Alden 1339 Color 8 Shell Chukkas initial impressions
Posted Jan 5, 2020, 6:27 PM UTC
19624
Here’s a couple pics of my own pair. They were actually my first pair of shell I’ve ever owned as well. They are one of my favorites. Makeup is the one you mentioned from AoC
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Those are looking great.
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Thanks. I’m sure you’re going to love your new pair!
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Pardon the newbie question: what is soc? Thanks for your patience...
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Are you referring to AoC ? It’s the name of an Alden shop, Alden of Carmel.
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Dang autocorrect...thanks for seeing through the noise 👍
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How long have you had them and how much wear do they get? Lovely colour
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I’ve had them for....2.5 to 3 years I think. During most weeks they get worn once or twice. Sometimes less depending on my work.
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I have the Alden George chukka 91804 (actually for sale) and they are a fantastic, quality shoe.
Congrats...and please continue to enjoy a lifetime.
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Can you pm me details?
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Although I only own AE but man they are some shoes, how much were they?
I am sure they are worth every penny.
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Here’s the product page. They were $774.
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What’s your brannock measurement? I’m thinking of sizing down half a size based on trying a few different Barrie lasted shoes. Keep hovering between a 11.5 and 12
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I measure between 12D and 12E. The Alden shell mini tankers I have in 11.5D in the Barrie last fit great.
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11.5 would probably work for you.
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If you can’t try before you buy I’d recommend 1/2 size down first based on my experience with Barrie and Trubalance. I tried TTS at first, and it felt a little off. If you have plenty of credit available you could also buy two different sizes and keep the one that fits better.
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That AOC picture is what eventually lead me to buy a pair of Alden Madison shell mini tankers in Color 8. I really like Chukkas in shell. They do dig into the ankles a little when breaking them in but it goes away eventually.
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How do you find matching the colour to your clothes or other leathers you're wearing? Any difficulty?
Amazing looking chukkas by the way
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I think with pants, they go with most colors. I wore them with dark green pants the other day, and they look good with blue jeans. The leather question is tougher ... I’m not going to buy a color 8 shell belt, so I’ll have to figure out other options.
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Horween also makes a color #8 CXL. Grabbing a belt made from that would probably be your best bet to match the leather while not splurging for a shell belt at the same time.
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Those are beautiful. Such a rich color, especially in the sun. Congrats and enjoy!
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Every Alden collection needs a plain toe shoe or boot to highlight the pretty creasing on that blank real estate. Nice.
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Some thoughts about Alden model 1339 color 8 shell chukkas, which I purchased at The Shoe Mart store in Norwalk, CT the day after Christmas.
Here's the album.
Why?
This is my first pair of shell cordovan shoes, but I've been in the market for a long time. Years ago, I spent a fair amount of time searching for a pair of vintage shell wing tips on eBay but never found any in my size. I got distracted buying other GYW shoes for awhile, but Alden enthusiasts on Instagram rekindled my interest in shell cordovan all over again.
For me, there are three interesting things about shell cordovan. The first is durability over time -- there are so many vintage shell shoes that are still in great condition. The second is the color and the way it evolves over time. The third is the unique way that shell develops rolls rather than creases.
Shoes like plain-toe bluchers and chukkas like these do the best job of really showing off all of these interesting aspects of shell. In the end, I chose the chukkas because they're a bit more fashion forward than the PTBs, which to me look a bit stodgy. I also don't have any chukkas in my collection at the moment, so these fill a gap. Finally, I wear jeans a lot and I think these shoes look great with jeans.
The Details
There are a few make ups of this shoe available through various Alden shops. As I mentioned, these were purchased at The Shoe Mart and are a standard Alden make up (model 1339) with a double leather sole and a dark welt and sole edge. I've seen some other interesting versions as well. For example, Alden of Carmel has a version with a commando sole and antique edge that looks great.
These are size 13D on the Alden Barrie last. I don't have much to say about relative sizing, other than that the Trubalance last fits me really well, and as it turns out, so does the Barrie last. The forefoot of the Trubalance last is noticably wider than the Barrie last in the same size and width.
I'm really happy with the workmanship. My Indy boots (which were factory seconds, to be fair) had some sloppy construction. Not so with these -- every stitch is perfect and the shell is lovely.
Break In
I started out by wearing them indoors every day for a few hours for a week or so. I'm a firm believer in breaking in new shoes in the house, especially if the leather is stiff or the shoes have soles that require significant break in. In this case, both are true. The shell cordovan is quite stiff and at chukka height, the top of the shoe can press on your ankle in unfortunate ways. The double leather soles are also stiff, leading to some heel slippage at first. It stopped being noticable after the first week. The shoes don't have a lot of flex at the moment but I can tell they're going to break in really nicely.
Overall Impression
I can already tell these are going to be one of my favorite pairs of shoes. They'll look great with my wardrobe, and they really hit the mark in terms of looking very nice without looking especially formal. They are absolutely what I expected in terms of featuring the interesting aspects of shell cordovan as a material. I'm excited to wear them a lot and see how they evolve over time.
Notes
Yaaasssssss! Still my favourite pair! I just have to pull the trigger on a nice matching belt.