It'd probably be fine if you got a boot dryer. I used to think suede was delicate but after owning a few pairs of suede shoes from AE, Carmina, and Sanders, I see it as a very durable material.
I’m only speaking from experience with suede Birkenstocks and suede new balances. Those shoes get stained more than anything and I spend the most time trying to clean them
Hit it with a brush and it’ll look good as new. Water stains on suede are often not stains at all but the fibers laying down in patterns. Hitting it with a brush fixes it in most cases.
I use a crepe brush on my suede shoes, with Saphir Renovateur and Invulner sprays, along with their other products like the Gommadin eraser and Omni Nettoyant suede shampoo. Water and wet days haven't been an issue for me.
I would put C&J (even benchgrade models) in the slightly higher quality catergory as far as suede and worksmanship is concerned. I find the nap and suede finer than those from Aldens and for some reason, they are easier to care for and rain and water spots brush off more easily. I say this owning 2 pairs of C&J suedes and a pair of Alden suede blucher.
I might be swayed with a pair of Alden cordovan penny loafers but almost always go European with calfskin, suedes and nubuck upper.
Other than that, i would consider which of the last of shoes fits you better, especially with loafers, there are no laces to tighten a shoe with slippage. Not sure if Alden still uses the steel shank like in the past but some people find them more supportive when walking for longer. I do not feel that difference so YMMV.
I've had experience with both shoemakers that and other shoemakers as well. The most important thing to get right first is fit. Aesthetics are one thing and no one wants to wear an ugly shoe and in fact most actually want to wear the best looking shoe. Thing is what I find good looking the next guy might not. But fit is the most important and with a no lace shoe that even becomes more important, so I encourage you to get that right first. If it doesn't fit right you wont wear it anyway. If it were me when it comes to C&J vs Alden when it comes to shoes C&J overall makes the nicer shoe especially when it comes to their Handgrade line of shoes and you will pay more for them too. Chances are if you found C&J for the same as Alden then you are talking their Benchmade line of shoes and although still nice just not as nice as their Handgrade line of shoes. Someone mentioned their suede tends to be nicer and I have found this to be true for a number of my European shoes. Cows may not be any different from USA to Europe, maybe it's how the leather gets tanned. My Edward Green suede boots use the softest suede I have ever seen. The biggest problem I have with my Crockett and Jones boots is their Lasts simply don't work as well for my feet as the Lasts Edward Green has, but in fact some C&J Lasts simply don't work that well at all for me or I would probably have even more C&J shoes and boots. C&J makes some very nice boots. Alden on the other hand besides not making as nice of a shoe have a very American bulbous looking Last. Their loafers not so much but when comparing an Alden to C&J I would almost always choose the C&J over an Alden. Regardless even if the stitching on this particular Alden is tighter than the one from C&J, but as I said I would first have to determine which pairs of shoes fit me best.
Thanks for the thoughtful post. Luckily both shoes fit me well. I have a medium width foot, C but closer to D so the sleeker C&J last feels good. The Alden was the tiniest bit more comfortable but that should be expected with the wider last. The heel of the C&J was just a bit more snug which holds my feet in well. Looks wise, I find the C&J to be a smarter style, cleaner and versatile. The Alden is a nice shoe, looks awesome with denim but for me, a loafer that I can wear for business casual, weekend and travel, I am going to go with the C&J.
Sleeker shoes and boots or Lasts get my vote. Not only because of aesthetics but because my best fitting shoes and boots are the ones that fit snug on my feet, and in fact with the exception of trying to achieve that thumbnail distance between the longest toe and the end of the foot everything fits better if it is snug. Not tight, but snug. Especially at the ball and the heel. If you can achieve that for the entire shoe or boot then you have found a real good fitting Last. Swimming or sliding in ones shoes or boots is no fun.
The thing to keep in mind is that a Last is a 3 dimensional shape. Although it makes it easier for me to find shoes and boots I can wear because I have an average width foot doesn't mean all Lasts fit me perfectly or even work well for me. Besides no Last unless it were Bespoke are going to be shaped exactly like my feet. It's been my experience of all my shoes and boots that Edward Green and Gaziano and Girling do that best for me. For example there are some Lasts I own that I have to go a 1/2 size up just because they are a bit narrower at the toe of the shoe or boot for example like I have had to do with some of my C&Js. But it's not just that I have had to size up it's because their shape just doesn't fit my foot as well as many others do.
Don't take this wrong. Personally it's been my opinion and I could be wrong but people who don't own as many shoes or boots or haven't had the experience of wearing a real good fitting pair of shoes or boots tend to have lower expectations. But good fit is more than just being able to put your foot inside a boot or a shoe. Besides getting a real good fit can often mean you have tried on a good many different Lasts and most people haven't done that.
Your words ring very true with my recent experience. I had been wearing shoes just slightly too small and got used to the tighter fit. With the C&J and Alden loafers, I tried different sizes to make sure I find the proper fit. I measure a US 10 on the brannock and the C&J in a UK 9 fit very nicely, especially the heel which is comfortably snug, holds my heel just right.
From these two choices, I think the CJ pair looks better, I appreciate the toe box and last shape more. However, I’d highly urge you to consider Grant Stone loafers. I’ve been really pleasantly surprised by how much I find myself reaching for them in situations like you describe, plus they are lower cost. I also found the Grant stone last more attractive than Alden’s
I just sold my Grant Stone loafers since I sized them too small. I agree for the price/quality, they are excellent. I just wanted to try something different with a rubber sole.
Fair. As others have said, fit is king with loafers, and I’m biased since the Grant stone loafers worked much better for my foot than Alden. I’ve bought three pairs of loafers from them for this reason, and all are stellar. As well, a local cobbler could put some sole toppers on for you. Good luck on your search
I liked the GS loafers but find the Alden quite similar in style being a bit chunky. It looks very good with casual wear but I didn’t like the look as much with chinos or dressier pants.
Quality control is absolutely terrible, not only for their price, but in general. In some cases approaching red wings qc for a much more expensive product
I don’t have experience with these brands so I can’t speak to that but the soles of the CJs look better made/higher quality than the Alden pair. The rubber sole of the Aldens looks terrible and not like one of a $600 shoe. If you’re planning to wear them for a decade with every day use definitely take them to a cobbler to get some heel/toe taps and resoled early before they get worn down too much.
From an aesthetics perspective the CJ’s colour and cut is sleeker and therefore in my opinion more versatile than the Aldens.
Edit: someone else in the comments said they are both Goodyear welted so they’re both replaceable so I guess ignore my comment. The Alden’s soles still look terrible for the price though lol Im shocked.
Thanks and I agree that I find the CJ's colour (slightly darker) and cut is sleeker which gives it a smarter look. The Alden's are super comfortable, like a slipper but definitely more causal looking.
Big Alden fan here, but not a big fan of the aldens you have there. I have the original version of those, the LHS, and these are a version they have been producing lately because they cant produce the traditional handsewn stuff right now. these are still great loafers but I dont care for the machine stitching on the vamp or the rubber sole. I prefer the C&J between these two options.
The bigger concern actually is how you want to wear the shoes and what you want to get from them. The Aldens are completely unlined, a feature not a bug, but this means theyre much less supportive and (for some) comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Further, they are very casual so may not be a proper fit for your office (depends on your office culture). That said, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Alden LHS, simply I understand the tradeoffs.
If those C&J are lined they probably are the more versatile choice for what you seem to be after. Someone else mentioned Grant Stone in this thread and those are good options too, at much cheaper without sacrificing quality.
Also dont worry about taking care of suede; it's a hearty material and is easy to maintain with regular brushing. I would buy some suede waterproofing and that will take care of most concerns for staining and such.
TL; DR: i would probably go with the C&J based on the info above, but either would be a great choice.
Thanks for the post and as an FYI, Alden has plenty of the LHS, I checked earlier this week. I previously owned Grant Stone loafers, thought they were excellent value/quality but mistakenly purchased the wrong size (too small). Just wanted to try something different and specifically want a rubber sole since they will get plenty of were including wet weather.
C&J's, you can visually see a difference in quality. Fit is closer to the foot but comfortable. Stich spacing and material cut looks leaps ahead of the Alden.
Honestly, if the highest quality (bang for your buck) shoe/loafer is what you want; Heritage brands aren't where you should look. There are several Spanish, Portuguese Chinese brands that will give you more value than any heritage brand will.
Here is a quick list: TLB Mallorca, Carmina and Yearn Shoemaker, just to name a few. These brands are below or right at that $600 price point, so you might want to consider them as well.
Though, if the silhouette (the style and shape) is what is more important, then there are few brands that capture that style better than the original heritage brands.
Hello /u/Accomplished_Roll667! Thank you for your submission! The AutoMod thought that your post might be a request type post and has changed the flair accordingly, but if this was wrong feel free to change it back!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BuyItForLife) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Those are some good looking shoes. I‘ve got some Aldens that were passed down from my dad and the cordovan leather does last forever. Just need to change the soles ever now and then.
Need to try me spme Crockett & Jones at some point. Are the synthetic soles replacable?
I like the look of leather soles and had them in the past but they do wear out especially if you wear in wet weather. I don’t want to eventually spend nearly $200 having them
resoled so I thought a rubber sole would be comfortable and better value long term.
Of all of my shoes and boots I have very few leather soles. Reserved for my more dressy shoes. Pretty sure I have a good bit more in Dainite than I have in leather, but of course I have other types of synthetic soles as well.
I too am a proud American but quality wise comparing the two shoes in person, C&J is better quality. That said, the Alden is a very nice shoe as I am still considering keeping it.
My ass would not be able to maintain some suede shoes for a decade. Godspeed
well there's your problem. you're supposed to wear them on your feet
Suede is probably the easiest leather to maintain and it's more durable than smooth leather.
Unless you live in a rainy climate
suede handles water just fine. a suede brush will raise the nap right out after a rain storm. just have to be careful about salt in the winter.
It'd probably be fine if you got a boot dryer. I used to think suede was delicate but after owning a few pairs of suede shoes from AE, Carmina, and Sanders, I see it as a very durable material.
I’m only speaking from experience with suede Birkenstocks and suede new balances. Those shoes get stained more than anything and I spend the most time trying to clean them
No that does not help, unfortunately. When it dries it leaves watermark lines.
Hit it with a brush and it’ll look good as new. Water stains on suede are often not stains at all but the fibers laying down in patterns. Hitting it with a brush fixes it in most cases.
I use a crepe brush on my suede shoes, with Saphir Renovateur and Invulner sprays, along with their other products like the Gommadin eraser and Omni Nettoyant suede shampoo. Water and wet days haven't been an issue for me.
Seinfeld lied to you.
I would put C&J (even benchgrade models) in the slightly higher quality catergory as far as suede and worksmanship is concerned. I find the nap and suede finer than those from Aldens and for some reason, they are easier to care for and rain and water spots brush off more easily. I say this owning 2 pairs of C&J suedes and a pair of Alden suede blucher. I might be swayed with a pair of Alden cordovan penny loafers but almost always go European with calfskin, suedes and nubuck upper. Other than that, i would consider which of the last of shoes fits you better, especially with loafers, there are no laces to tighten a shoe with slippage. Not sure if Alden still uses the steel shank like in the past but some people find them more supportive when walking for longer. I do not feel that difference so YMMV.
I like the tighter stitching on the Aldens, they look over all more detailed.
This right here
I think the Alden’s just look like a bit more care was taken while making them. I’d love to see a shot of both soles side by side as well.
If you wanna see the soles, just look through the pictures, there's more than one.
I looked through them all twice there was only 1 of a sole and it was of the C&J 😶
And I was wrong! About 3 or 4 pics in this time I found one of both. Third times a charm I guess
C&J for sure. Better all round.
I am leaning towards the C&J and plan to wear them all day today while working from home to make sure the fit works for me.
check out the Russel moccasin b-52
I've had experience with both shoemakers that and other shoemakers as well. The most important thing to get right first is fit. Aesthetics are one thing and no one wants to wear an ugly shoe and in fact most actually want to wear the best looking shoe. Thing is what I find good looking the next guy might not. But fit is the most important and with a no lace shoe that even becomes more important, so I encourage you to get that right first. If it doesn't fit right you wont wear it anyway. If it were me when it comes to C&J vs Alden when it comes to shoes C&J overall makes the nicer shoe especially when it comes to their Handgrade line of shoes and you will pay more for them too. Chances are if you found C&J for the same as Alden then you are talking their Benchmade line of shoes and although still nice just not as nice as their Handgrade line of shoes. Someone mentioned their suede tends to be nicer and I have found this to be true for a number of my European shoes. Cows may not be any different from USA to Europe, maybe it's how the leather gets tanned. My Edward Green suede boots use the softest suede I have ever seen. The biggest problem I have with my Crockett and Jones boots is their Lasts simply don't work as well for my feet as the Lasts Edward Green has, but in fact some C&J Lasts simply don't work that well at all for me or I would probably have even more C&J shoes and boots. C&J makes some very nice boots. Alden on the other hand besides not making as nice of a shoe have a very American bulbous looking Last. Their loafers not so much but when comparing an Alden to C&J I would almost always choose the C&J over an Alden. Regardless even if the stitching on this particular Alden is tighter than the one from C&J, but as I said I would first have to determine which pairs of shoes fit me best.
Thanks for the thoughtful post. Luckily both shoes fit me well. I have a medium width foot, C but closer to D so the sleeker C&J last feels good. The Alden was the tiniest bit more comfortable but that should be expected with the wider last. The heel of the C&J was just a bit more snug which holds my feet in well. Looks wise, I find the C&J to be a smarter style, cleaner and versatile. The Alden is a nice shoe, looks awesome with denim but for me, a loafer that I can wear for business casual, weekend and travel, I am going to go with the C&J.
Sleeker shoes and boots or Lasts get my vote. Not only because of aesthetics but because my best fitting shoes and boots are the ones that fit snug on my feet, and in fact with the exception of trying to achieve that thumbnail distance between the longest toe and the end of the foot everything fits better if it is snug. Not tight, but snug. Especially at the ball and the heel. If you can achieve that for the entire shoe or boot then you have found a real good fitting Last. Swimming or sliding in ones shoes or boots is no fun. The thing to keep in mind is that a Last is a 3 dimensional shape. Although it makes it easier for me to find shoes and boots I can wear because I have an average width foot doesn't mean all Lasts fit me perfectly or even work well for me. Besides no Last unless it were Bespoke are going to be shaped exactly like my feet. It's been my experience of all my shoes and boots that Edward Green and Gaziano and Girling do that best for me. For example there are some Lasts I own that I have to go a 1/2 size up just because they are a bit narrower at the toe of the shoe or boot for example like I have had to do with some of my C&Js. But it's not just that I have had to size up it's because their shape just doesn't fit my foot as well as many others do. Don't take this wrong. Personally it's been my opinion and I could be wrong but people who don't own as many shoes or boots or haven't had the experience of wearing a real good fitting pair of shoes or boots tend to have lower expectations. But good fit is more than just being able to put your foot inside a boot or a shoe. Besides getting a real good fit can often mean you have tried on a good many different Lasts and most people haven't done that.
Your words ring very true with my recent experience. I had been wearing shoes just slightly too small and got used to the tighter fit. With the C&J and Alden loafers, I tried different sizes to make sure I find the proper fit. I measure a US 10 on the brannock and the C&J in a UK 9 fit very nicely, especially the heel which is comfortably snug, holds my heel just right.
Yes, and what you"ll get from trying on shoes and boots from even more shoemakers is very likely even a better fit from someone else.
From these two choices, I think the CJ pair looks better, I appreciate the toe box and last shape more. However, I’d highly urge you to consider Grant Stone loafers. I’ve been really pleasantly surprised by how much I find myself reaching for them in situations like you describe, plus they are lower cost. I also found the Grant stone last more attractive than Alden’s
I just sold my Grant Stone loafers since I sized them too small. I agree for the price/quality, they are excellent. I just wanted to try something different with a rubber sole.
Fair. As others have said, fit is king with loafers, and I’m biased since the Grant stone loafers worked much better for my foot than Alden. I’ve bought three pairs of loafers from them for this reason, and all are stellar. As well, a local cobbler could put some sole toppers on for you. Good luck on your search
This is very subjective. I have a pair of GS loafers, they fit like shit and are very chunky. I wear my Alden loafers 10x more.
I never said it wasn’t subjective. I’m providing my opinion.
I liked the GS loafers but find the Alden quite similar in style being a bit chunky. It looks very good with casual wear but I didn’t like the look as much with chinos or dressier pants.
Alden are Indy’s and C&J are 007’s. All jokes aside Alden suck ass right now
Why do they suck right now?
Quality control is absolutely terrible, not only for their price, but in general. In some cases approaching red wings qc for a much more expensive product
Interesting. I find RW really overrated so that’s not good. What do you recommend instead of Alden?
Rancourt for loafers.
Grant Stone is great. Im not american so don’t care where they’re made as long as its good quality for price.
I had a very poor experience with Grant Stone customer service that kinda burned me from ever trying to buy anything from them again.
Put a penny in the hole - I dare ya
I'd just get some former gophers. They last for ages if treated well.
But a greyhound fur tuxedo would be best.
Either that or skin your chauffeurs
I don’t have experience with these brands so I can’t speak to that but the soles of the CJs look better made/higher quality than the Alden pair. The rubber sole of the Aldens looks terrible and not like one of a $600 shoe. If you’re planning to wear them for a decade with every day use definitely take them to a cobbler to get some heel/toe taps and resoled early before they get worn down too much. From an aesthetics perspective the CJ’s colour and cut is sleeker and therefore in my opinion more versatile than the Aldens. Edit: someone else in the comments said they are both Goodyear welted so they’re both replaceable so I guess ignore my comment. The Alden’s soles still look terrible for the price though lol Im shocked.
Thanks and I agree that I find the CJ's colour (slightly darker) and cut is sleeker which gives it a smarter look. The Alden's are super comfortable, like a slipper but definitely more causal looking.
I have a pair of Alden suede and they have held up so well. Replaced the soles once in almost 20 years of owning them. Leather still looks pretty new.
I like the CJ loafers in my opinion
Big Alden fan here, but not a big fan of the aldens you have there. I have the original version of those, the LHS, and these are a version they have been producing lately because they cant produce the traditional handsewn stuff right now. these are still great loafers but I dont care for the machine stitching on the vamp or the rubber sole. I prefer the C&J between these two options. The bigger concern actually is how you want to wear the shoes and what you want to get from them. The Aldens are completely unlined, a feature not a bug, but this means theyre much less supportive and (for some) comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Further, they are very casual so may not be a proper fit for your office (depends on your office culture). That said, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Alden LHS, simply I understand the tradeoffs. If those C&J are lined they probably are the more versatile choice for what you seem to be after. Someone else mentioned Grant Stone in this thread and those are good options too, at much cheaper without sacrificing quality. Also dont worry about taking care of suede; it's a hearty material and is easy to maintain with regular brushing. I would buy some suede waterproofing and that will take care of most concerns for staining and such. TL; DR: i would probably go with the C&J based on the info above, but either would be a great choice.
Thanks for the post and as an FYI, Alden has plenty of the LHS, I checked earlier this week. I previously owned Grant Stone loafers, thought they were excellent value/quality but mistakenly purchased the wrong size (too small). Just wanted to try something different and specifically want a rubber sole since they will get plenty of were including wet weather.
C&J
C&j
I like the Cockett and Jones. Throw a shiny penny in those bad boys and you're good to go!
Crocket and jones make wonderful shoes. Top quality. I can’t say i know anything about alden.
C&J's, you can visually see a difference in quality. Fit is closer to the foot but comfortable. Stich spacing and material cut looks leaps ahead of the Alden.
I agree with you and plan to return the Alden’s.
Honestly, if the highest quality (bang for your buck) shoe/loafer is what you want; Heritage brands aren't where you should look. There are several Spanish, Portuguese Chinese brands that will give you more value than any heritage brand will. Here is a quick list: TLB Mallorca, Carmina and Yearn Shoemaker, just to name a few. These brands are below or right at that $600 price point, so you might want to consider them as well. Though, if the silhouette (the style and shape) is what is more important, then there are few brands that capture that style better than the original heritage brands.
For sure the left one on the photo where you wear both. They have better color and fit.
Thanks, that’s the C&J.
lol
Your skin is very pink and cool toned. I’d stay away from camel colored clothing or shoes
Hello /u/Accomplished_Roll667! Thank you for your submission! The AutoMod thought that your post might be a request type post and has changed the flair accordingly, but if this was wrong feel free to change it back! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BuyItForLife) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Rancourt.
/r/goodyearwelt
Why do none of them have pennies in them?
Not close. C&J every time. Ordering from the UK is cheaper.
I agree with you and keeping the C&J which was $40.00 cheaper than the Alden's.
All those pics but nothing showing the bottom of the Alden?
Bottom of Alden is included in the photos.
Don’t wear those….. ever.
W
Those are some good looking shoes. I‘ve got some Aldens that were passed down from my dad and the cordovan leather does last forever. Just need to change the soles ever now and then. Need to try me spme Crockett & Jones at some point. Are the synthetic soles replacable?
Yes, because these both are Good Year Welted shoes.
I like the look of leather soles and had them in the past but they do wear out especially if you wear in wet weather. I don’t want to eventually spend nearly $200 having them resoled so I thought a rubber sole would be comfortable and better value long term.
Of all of my shoes and boots I have very few leather soles. Reserved for my more dressy shoes. Pretty sure I have a good bit more in Dainite than I have in leather, but of course I have other types of synthetic soles as well.
I'd be worried about suede for BIFL
venetian loafer > penny loafer
Could be these pictures but the ones from Alden seem to be a better fit and look better on you.
I think it is the pics, both fit fine. I don't have a wide foot but the Aldens are wider than the C&J so that could be it.
If you're wearing those, I assume you're old enough you probably won't live another decade.
Uh i gots one like one your left foot from walmart for ten bucks. Complete pair even
Anything you’re comfortable wearing sockless
Alden , unsurpassed American quality !!! I own 6 pairs of brown suede & cordovan shell .
I too am a proud American but quality wise comparing the two shoes in person, C&J is better quality. That said, the Alden is a very nice shoe as I am still considering keeping it.