Club Obi Wan

Can anyone give me an idea of what to expect and whether they think it's worth it? I'm considering it as I've had mine for many years and they have some deep wear and tear.

If the leather is not torn, absolutely.

We've had excellent reports made of successful rebuilds...and with the price of new Aldens, WELL worth the price of repair.

I did it years ago, and was very satisfied.

Just follow the instructions on their website.

http://www.aldenshoe.com/DrawOnePage.aspx?PageID=12" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The shoe trees that come back with them are GREAT!

Regards! Michaelson

Good to hear, Michaelson. Being in the UK, I'll have to factor in shipping costs too. And not sure how it's all going to work with the current COVID situation. I've also been a bit hesitant because I hear they don't deal with the inner lining.

If Alden isn't your ideal option, I can also HIGHLY recommend Steve Doudaklian of Bedo's Leatherworks. Your boots will come back in better shape than you purchased them in, and his prices are very reasonable. There are lots of YouTube videos showing his restorations on Aldens.

I also recommend joining the Alden Shoes Enthusiasts group on Facebook. They may even be able to recommend somebody in the UK.

Whole-heartedly, yes, worth it. My soles, heel stack and rubber heel were shot. Replaced them, no problem, with new insole liner, new laces, shoe trees, bag and box, to boot, so to speak. Good as new.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions, guys.

Here's what Alden wrote to me in an email:

Arriving at the factory, your worn shoes/boots will be thoroughly inspected with an initial determination made regarding the practicality of a Restoration. Using original lasts and materials, Alden will restore your shoes/boots, replacing laces, outsoles, heels, cork bottom filler and welting. We cannot repair damages to the inner lining, but are able to make 'cosmetic' repairs. We will then refinish them as we do when new – by hand, using fine paste wax.

Does that pretty much agree with your experiences?

Yes.

Regards! Michaelson

I have not worn a pair of 405s out to the point of needing restoration but I send my shell cordovan dress shoes to them and they come back as good as new every time. I wouldn't hesitate to use them, and even though the restoration is pricey, it's nothing compared to replacement. especially since otherwise their product is built to last decades.

+1 to the recommendation of sending them to Steve (Bedo's Leatherworks). I just sent my 405s (my very first Aldens) in to him to have them completely restored (they've been through lots of "adventures") and he did a stellar job. I actually had the opportunity to pick them up directly from his shop last week (I was on a business trip about 5 miles away from his shop!) and had a nice chat with him about the differences between what he does vs. Alden. Basically, Alden uses fiberboard for the mid soles, heel base, and heel rand (essentially all of the "inside layers" of the sole) while Steve uses real leather. If you're adding a commando sole - Alden has their own version that they use, while Steve uses Vibram (which he claims is a little thicker and tends to stay attached longer). I can tell you from owning lots of Aldens with commando soles, that the Alden version does tend to separate from the sole pretty easily (it's usually the first thing to go wrong with my soles), so I'm pretty hopeful that the Vibram version will be more robust. (I live in Upstate NY where it snows a lot, so practical is more important than screen accurate for my Indy boots!) Overall, I can confidently say that no cobbler other than Steve will ever be working on my Aldens as long as he's in business!

If you're not already a member of the Alden Shoe Enthusiast group on FB, I highly recommend joining. Steve posts lots of great photos and videos of his work there so you can really get a sense of the quality of his work.

Before & After pics of my 405s (Steve posted these to the group after he finished them - way better pictures than I would have taken!):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1868828 ... 087368295/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Video of Steve stitching the new commando soles to some 405s (I don't think these were my boots):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1868828 ... 497369854/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was mostly satisfied with mine. Was a bit miffed that they wouldn’t address the white threads coming apart on the top of the boot’s toe. I felt like I only got a partial restoration for a very hefty price.