Nice boot
northsouthdenimguyover 1 year ago
Alden Plain Toe “Roy” BootHorween Brown Chromexcel
See specs
Maker
Alden Shoe Company
Model
Plain Toe “Roy” Boot
Leather
Last
Sole
Purchased from
Alden Madison
Order info
Cost: 715 USD
Availability: Stock Model
Lead Time: 3 months
More about this item
I’ve lusted after this boot for years, from the days of Context. Absolutely one of my favorite boots, as always, the plantation crepe soke is super comfortable, but beyond that this brown CXL and the rolls to me look amazing. I’m my experience Aldens are unbeatable in comfort out of the box, this boot is no different. I don’t think anybody’s done it yet would be a great boot to “Dome” from new. I’m looking forward to how these boots will look a month from now, a year from now 10 years from now and beyond.See background
Why did you choose this item?
Availability: Stock Model
Always been a fan of the plain toe Alden boots and how great they look with just a little bit of wear. this make up in particular has been on my radar for years.
How did you determine your size?
Trubalance Last: 11DUS Men's Brannock: 11.5D
Brannock Measurements
Trubalance to me has always half down from Brannock. Some people swear by true to size, but I believe those feet to generally be smaller than size 10 and super high volume feet. imho
What was the ordering process?
Purchased from Alden MadisonTotal cost: 715 USD
Lead time: 3 months
Online Store
Pretty easy online ordering shipped and received within a week
Final thoughts
Would Recommend
I wouldn’t change anything
Written by northsouthdenimguy
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A pair of brown leather shoes, serially underestimated.
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Sentimental, But… Meh.
Alden Plain Toe Boot in Horween Color 8 Shell CordovanBy nikolanottesla • February 26, 2026"Few brands split opinion quite like Alden. On one hand, it's one of the last major East Coast classic Americana institutions in this hobby still manufacturing a product in the U.S. - and that's absolutely laudable. On the other hand, having a former CEO illegally treat the company like a personal piggy bank for his alleged sugar baby, rather than addressing reasonable concerns about declining quality, cost-cutting measures and inconsistent construction, is also laudable… but only if you count Patrick Bateman among your personal heroes [author's note: which I do - so yeah, laudable].
These boots were a Christmas gift from my sister during a visit out to see her. We picked them up together in Seattle at Brick + Mortar. I walked in intending just to get sized, as I'd never worn Aldens before, and she flat-out refused to let me leave without them. So there's a sentimental (and thankfully non-acrylic) layer attached to this pair that will always make me smirk. (As an aside: Brick + Mortar is fantastic. Great shopping experience, passionate staff, genuinely helpful. Huge fan.)
The real selling point here, for me, is the last - the Plaza is criminally underrated. I love the chiseled toe and slim profile; it dresses up easily with wool trousers in the office and pairs equally well with my usual Outlier Strongdarts on a casual day out. The austere pattern does an excellent job of showcasing the leather (which is both great and not-so-great in this case - see below). And, true to Alden's orthopedic pedigree, they were very comfortable straight out of the box. Zero break-in.
Beyond that, though, the negatives start to pop up. Horween makes, in my opinion, the best shell cordovan in the world, but the acrylic coating Alden applies over it is, bluntly, shit. It makes a premium leather feel plasticky, muting the shell's color depth and subtle variation and it's a migraine-level headache to remove. In fact, I'm fairly sure I damaged the underlying finish trying to strip it off. A few of the speed hooks were installed in such a way that they began rotating in their sockets after a few wears. The stitching where the quarters meet the vamp is a bit sloppy - not structurally concerning, but disappointing on a boot that cost nearly a thousand dollars. And whatever rubber Alden uses for its "Commando" half soles wears very, very quickly. I'm easy on my footwear and a bit of a zealot about rotating pairs between wears, and even so, these soles are showing noticeable wear and minor separation.
None of these issues are catastrophic. And I understand that value, especially as it relates to construction quality, is subjective and a function of the boot's intended use. It's pretty clear these were designed more for climbing into the elevator at Pierce & Pierce [author's note again: what's with all the Patrick Bateman references?] than for climbing Pikes Peak. But with Alden shell now pushing past the thousand-dollar mark (and annual price increases baked in) the value proposition starts to feel a bit questionable. They're fine. Sentimental, but… kinda meh.
Eventually, I'll probably sunfade the shell the way Lefke did with his pair, then send them to Unsung for a rebuild in the spirit of a shell "Roy" boot on the Plaza - same features, but upgraded materials. That would probably render them unwearable in a business setting, but I can fill that gap with something more formal while these spend their days wrapped in polyethylene sheeting and listening to Huey Lewis and the News [author's note again, again: seriously, man, seek help]...."Read the full review
