who gets 4 new tires when I need to replace only one.

The reason that I asked is because I did not know that you could purchase the sole and heels from Alden without having their $125 restoration service performed by them. It is good to know this in case a sole and heel is all that you need.

Did the lady happen to say how often you should have your shoe rebuilt??