Those are one of my favorite pairs of boots ever made. I used to work for j.crew and that’s one of the Alden’s I wasn’t able to grab while I was there. I did get a couple of pairs of Alden’s for amazing prices. Wish I grabbed those while I was there though.
These look awesome, nice and shiny yet broken in. I got a similar Alden makeup from Ealdwine earlier this year (Apex), with a punched cap toe, antique sole edges, dark eyelets, but a leather sole which I greatly prefer. Can’t wait to see how they age. Right now there is just a ton of fat pouring out of the flex points lol I am brushing like mad to try and redistribute and get that shiny look. Cheers and thanks for your videos!
aerosurferlv I’ll look into it for my espresso cap toe boots. Replacing the headwear with gold is something I would never do on paper but it really works well with color 8/laces, the edging should come with this finish over solid black. Rarely do modifications surpass factory, but you my friend are the exception here. Great video, even better boots
Great video! You got me looking at those boots for a while brother .. Lol and I was going to buy them but I bought the Colour 8 shell Cordovan wingtip with the antique edge instead because the perforated cap toes looked too similar to my Vibergs .. thanks for the great videos! Keep them coming !
Thanks for the review - I have a pair of these boots and I love them. I’m curious about your take on wearing them in the rain - I’ve always been under the impression that cordovan leather shouldn’t be worn in the rain for fear of getting the little water spots on them that cannot be buffed out ?
hey Dale.., would you mind doing a short video where you go into detail explaining everything you know about Cordovan patina..? and not through products.. I just mean naturally.. like.., most leather gets darker in the sun, right? But.., Cordovan gets lighter...?? correct? I have some cognac/cigar looking Bowery boots from Julian, and I want to know how long I should leave them in the sun for to try getting them a bit lighter in color... I can't find much info on that through Reddit or on here.. hope to see a response or video .., thanks for all your work with this over the years 🙏👊
Good to see someone thats even more into boots than I am. I really appreciate these videos because most of the boots I look at have no retailers near me so I depend on the reviews from people like yourself. One thing is clear though, one of us mispronounces “Cordovan” and “Barrie” lol
Maxwell Actual hahaha yessir the addiction is real!! I don’t think I can fit another pair into my closet!! (Actually I know I can’t, I have one pair that is currently homeless because there is no free real estate in the closet) 😂😂😂
aerosurferlv I understand the struggle, I have a couple pairs that spend their time on the floor until I can set up better shelving in my closet. I must say, whether you tried to or not you have me seriously considering some Grant Stones after your review. I have quite a few boots in my collection but my favorite pairs so far are my Indy’s(I have brown and Natural) and the review you gave on the Grant Stone saying that they’re even more comfortable than the TruBalance has me curious if that’s even possible!
Maxwell Actual I agree with you, Indy’s are comfortable enough to live in full time!! The grantstones are very familiar to Alden’s, though the eyelets on the GS are larger, which accommodate a thicker lace, and the Leo last conforms to my foot shape just a little better than Trubalance but they are very comparable. Both Alden’s and GS have that nice unstructured toe which transition from dressy to casual very easily. You have my blessing if you decide to spring for a pair of GS! Definitely size the same as you do Trubalance, I’m 8.5 in both 👌
aerosurferlv As a fellow footwear fanatic, I feel obligated to tell you that Allen Edmonds has their Higgins Mill boot on sale in their outlet for like $250. Not bad for a $400 boot. These aren’t seconds either, factory firsts.
Just got my first pair of shell cordovan boots a few days ago, Allen Edmonds Higgins Mill in color #8. I'm thinking about switching the eyelets out with antique brass eyelets, and also replacing the speedhooks with eyelets. Not entirely sure, since I do like the convenience of speedhooks. I just prefer how all-eyelets look. I did notice that my Alden boots and these AEs have the speedhook holes punched back and aren't aligned with the eyelets. With my Red Wing Heritage and Wolverine 1000 Mile boots, the eyelets/speedhooks are all aligned down the center. Do you know why some brands notch them back a bit like that? I've seen it on several, actually. It's more prominent on my Aldens, where the speedhooks are almost aligned against the stitching, whereas the eyelets are centered between the stitching on either side. I wonder if using all eyelets on my boots might look strange since the holes aren't aligned (I'm sure nobody would notice, but I would).
Woaaaaw, I feel like I just got off my Kayak! My tummy is up in my throat, so I have no idea what you said in your video, but I stayed through the last minute. The boots look very nice for a four year-old boot. I personally like the look with either the leather laces or the dark brown flat waxed laces. The olive color contrast is too much for me, and I feel they don’t do justice to the beauty of the boots.
haha yeah sorry about that, this was early on in my youtubing days and my video filming and editing skills were just horrible! my newer stuff is less vertigo-inducing lol!
Just ordered a pair of Indy 403 CXL, but I think I’m not that long to get a shell cordovan leather ones after knowing the my can serve in raining days. Which model would you recommend? Tanker, Indy, Jumper.... I normally wear boots with dr/navy denim, tan chinos etc...
Kevin Yang awesome!! Me personally with denims I really like the captoe or the plain toe models, but tankers would also be amazing. I just wouldn’t do wingtips 👌🤙💪
aerosurferlv thanks for your advice.... again it is quite amazing that your cordovan boot still look that nice, after being wear as rain boot🤨 Read a couple articles and they all said not to wear shell cordovan in wet days. Will get the Tanker colour 8 one!
yes they are expensive! but I cut corners in other areas/ ie; I don't spend a ton on other luxury items. in one of my videos I talk about my hobby vs other major hobbies that a lot of guys are into if you're interested. it's called "boot collecting, the hobby explained"
@@DalesLeatherworks Me too! I spent hundred of thousands of dollars on luxury goods but I have affordable meals, like few bucks a day meals (healthy and tasty).
Thanks, and I enjoyed the video. I have a pair of the dressier version of your boots, same number of eyelets, but all eyelets, no hooks, and some extra broguing. A cool feature of mine, and I am wondering if yours are the same, is that the tongues on my boots are unlined with just some skivving around the perimeter, you can really get a feel of the shell as delivered to Alden. Also the back of the right shoe tongue has the Horween stamping that came on the back of the shells. Wondering if your shoes have that feature?
awesome, i'm glad you liked it!! the tongues on mine are unlined but they don't show any signs of skiving from what I can tell, and no I didn't luck out and get the horween stamp in this pair!! I do however have a NATO strap from daluca straps that has part of a horween stamp which I was happy to get!
to my knowledge they do 1 run of these each year. I predict they'll be doing another one this winter, but i'm not 100% sure. if not, you can always get a similar alden makeup from another store like www.theshoemart.com :-D
Very nice video... Very informative. Friend, I do have the same boot. They are brand new. My rescued pup went Rambo and damage some areas. I was wondering if you know of any tricks for dog fang leather indentations? The leather is indented due to his front canine teeth pressing on the leather. Also, He crew off the end of the shoe by the lace holders. I welcome any input you can provide.
george sanchez thanks my friend!! I don’t know of any products that would repair indentations in the leather but I wouldn’t worry too much because shell is the toughest leather out there!! I would recommend using Venetian leather balm on them to nourish and shine the leather but aside from that I would just accept the dog bites as really cool patina 💪💪💪
@@DalesLeatherworks aerosurferlv Thanks for responding friend. I decided to use a very nice conditioner in the leather so perhaps the leather might spring back kind of like a sponge? I contacted Alden to see if they can send me a little piece of that #8 shell cordovan to make a patch repair on the needed area. I will take photos of before and after.
@@DalesLeatherworks I was told by my cobbler that you need to buff cordovan boots after wearing because the foot perspiration causes the color and shine to “gray”
Stunning shoes, I might just have to get me a pair. I have a few questions, did you get the soles rubbered? And how do I get in touch with Randy the cobbler?
thanks so much!! yes I did get a vibram sole protector installed by a local cobbler, most any cobbler can do that job and it's quick and affordable. as far as finding randy the cobbler, I found him on Instagram because a buddy of mine had his aldens converted by randy. you can google him too, he has a twitter and is pretty active in social media :)
Hey man, really enjoying your content. Quick question: Do you find the cordovan alden shoes wear wider than their calf iterations? I've heard the shell wears a little wider in the same size. Just curious if you've had the same experience.
Noles5254 thanks man!! To be honest I’m not entirely sure... every pair of Alden is slightly different even in the same size/leather/last. I have some calfskin boots in Barrie last in 8.5 and they are snug but my wing tips in Barrie calfskin 8.5 are more generous fitting, in some cases I’ve heard of people sizing up for shell cordovan makeups since it doesn’t stretch at all. I went up half a size in these boots and I have no regrets as they definitely haven’t stretched at all in 4 years lol
I appreciate the reply and insight! I was definitely worried about the no stretch bit so will probably follow suit on sizing up, at least in width. Better safe than sorry. Kind of a bummer bc I found some new shells for $500 in Alden of Carmel's last pairs. On another note, keep up the vids. I think my obsession is fed well through this channel lol
Noles5254 thank you sir for the kind words, I truly appreciate it!! I think going up in width is a good idea. These boots in the video are a pretty generous fit and I can only wear them with thick socks. They’re size 9D but I think I would have been better off with 8.5E. Happy hunting my friend!!
Hi. I'm also in the DC metro area and have been looking for a trustworthy cobbler to mod some of my footwear. Would it be uncouth to ask you where I could find Randy? Thanks and keep the awesome boot reviews coming!
hey man!! absolutely, Randy is actually located in Arizona I believe, so when I worked with him I sent my boots to him via USPS (don't worry, I had it insured lol) you can find him at randythecobbler.com I'm not sure what his workload looks like right now. what kinds of modifications are you looking to have done? for a local cobbler I would entrust Cobbler & Co at the Arundel mills mall with most any job, the guy there is very knowledgeable and even has won some awards for outstanding cobblery!
aerosurferlv hey - so I just bought a pair of AE cordovan boots and wanted a few speed lace eyelets installed by a good cobbler. It sounds like the cobbler at Arundel Mills mall could be trusted to do this type of work, no?
I have full faith he would be able to do it, but I would talk to him about it beforehand just to make sure you get some reassurance because I've never used him for an eyelet modification before
Thanks for making this video. I've purchased these twice before and I returned them cos they looked two dressy lol. I have the 405 indy boots in kudu as well. So now I can get these as a more dressy shoe when I want.
man definitely!! they do lean more in the dressy direction, that's why I had them modified so that they are more versatile! enjoy those indys, nothing more comfortable than those!!
aerosurferlv thanks man and will do! Had to buy some thicker/longer socks for them lol cos they were scratching my skin a bit. You're definitely right (re:405) they are the most comfortable shoes I own atm, super impressed!
keenanboy3000 these are made by Alden, sold by jcrew. Different Alden vendors do different variations, so I’m not sure, I would need to know the exact pair you’re referencing to know the difference 😁🤘👌
Those are one of my favorite pairs of boots ever made. I used to work for j.crew and that’s one of the Alden’s I wasn’t able to grab while I was there. I did get a couple of pairs of Alden’s for amazing prices. Wish I grabbed those while I was there though.
These are probably my favorite boots of yours! I broke down and bought the Shoemart Indy Shell in color 8 today! 😅
These look awesome, nice and shiny yet broken in. I got a similar Alden makeup from Ealdwine earlier this year (Apex), with a punched cap toe, antique sole edges, dark eyelets, but a leather sole which I greatly prefer. Can’t wait to see how they age. Right now there is just a ton of fat pouring out of the flex points lol I am brushing like mad to try and redistribute and get that shiny look. Cheers and thanks for your videos!
These are a beauty I Love Shell Color 8 and Espresso. Olive laces are nice variation for fun. Great taste my friend, great purchase
thanks my friend!! I agree, I find that olive laces are good on most all makeups :-D
aerosurferlv I’ll look into it for my espresso cap toe boots. Replacing the headwear with gold is something I would never do on paper but it really works well with color 8/laces, the edging should come with this finish over solid black. Rarely do modifications surpass factory, but you my friend are the exception here. Great video, even better boots
Great video! You got me looking at those boots for a while brother .. Lol and I was going to buy them but I bought the Colour 8 shell Cordovan wingtip with the antique edge instead because the perforated cap toes looked too similar to my Vibergs .. thanks for the great videos! Keep them coming !
my pleasure my man!!! so happy you enjoyed the video!! and the wingtip boots in color 8 shell are absolute stunners, wear them in good health !!!
@@DalesLeatherworks will do !
Thanks for the review - I have a pair of these boots and I love them. I’m curious about your take on wearing them in the rain - I’ve always been under the impression that cordovan leather shouldn’t be worn in the rain for fear of getting the little water spots on them that cannot be buffed out ?
hey Dale.., would you mind doing a short video where you go into detail explaining everything you know about Cordovan patina..? and not through products.. I just mean naturally.. like.., most leather gets darker in the sun, right? But.., Cordovan gets lighter...?? correct? I have some cognac/cigar looking Bowery boots from Julian, and I want to know how long I should leave them in the sun for to try getting them a bit lighter in color... I can't find much info on that through Reddit or on here..
hope to see a response or video .., thanks for all your work with this over the years 🙏👊
Beautiful boots, olive laces are very nice on them
I really liked what you said in your video! But I have to tell you that the movement of your camera gave me vertigo!!
eric ohlsson thanks my friend!! Apologies for that, as I make these videos I am learning what works and what doesn’t 😁👌🤘
One of the best boots I ever saw on the internet! (The other being the Allen Edmonds Shell Cordovan Dalton).
yessir these are definitely a staple for a man's wardrobe!!!
Good to see someone thats even more into boots than I am. I really appreciate these videos because most of the boots I look at have no retailers near me so I depend on the reviews from people like yourself. One thing is clear though, one of us mispronounces “Cordovan” and “Barrie” lol
Maxwell Actual hahaha yessir the addiction is real!! I don’t think I can fit another pair into my closet!! (Actually I know I can’t, I have one pair that is currently homeless because there is no free real estate in the closet) 😂😂😂
aerosurferlv I understand the struggle, I have a couple pairs that spend their time on the floor until I can set up better shelving in my closet. I must say, whether you tried to or not you have me seriously considering some Grant Stones after your review. I have quite a few boots in my collection but my favorite pairs so far are my Indy’s(I have brown and Natural) and the review you gave on the Grant Stone saying that they’re even more comfortable than the TruBalance has me curious if that’s even possible!
Maxwell Actual I agree with you, Indy’s are comfortable enough to live in full time!! The grantstones are very familiar to Alden’s, though the eyelets on the GS are larger, which accommodate a thicker lace, and the Leo last conforms to my foot shape just a little better than Trubalance but they are very comparable. Both Alden’s and GS have that nice unstructured toe which transition from dressy to casual very easily. You have my blessing if you decide to spring for a pair of GS! Definitely size the same as you do Trubalance, I’m 8.5 in both 👌
aerosurferlv As a fellow footwear fanatic, I feel obligated to tell you that Allen Edmonds has their Higgins Mill boot on sale in their outlet for like $250. Not bad for a $400 boot. These aren’t seconds either, factory firsts.
thanks for the heads up sir!!! I've never purchased any allen Edmonds, but I'll definitely check out that sale!!
Thanks for making a great content video. I look forward to purchasing this gem for myself soon
Jae Kim it’s my pleasure my friend!!
Just got my first pair of shell cordovan boots a few days ago, Allen Edmonds Higgins Mill in color #8. I'm thinking about switching the eyelets out with antique brass eyelets, and also replacing the speedhooks with eyelets. Not entirely sure, since I do like the convenience of speedhooks. I just prefer how all-eyelets look. I did notice that my Alden boots and these AEs have the speedhook holes punched back and aren't aligned with the eyelets. With my Red Wing Heritage and Wolverine 1000 Mile boots, the eyelets/speedhooks are all aligned down the center. Do you know why some brands notch them back a bit like that? I've seen it on several, actually. It's more prominent on my Aldens, where the speedhooks are almost aligned against the stitching, whereas the eyelets are centered between the stitching on either side. I wonder if using all eyelets on my boots might look strange since the holes aren't aligned (I'm sure nobody would notice, but I would).
It would be cool to get boots like that resoled once their worn out into a old school jungle boot.
Beautiful. Great mods.
So where did you buy the gold eyelets?
Woaaaaw, I feel like I just got off my Kayak! My tummy is up in my throat, so I have no idea what you said in your video, but I stayed through the last minute. The boots look very nice for a four year-old boot. I personally like the look with either the leather laces or the dark brown flat waxed laces. The olive color contrast is too much for me, and I feel they don’t do justice to the beauty of the boots.
haha yeah sorry about that, this was early on in my youtubing days and my video filming and editing skills were just horrible! my newer stuff is less vertigo-inducing lol!
Just ordered a pair of Indy 403 CXL, but I think I’m not that long to get a shell cordovan leather ones after knowing the my can serve in raining days. Which model would you recommend? Tanker, Indy, Jumper.... I normally wear boots with dr/navy denim, tan chinos etc...
Kevin Yang awesome!! Me personally with denims I really like the captoe or the plain toe models, but tankers would also be amazing. I just wouldn’t do wingtips 👌🤙💪
aerosurferlv thanks for your advice.... again it is quite amazing that your cordovan boot still look that nice, after being wear as rain boot🤨
Read a couple articles and they all said not to wear shell cordovan in wet days.
Will get the Tanker colour 8 one!
Damn, brother you got some fine additions in your collection.
thanks man!! much appreciated!!
aerosurferlv Mind if I ask what you do for a living? I mean these boots (Viberg, Alden) cost a lot!
yes they are expensive! but I cut corners in other areas/ ie; I don't spend a ton on other luxury items. in one of my videos I talk about my hobby vs other major hobbies that a lot of guys are into if you're interested. it's called "boot collecting, the hobby explained"
@@DalesLeatherworks Me too! I spent hundred of thousands of dollars on luxury goods but I have affordable meals, like few bucks a day meals (healthy and tasty).
Thanks, and I enjoyed the video. I have a pair of the dressier version of your boots, same number of eyelets, but all eyelets, no hooks, and some extra broguing. A cool feature of mine, and I am wondering if yours are the same, is that the tongues on my boots are unlined with just some skivving around the perimeter, you can really get a feel of the shell as delivered to Alden. Also the back of the right shoe tongue has the Horween stamping that came on the back of the shells. Wondering if your shoes have that feature?
awesome, i'm glad you liked it!! the tongues on mine are unlined but they don't show any signs of skiving from what I can tell, and no I didn't luck out and get the horween stamp in this pair!! I do however have a NATO strap from daluca straps that has part of a horween stamp which I was happy to get!
Those are one of my favorite boots.
I love my pairs of Alden shell cordovans.
those boots are beautiful!
thank you!!!
They don't make these anymore? I'd love to get a pair.
to my knowledge they do 1 run of these each year. I predict they'll be doing another one this winter, but i'm not 100% sure. if not, you can always get a similar alden makeup from another store like www.theshoemart.com :-D
Yes, they do. Alden, I mean.
Very nice video... Very informative. Friend, I do have the same boot. They are brand new. My rescued pup went Rambo and damage some areas. I was wondering if you know of any tricks for dog fang leather indentations? The leather is indented due to his front canine teeth pressing on the leather. Also, He crew off the end of the shoe by the lace holders.
I welcome any input you can provide.
george sanchez thanks my friend!! I don’t know of any products that would repair indentations in the leather but I wouldn’t worry too much because shell is the toughest leather out there!! I would recommend using Venetian leather balm on them to nourish and shine the leather but aside from that I would just accept the dog bites as really cool patina 💪💪💪
@@DalesLeatherworks aerosurferlv Thanks for responding friend. I decided to use a very nice conditioner in the leather so perhaps the leather might spring back kind of like a sponge? I contacted Alden to see if they can send me a little piece of that #8 shell cordovan to make a patch repair on the needed area. I will take photos of before and after.
But are they hot to wear for an extended period of time
yes true, shell does not breath at all
@@DalesLeatherworks I was told by my cobbler that you need to buff cordovan boots after wearing because the foot perspiration causes the color and shine to “gray”
@@christomccarthy1369 that's very interesting, i've never heard that before, thanks for sharing!
Stunning shoes, I might just have to get me a pair. I have a few questions, did you get the soles rubbered? And how do I get in touch with Randy the cobbler?
thanks so much!! yes I did get a vibram sole protector installed by a local cobbler, most any cobbler can do that job and it's quick and affordable. as far as finding randy the cobbler, I found him on Instagram because a buddy of mine had his aldens converted by randy. you can google him too, he has a twitter and is pretty active in social media :)
Just got mine sized down .5 from Crew. Hurt right where your friend's did. Length fine. Did your friend's become more comfortable?
No
Hey man, really enjoying your content. Quick question: Do you find the cordovan alden shoes wear wider than their calf iterations? I've heard the shell wears a little wider in the same size. Just curious if you've had the same experience.
Noles5254 thanks man!! To be honest I’m not entirely sure... every pair of Alden is slightly different even in the same size/leather/last. I have some calfskin boots in Barrie last in 8.5 and they are snug but my wing tips in Barrie calfskin 8.5 are more generous fitting, in some cases I’ve heard of people sizing up for shell cordovan makeups since it doesn’t stretch at all. I went up half a size in these boots and I have no regrets as they definitely haven’t stretched at all in 4 years lol
I appreciate the reply and insight! I was definitely worried about the no stretch bit so will probably follow suit on sizing up, at least in width. Better safe than sorry. Kind of a bummer bc I found some new shells for $500 in Alden of Carmel's last pairs. On another note, keep up the vids. I think my obsession is fed well through this channel lol
Noles5254 thank you sir for the kind words, I truly appreciate it!! I think going up in width is a good idea. These boots in the video are a pretty generous fit and I can only wear them with thick socks. They’re size 9D but I think I would have been better off with 8.5E. Happy hunting my friend!!
Awesome boots!!!!
I got an opportunity to get a used pair in pretty good condition. I wear mostly jeans. How rugged are these?
Hi. I'm also in the DC metro area and have been looking for a trustworthy cobbler to mod some of my footwear. Would it be uncouth to ask you where I could find Randy? Thanks and keep the awesome boot reviews coming!
hey man!! absolutely, Randy is actually located in Arizona I believe, so when I worked with him I sent my boots to him via USPS (don't worry, I had it insured lol) you can find him at randythecobbler.com I'm not sure what his workload looks like right now. what kinds of modifications are you looking to have done? for a local cobbler I would entrust Cobbler & Co at the Arundel mills mall with most any job, the guy there is very knowledgeable and even has won some awards for outstanding cobblery!
aerosurferlv hey - so I just bought a pair of AE cordovan boots and wanted a few speed lace eyelets installed by a good cobbler. It sounds like the cobbler at Arundel Mills mall could be trusted to do this type of work, no?
I have full faith he would be able to do it, but I would talk to him about it beforehand just to make sure you get some reassurance because I've never used him for an eyelet modification before
nice review and enthusiastic,
thank you good sir!! I appreciate the kind words
what brand are the olive laces?
Guarded goods!
@@DalesLeatherworks thank you!
Cathy retired unfortunately.
You owned like 50 pairs of Alden and AE Shell Cardovan. LOL
What size do you wear in Alden vs Grant Stone?
I take the same size in each
Thanks for making this video. I've purchased these twice before and I returned them cos they looked two dressy lol. I have the 405 indy boots in kudu as well. So now I can get these as a more dressy shoe when I want.
man definitely!! they do lean more in the dressy direction, that's why I had them modified so that they are more versatile! enjoy those indys, nothing more comfortable than those!!
aerosurferlv thanks man and will do! Had to buy some thicker/longer socks for them lol cos they were scratching my skin a bit. You're definitely right (re:405) they are the most comfortable shoes I own atm, super impressed!
Beautiful
Caolan Maher thank you!!
What is the difference between these and the ones Alden makes?
keenanboy3000 these are made by Alden, sold by jcrew. Different Alden vendors do different variations, so I’m not sure, I would need to know the exact pair you’re referencing to know the difference 😁🤘👌
Are those double leather out soles?
I believe they're single waterloc leather soles
How much they cost you 4 years ago?
they ran about $7 hundo back then
That leather looks fuckin rad in that evening light.
Are you going to be a cobbler in retirement? Everyone needs a boot/shoe brofessor!
I like the mods
Can you do a video of you wearing a suit with this boots?
Ray Contego certainly!! I already had an idea to do one of those, I’ll tag you when I do 😎
Cordovan will stretch
Dude, hold your camera still. I’m dizzy from watching your video.
Following you on instagram, now
awesome!!! thank you sir!!
Are you rich
Dang you have small feet!