You guys are opening a whole new world of insight to understanding what we're spending a bundle of money on. Every video you guys have done has been helpful in some way. Keep them coming.
Alden is my favorite brand. I have several pairs. I know the heels aren’t great, but they have held up very well for me over the years. I have only had one pair need a heel replacement prematurely. My Cordovan chukkas have an actual stacked heel. They are a relatively small company still made here and I love them. They aren’t perfect though. Break in extremely well.
I think Alden makes a terrific shoe. I have a pair of black shell Cordovan boots which are beautiful. I have gotten many compliments on them and not from fashion aware people either. For example my UPS delivery man spotted them when he delivered a package to my house. I would put the Alden Shoe Company in the same league as Oxxford clothing which makes wonderful American suits and coats.
I never knew there were so many intricate details on the art of shoemaking and repair.It's really a work of art what you guys do.Really a eye opening experience. I thought it was a dying profession. You guys really have made me appreciate my shoes. By the way,l am a new subscriber looking forward to seeing more of your videos. I watch your videos on tv to see the close ups so l dont miss anything.
Found me a pair of this at the thrift store this morning, only $5.99! I almost didn’t got them since I didn’t know the brand until I did some research on them. Glad I did.
Thanks for all the information, I’m going through all your brand reviews now, trying to decide who I want to buy my next pair of shoes from. Thanks again.
Really useful video thanks. I just acquired my first pair of Alden's (I'm in the UK) and could tell instantly they're well made. They're a Norwegian Blutcher split toe with crepe soles (which I like), and although Alden no longer offer this sole configuration, they did offer to replace it like for like. Top stuff. I'll definitely be purchasing more Alden's! (fortunately for me, not many UK folks have heard of them I feel!)
My good friend swears by Aldens. He’s had his for well over 30 years. I wasn’t that disappointed by the heel blocks. Had they been rubber, I would have been mortified. Good to see the old American shoe company going strong.
I just bought a pair today after owning a secondhand pair for the past couple years. I wish I would have watched this video beforehand. I would still purchase them regardless, but this reminds me I need to do more homework prior to making a larger purchase like that. Overall I’m very satisfied with them and I’m sure they’re gonna serve me well. Thank you for this review 👍🏽👍🏽 subscribed.
Nice detailed breakdown. Would like to see you compare Alden's construction to other competing brands like Crockett & Jones or Carmina, it would be helpful when choosing which brand to purchase
Jun Ian Lim Thanks! The tough part is trying to get our hands on some of these other high-end brands, particularly Carmina’s, Cobbler Union, etc. because they’re still so new to the market. As we come across them, we’ll definitely do a review.
Could you make a video in shanks? Practical differences (if any) between material type; Why they are inconsistently put in shoes even within the same brand; how the extra support affects the feel on your foot... etc ? Thanks! Love all the content.
Nice video! It's pretty obvious that Alden makes a better shoe than AE, that whole-canvas piece seems to be a big difference. I guess most GY shoes don't do that because its slightly more time consuming to attach to the insole?
Thanks for the review. I have several Aldens and really like them. I find it unfortunate, that they do not make a proper leather stacked heel for the price and really think they should. So far though, only one heel has failed me. I was walking through very sludgy snow and the entire heel came off. The inferior material must have soaked up too much water and I was able to crumble it with my fingers. I won't stop buying Alden, but it is a shame.
Hello Trenton & Heath, Excellent content you've been producing, thank you for sharing. I have a question that's unrelated to the video, but how you can help me. I have a pair of loafers that are Blake Stitched with a hidden channel stitching on the sole. Unfortunately, there are parts of the leather that was peeled back top hide the sticking that are now coming unglued, leaving a few inches here and there of leather flaps. How could I go about correcting that? Thanks for your help! Best regards, Ben
Thanks Ben. Use some contact cement to glue those flaps back down. Most small jar I think come with a small brush attached to the lid, but if not, just use a small paint brush. Put a little on and let it dry (10-15 mins). Put a second coat on and wait another 20 mins and put it down.
Thank you for the education. With every video, I am more convinced that I am paying a lot of money for low quality, with all the women's shoes I own. Could you review Church's shoes when you get a chance ? They make women's shoes too. I own a pair of boots. I wonder if I got my moneys worth out of that purchase .... Should I start looking for menswear brands that also make women's shoes as a way to find quality ?
Of the videos I've seen, I haven't seen any problems from cobblers of the leather board other than it breaking as it's removed. If the manufacturer knows the shoe will be resoled eventually, does it really matter that they aren't using stacked leather? I'm just saying on a production scale I don't see this as a bad cost saving measure. Sure stacked leather is a better more expensive/finer choice, but it doesn't really seem necessary to me. Thoughts? Love your videos.
Stacked leather is a little softer and overall holds together better than leatherboard. It's also more comfortable to walk on as it cushions impact better. Leatherboard is good for cost saving, but on really expensive shoes, you don't expect them to cut corners.
Very informative. Thanks. By the way, what are "old school contracted Aldens"? I have an old pair (about 25 years old) of Alden shoes just like the brown ones in this clip that I've worn 4 or 5 times (like new)--/L23 0/4 4, 9 B/D, Goodyear welt, made in USA. What's the difference in value and quality of "contract vs non-contract"?
Michael Greenwell Contracted means that Alden makes them for another company. For example, Ralph Lauren often contracts with Crockett & Jones to have his shoes made. They’re usually the exact same shoes, just stamped with another persons logo/brand.
What is a contract shoe exactly? I have the exact same pair of those 911 cap toes. The non-removable insole, instead of saying Alden, it has the logo and name of a local men's clothing store that has been around for decades. I'm now wondering if that has anything to do with them being a "contract shoe".
With the Beckett Simion how many times are you able to resole before the texon cant be used any more, is there anyway to replace the texon or something afterwards to possibly extend the life?
Is there any massive benefit to stacked leather heels vs not? I know AE uses particle board, and after a while, on cheaper shoes, you can somewhat see how they’ve painted the heels to look like leather
Lolly took the words right out of our mouths. Stacked leather heel blocks are just one of those extras you expect with higher end shoes, especially $500 and above. They are also a staple if you plan on buying a shoe that can be refurbished over and over again, as compressed leather and particle board heel blocks tend to start wearing out with each refurbishment. Also, leather does have a little more give to it and will mold some as it’s worn. It’s definitely not a deal breaker, but it’s more of a disappointment at $600+...especially when some $200-$500 shoe companies are using them on their shoes.
@@TrentonHeath Great content! Is there a way to determine weather a shoe has either: 1. stacked leather or 2. particle board/ compressed leather heel blocks (without dismantling the shoe of course)?
Sean Benay Unfortunately, not really. It’s pretty safe to assume that 90% of the shoes on the market do not have them...especially anything under $200. Companies do a good job concealing the heel blocks and making them look like stacked leather. Sometimes we can’t even tell until we get the heel block off...as you’ll see on an upcoming video. Just keep in mind that it’s not a deal breaker if shoes don’t have them. There are a lot of great shoes that don’t. If I’m paying over $400 or $500 though, I kind of expect that extra touch.
@@TrentonHeath Got it; thanks! Yes, when shelling out $400 +, it'd be nice to know what we're really getting: transparency is a beautiful. I'm predominantly an AE guy, and I'd be curious to learn if any of their's have stacked leather heels ( i.e. Independence line or shell cordovan line). Maybe an idea for an upcoming video.....? ( ; Either way, you've got a new Subscriber!
This was a great video. But I have a question. At about the 33 second mark, the right shoe of the cordovan pair appears to have a gash/scrape that looks about the size of green pea. But in the "After" footage, the gash/scrape is gone. What kind of magic did you do? Can you please show us in a future video? Thank you for posting such interesting videos.
Jack Toews Hi! That was just a scrape on the toe that had removed the color. It was an easy fix. This was the shell cordovan pair, so I just polished them with some Saphir Cordovan cream in Burgundy color. It buffed right out.
@@TrentonHeath The scrape looked quite large. From the video, it looked like some of the top layer of acrylic finish was torn off. That's why it seemed very impressive. Upon research, I have learned about both a spoon trick and a wax crayon trick to hide scrapes in cordovan. If you ever come across a pair that has major damage, I think many of us would love to see your magic again. Thank you again for posting interesting content.
DeckceDv13 I don’t mind steel shanks. They definitely hold up better than most other options. Some people who fly a lot and have to go through security may not like them, but there’s not really any negatives. Wooden shanks can crack easily, and fiberglass ones are usually good as well. In general, most folks would never know what types of shanks are in their shoes.
Hi! Having worked on quite a few of them, they’re not great. I used to own a few before getting into the shoe business. Our opinion on Aldo’s...pay a little more and try to get your hands on some higher quality brands out there. We may still do a video on them though to get the info out there. Thanks for watching!
You guys made me realize that here in Brazil our shoe companies are big jokes. We don't have quality shoes made here, just phony low quality piece of s*** shoes.
Alden is a brand that is living off it's heritage and name. From experience their shoes are vastly overpriced for the quality. Many English brands are equal price but far better quality.
I don’t like the look of Alden shoes. There seems to be too much of an inward bend. Just a personal preference. I have large feet and there cordovan plane toe bluchers make my feet look like giant eggplants. My Allen Edmond cordovans have much nicer overall shape to me.
j.kenneth fraac Price wise...yes. Overall material wise...no. TB’s definitely make great quality boots (review video coming soon), but the quality of the leather in the uppers of their shoes isn’t quite where many other brands are at. Hope to get our hands on a pair of their shoes in order to open up and review soon.
