# Alden's LHS...But Why the Love?



## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

There have been a number of threads showcasing Alden's beloved LHS. Indeed, it is an icon of TRAD but, why the love? Is it the design, the shell cordovan leather of which it is so frequently constructed, the comfort of the shoe on the foot and are the calfskin versions accorded comparable iconic status? 

My purpose in asking these questions is self-serving...I freely admit such. While I have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy my shell cord, model #986s' for many years to come, I am considering the purchase of Alden's burnished tan calf, model #983, LHS's. The burnished tan calf bears a pleasing visual comparability with the whiskey shell LHS...no?


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

I guess my question to you, a fellow owner of Alden 986s, would be why are you asking this question in the first place? Unless you already know the/your answer and you're just trying to start a new thread, I would expect that anyone who owns a pair of these shoes would understand why they're so uniquely well-loved.

Okay, I'll bite. What the hell.

They look great (once the brushings and sunlight lighten them up a bit).

They feel great (once you wear them painfully for a few weeks until they all of a sudden mold to your feet) (editor's note: this never happens unless you Believe. So all you know-nothings who believed that 20-something salesdoofus at the mall when he told you calf stretches but shell never does, forget it. Shell will never stretch for you. If anything, it will shrink, and cripple your feet).

They can take a beating and look new again just by brushing them with a horsehair brush or even just a hotel washcloth for 30 secs on the way out to meet a client.

They look equally good with jeans, khakis, odd trousers, shorts, and in much of Palin Country, a Men's Wearhouse suit (though doing so might get you tagged as an "elitist" or even "queer" by the black Cole Haan duckbill set).

With TLC they'll last forever. With minimal care they'll last 25 yrs.

In a world where even the guy who used to say "In a World" in all the movie trailers is dead, it's getting harder and harder to find US-made clothing and shoes of truly high quality. So it's nice to be able to pick up one or two, or _fine_, three pairs and know you're covered for all but the most formal outfits for the rest of your life, and that if your sons are lucky enough to share your shoe size, they'll be fighting over them in the will.

Did I mention they look great?



eagle2250 said:


> There have been a number of threads showcasing Alden's beloved LHS. Indeed, it is an icon of TRAD but, why the love? Is it the design, the shell cordovan leather of which it is so frequently constructed, the comfort of the shoe on the foot and are the calfskin versions accorded comparable iconic status?
> 
> My purpose in asking these questions is self-serving...I freely admit such. While I have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy my shell cord, model #986s' for many years to come, I am considering the purchase of Alden's burnished tan calf, model #983, LHS's. The burnished tan calf bears a pleasing visual comparability with the whiskey shell LHS...no?


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## wolfhound986 (Jun 30, 2007)

I think the design of the Alden LHS is classic and timeless. They work with everything from wool trousers to khakis and jeans.

Each pair acquires a unique patina over time, whether they be shell or calf. They conform to your feet quite well after that breaking-in period. 

If anything, Alden should offer the LHS in more colors, like in dark brown calf (which they used to), and in walnut brown calf (like their tassel).

And, wishful thinking: more appearances of the shell LHS in cigar, whiskey, and ravello.

As much as I like the heavy, durable, easy-care shell, I appreciate the calfskin just as well, definitely room in the closet for both.


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## bd79cc (Dec 20, 2006)

wolfhound986 said:


> As much as I like the heavy, durable, easy-care shell, I appreciate the calfskin just as well, definitely room in the closet for both.


Well said. I couldn't agree more!


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## Lawman (May 31, 2006)

*LHS?*

What does LHS stand for?


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

'Leisure Handsewn'


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

The Continental Fop said:


> I guess my question to you, a fellow owner of Alden 986s, would be why are you asking this question in the first place? Unless you already know the/your answer and you're just trying to start a new thread, I would expect that anyone who owns a pair of these shoes would understand why they're so uniquely well-loved...


A good and valid question, well deserving of a straight answer. Let there be no doubt as to my passion for my LHS's. However, between the #8 and cigar tones, Alden has convinced me to part with just over $1150, to date for LHS's. I find myself lusting for the beasts in whiskey...and fear I might find them. At which point, my passion for the LHS's will overcome my financial sense and...well there you go! While looking at a pair of calfskin LHS's, in the burnished tan color, it struck me, they looked just like the whiskey shell LHS's...at least until I wear them(!)...and they cost about half of what the whiskey LHS's would cost (if I could find a pair). I'm mildly concerned that if I buy the calfskin model, after wearing them for three months, am I going to wish I'd held off (and saved the $370), until I found my size in a whiskey shell LHS? I guess I'm just doing a bit of "sole" searching? 

Does that make me a heel(!)?


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

wolfhound986 said:


> I think the design of the Alden LHS is classic and timeless. They work with everything from wool trousers to khakis and jeans.
> 
> As much as I like the heavy, durable, easy-care shell, I appreciate the calfskin just as well, definitely room in the closet for both.





bd79cc said:


> Well said. I couldn't agree more!


Indeed a comforting thought...so it is the design that fuels our love for these shoes! Just what I need to hear to convince me to go forward with the purchase of Alden's burnished tan calfskin LHS model...perhaps!


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## Sartre (Mar 25, 2008)

I just got a pair of whiskey shells from Alden of DC. No comparison with the calfskin. Different animal. Similar color of course, same design, but the shells are so far superior in the softness of the leather and the depth and lustre of color. Are they twice as nice as the calf? Easily, in my opinion. Of all the shell colors, whiskey is the most impressive.

tjs


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## videocrew (Jun 25, 2007)

Sartre said:


> I just got a pair of whiskey shells from Alden of DC. No comparison with the calfskin. *Different animal*.










``

True statement


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## Intrepid (Feb 20, 2005)

Reasonable question, difficult to answer.

If you have had a pair of 984s and 986s for years, they are like old friends. It is hard to explain why you like certain people so much, and feel so comfortable with them. It's just the way things are.

One other point involves Alden's refurbishing service. I just got a favorite pair of old 986s back form Alden. For, I think @$135, they look and feel as good as the day they came out of the box originally.


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## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

The LHS in *#6* shell cordovan. One can dream.


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

Well, let me offer my own experience as an owner of the whiskey 986s. I, too, lusted after these shoes for a long time before hunting down a pair. I thought they looked much better than the classic Color 8s in all the pics online, and when I got my pair and saw them in person, they blew me away. Just gorgeous.

That said, I find that I wear the whiskey LHS much less often than the Color 8. For starters, whiskey shell is NOT the same color or shade as Alden's tan calf, which I also own in a NST. The tan is nearly a burnt orange, while whiskey shell is a dark butterscotch. Maybe it's just me, but I find both of these shoe colors to be much more problematic in terms of matching them to outfits without drawing undue attention to the shoes, which is sort of Priority One for me when deciding what to wear. I like to wear nice shoes, but I want the shoes to complement, not dominate my clothing.

I find the whiskey LHS looks great with khakis in the stone-to-British-khaki range. They sort of go well with really, really faded jeans. And...that's about it. They don't look good with the darker jeans I usually wear, they don't look good with olive or grey or navy trousers, and while I don't own any black pants, I would imagine that the whiskey shells would look hideous with them.

The Color 8s, on the other hand, look great with all of the above. In fact, I have yet to find the pair of pants that don't look enhanced when paired with Color 8 986s.

So that's my data point. I'm glad I bought the whiskey shells and have zero buyer's remorse, because I do get to wear them from time to time and really enjoy them. But I'd be lying if I told you that I didn't think they'd be much more versatile than they are, or that I didn't think that once they arrived I'd pretty much switch over to them full-time and semi-retire my Color 8s.

My advice: get 'em if you've already got LHSs in Color 8. Don't get 'em if they're going to be your only pair of Alden loafers.



eagle2250 said:


> A good and valid question, well deserving of a straight answer. Let there be no doubt as to my passion for my LHS's. However, between the #8 and cigar tones, Alden has convinced me to part with just over $1150, to date for LHS's. I find myself lusting for the beasts in whiskey...and fear I might find them. At which point, my passion for the LHS's will overcome my financial sense and...well there you go! While looking at a pair of calfskin LHS's, in the burnished tan color, it struck me, they looked just like the whiskey shell LHS's...at least until I wear them(!)...and they cost about half of what the whiskey LHS's would cost (if I could find a pair). I'm mildly concerned that if I buy the calfskin model, after wearing them for three months, am I going to wish I'd held off (and saved the $370), until I found my size in a whiskey shell LHS? I guess I'm just doing a bit of "sole" searching?
> 
> Does that make me a heel(!)?


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Comments offered by Sartre, Intrepid, and The Continental FOP make much sense and definitely have me (now) leaning towards the Whiskey shell LHS's. I did not realize the degree of difference in the color of burnished tan vs whiskey but, am aware of and greatly appreciate the greater ease of caring for shell cord (vs calfskin) shoes. I love the LHS design...it is indeed the perfect penny loafer...but, also know that if I purchased the calf model, after second guessing my decision and acknowledging my proclivity to acquire more shoes, the reality is I would be going out and also buying a pair of whiskey shells, after the fact. Perhaps by buying the shells in the first place, I would, in fact, be saving the $370 originally spent on the calf model(!)??


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

You did read my comments about whiskey shell being less compatible with most trouser colors than Color 8 is, yes? Just want to make sure I didn't come off as suggesting the opposite. 

For someone's first and possibly only pair of Alden shell LHS, I would strongly recommend going with Color 8. Not because it's for beginners. Because it goes with most anything, and quite frankly it is a more beautiful color than whiskey or cigar. There, I said it.


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## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

The Continental Fop said:


> They feel great (once you *wear them painfully* for a few weeks until they all of a sudden mold to your feet)...


That sort of experience usually indicates that the shoes don't fit.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

The Continental Fop said:


> You did read my comments about whiskey shell being less compatible with most trouser colors than Color 8 is, yes? Just want to make sure I didn't come off as suggesting the opposite.
> 
> For some one's first and possibly only pair of Alden shell LHS, I would strongly recommend going with Color 8. Not because it's for beginners. Because it goes with most anything, and quite frankly it is a more beautiful color than whiskey or cigar. There, I said it.


Indeed, I did read your comments and they were very clearly stated...and persuasive! I currently enjoy shell cord LHS's in the #8 and cigar tones. The whiskey shell LHS would be an addition to the collection. I also frequently wear khaki and stone colored chinos on a fairly regular basis so, should have reasonable opportunity to wear the lighter toned LHS's.


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## bigCat (Jun 10, 2005)

eagle2250 said:


> Indeed, I did read your comments and they were very clearly stated...and persuasive! I currently enjoy shell cord LHS's in the #8 and cigar tones. The whiskey shell LHS would be an addition to the collection. I also frequently wear khaki and stone colored chinos on a fairly regular basis so, should have reasonable opportunity to wear the lighter toned LHS's.


I would just like to add that whiskey ages somewhat differently than #8, and it gets a little darker (which adds a little to versatility), while #8 gets more translucent. That said, #8 is still the most versatile shoe color.

Besides from pant colors described above, whiskey shell goes well with many linen pants in other colors (blue, cream) - lightness of linen matches well with lightness of the shoe color.


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

Ah, Quel Dommage. That sort of comment usually indicates that the speaker has never owned a pair of Alden LHS in shell.

Really, with the surfeit of affirmative commentary on this forum from LHS owners who've had this exact same experience with these shoes over and over and over again, I'd be -- what other word is there? -- embarrassed to butt into yet _another_ LHS thread after it's been pointed out more than once that I haven't a clue as to what I'm talking about.

You scan brochures and post pritty pitchers. Bully for you. But you appear hellbent on reminding everyone just how little you know about the reality of owning and wearing certain shoes like the LHS. Why, I don't know. I'm just as sure there's a story as I don't want to hear it.

Just be honest. Say, "I don't like you." Is that so hard?



Doctor Damage said:


> That sort of experience usually indicates that the shoes don't fit.


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

Lucky son of a gun! A pair of LHS in cigar -- my life would be complete and all my problems would be solved if I could have a pair of those shoes in that color of shell. I've even considered sending Alden my cigar chukkas back and telling them to Hannibal Lecter them into a pair of 986s.

Yes, the whiskey LHS will be a fine addition to your shell harem. In fact, I wore mine today in honor of the thread. They are beautiful, beautiful shoes. But I have to agree with the other gentleman who wished for 986s in Color 6 (Mahogany). I would trade these whiskeys and my cigar chukkas plus a pair of AEs to be named later for those mythical beasts.



eagle2250 said:


> Indeed, I did read your comments and they were very clearly stated...and persuasive! I currently enjoy shell cord LHS's in the #8 and cigar tones. The whiskey shell LHS would be an addition to the collection. I also frequently wear khaki and stone colored chinos on a fairly regular basis so, should have reasonable opportunity to wear the lighter toned LHS's.


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

I hope you're right about whiskey shell -- if my LHSs became darker, they would be much more versatile. I've been polishing them very rarely and then only with the barest smidgen of tan Kiwi, though. Maybe if that smidgen was dark brown Saphir? I don't know. I don't want to artificially caramelize my whiskey.



hreljan said:


> I would just like to add that whiskey ages somewhat differently than #8, and it gets a little darker (which adds a little to versatility), while #8 gets more translucent. That said, #8 is still the most versatile shoe color.
> 
> Besides from pant colors described above, whiskey shell goes well with many linen pants in other colors (blue, cream) - lightness of linen matches well with lightness of the shoe color.


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## bigCat (Jun 10, 2005)

The Continental Fop said:


> I hope you're right about whiskey shell -- if my LHSs became darker, they would be much more versatile. I've been polishing them very rarely and then only with the barest smidgen of tan Kiwi, though. Maybe if that smidgen was dark brown Saphir? I don't know. I don't want to artificially caramelize my whiskey.


My "smidgen" is mid-tan Kiwi (slightly different than tan Kiwi), so that is probably where my (slight) darkening comes from. It was given to me from Alden salesperson with the shoes, so I just kept using it (sparingly).


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

The Continental Fop said:


> Lucky son of a gun! A pair of LHS in cigar -- my life would be complete and all my problems would be solved if I could have a pair of those shoes in that color of shell. I've even considered sending Alden my cigar chukkas back and telling them to Hannibal Lecter them into a pair of 986s....


Continental FOP: You may be in luck. The Shoemart does have LHS cigar shell cords in stock and offered for sale at $595. It appears limited sizes are available but, you might get lucky. Joe and Ed are both very pleasant to deal with!


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## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

The Continental Fop said:


> Ah, Quel Dommage. That sort of comment usually indicates that the speaker has never owned a pair of Alden LHS in shell.
> 
> Really, with the surfeit of affirmative commentary on this forum from LHS owners who've had this exact same experience with these shoes over and over and over again, I'd be -- what other word is there? -- embarrassed to butt into yet _another_ LHS thread after it's been pointed out more than once that I haven't a clue as to what I'm talking about.
> 
> ...


I neither like nor dislike you, so you can take off the tinfoil hat and unload your gun.

I believe that telling people it's okay for newly purchased shoes to be painful for a period (weeks? months!!!) since they will eventually stretch is BAD ADVICE. Shoes should never be painful. Maybe the LHS is the shoe that proves the rule. Fine. But it's still BAD ADVICE.


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## well-kept (May 6, 2006)

To address both issues - color and fit - as someone who has worn and still wears the LHS as well as other shell colors and models...

FIT - nothing about the size of a shell cordovan loafer is static. I wore a pair of size 11 LHS for fourteen years and when the time came that I could almost fit both feet into one shoe I gave them to the Goodwill. They stretch to such an extent there is really no such thing as the "correct" size. At best they will fit for a while, either out of the box or down the road; the choice is yours. I currently have a newer pair in 11 D which fit fine but anyone out there who wears 14EEE, wait a few years and I'll send them to you.

COLOR - the color of shell, be it #8, whiskey, cigar, ravello, even black, is not static through time either. Nor is it consistent from the factory. However they start out they will change color through their lives and you may as well embrace the fact. It is one of the things I enjoy about shell. My whiskey LHS have grown both lighter and darker in areas. My #8s, which range from pair to pair across a wide spectrum, tend to grow lighter and warmer, mainly through exposure to sunlight. My cigar shells have mostly lightened. I have a pair of ravello chukkas which after two years are much lighter than my whiskey LHS. Black shell has green undertones which emerge from friction, scratches and sunlight. As you may have surmised I do not use any colored wax on shell, only neutral and that with extreme infrequency - after a rainstorm for example. As with a woman, choose them for what they are and not what you wish they were and your chances of happiness increase. 

(BTW, in buying a new pair of LHS, I'd go snug at first. Just my opinion.)


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

No, capital letters notwithstanding, bad advice is extrapolating your limited experience into one-size-fits-all dogma that simply doesn't apply to the topic under discussion.

Yes, in many cases, if the shoe doesn't fit upon first wearing, it is the wrong size. No, this advice does not apply to the Alden 986, which, if you would get off your pedant horse for a moment, you would accept that far too many 986 owners have posted on this forum and elsewhere that the Alden is made upon a last which usually fits the owner best if sized down a half size.

This is experiential data from people who have actually purchased these shoes -- and in many cases, done so a second time after second-guessing the salesman's advice and winding up with a pair of 986s that fit well at point of sale but soon stretched out and became far too loose a few weeks later. It is not "advice" from an irritant gadfly who mistakes the thrill of scanning catalog illustrations with the actual experience of wearing a shoe.

Do yourself a favor. Before digging yourself in any deeper, talk to a few guys who actually own a pair of 986s. Talk to an Alden dealer. Clearly you're not a 986 kind of guy, so you're not going to put your money where your mouth is like the rest of us and actually buy a pair or three of these $550 shoes. But talking to some LHs owners and dealers might move you just a bit toward the Informed Opinion column, and improve the chances of someone here taking your comments seriously. At the very least it would be some limited social contact, which is always a pick-me-up for certain types, I find.



Doctor Damage said:


> I neither like nor dislike you, so you can take off the tinfoil hat and unload your gun.
> 
> I believe that telling people it's okay for newly purchased shoes to be painful for a period (weeks? months!!!) since they will eventually stretch is BAD ADVICE. Shoes should never be painful. Maybe the LHS is the shoe that proves the rule. Fine. But it's still BAD ADVICE.


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

You are the devil.

Fortunately, SM doesn't have my size listed in stock. But just so you know, my heart is still pounding. Thanks.



eagle2250 said:


> Continental FOP: You may be in luck. The Shoemart does have LHS cigar shell cords in stock and offered for sale at $595. It appears limited sizes are available but, you might get lucky. Joe and Ed are both very pleasant to deal with!


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

I'm not sure what betrays more wisdom, your observations about shell or your advice about women. This post should be required reading for anyone considering shell in general and the LHS in particular. Bravo.



well-kept said:


> To address both issues - color and fit - as someone who has worn and still wears the LHS as well as other shell colors and models...
> 
> FIT - nothing about the size of a shell cordovan loafer is static. I wore a pair of size 11 LHS for fourteen years and when the time came that I could almost fit both feet into one shoe I gave them to the Goodwill. They stretch to such an extent there is really no such thing as the "correct" size. At best they will fit for a while, either out of the box or down the road; the choice is yours. I currently have a newer pair in 11 D which fit fine but anyone out there who wears 14EEE, wait a few years and I'll send them to you.
> 
> ...


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## Sartre (Mar 25, 2008)

Fop: Suggest you switch to decaf. And please take it offline with Dr. D, no one is interested in reading your fulminations.

To the O.P., on the subject of whiskey and how often it is worn: This is somewhat dependent on the wardrobe and what colors you like to wear. I wear a lot of earth tones and so am constantly in my whiskey LHSs. Friends of mine prefer the blue/gray palette and so would not be so inclined. Although whiskey looks great with grey..

tjs


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

I believe you meant to use a different word than fulminations, perhaps? It means to express vehement protest, and/or explode violently.

I do the same thing all the time. Use big words that I sort of know what they mean but don't. Gets me into trouble when I talk at smart fellows who know what words mean.

I suggest you aim your fire at Quel Dommage, who started this nonsense. We were all having a perfectly reasonable and (gasp) reality-based discussion of Alden shoes when QD felt the need to back into the doorway and break wind with auto-repeat boilerplate that any grown-up who's owned more than one pair of dress shoes knows is simply and demonstrably wrong.



Sartre said:


> Fop: Suggest you switch to decaf. And please take it offline with Dr. D, no one is interested in reading your fulminations.
> 
> To the O.P., on the subject of whiskey and how often it is worn: This is somewhat dependent on the wardrobe and what colors you like to wear. I wear a lot of earth tones and so am constantly in my whiskey LHSs. Friends of mine prefer the blue/gray palette and so would not be so inclined. Although whiskey looks great with grey..
> 
> tjs


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## Tom Buchanan (Nov 7, 2005)

Fop,

You might recall that I defended your post in another thread as an entertaining rant. Your condescending personal jabs at others here (that DD just posts pictures, or that Sarte cannot understand big words) are not very entertaining.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen!

Be such. Thank you.


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## MichaelB (Dec 17, 2004)

Alexander Kabbaz said:


> Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen!
> 
> Be such. Thank you.


Hear, hear. The tone on this forum is usually so genial and courteous--as befits traditionalists--we should not let good will collapse.


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

well-kept said:


> FIT - nothing about the size of a shell cordovan loafer is static....At best they will fit for a while, either out of the box or down the road; the choice is yours.


How long is a "while"?


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^ I've always tried for a close to perfect fit, right out of the box...particularly when buying shell cords. Both pair of my LHS's are right at or less than two year old. While I did experience some degree of tightness across the penny strap on the shoes for the right foot, the tightness went away after perhaps 12 to 15 wearings, in each case. Quite frankly I haven't noticed any additional stretching of the shoes beyond that. Also I have not noticed any substantial or excess stretching of the other five pair of shell cords (wingtips and PTB's) in my collection. On the other hand, I have, in a few cases, noted a greater degree of stretching in the calfskin shoes in my collection and in the two pair kangaroo boots........but, it;s all goooood!


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## well-kept (May 6, 2006)

Thom Browne's Schooldays said:


> How long is a "while"?


It depends on the frequency of wearing, and how you wear them.

To give a focused example... I bought a pair of AE Hinsdales in shell - a close relative of the Alden LHS but with a slightly longer vamp and firm internal heel counters - eleven years ago.

I sized down to a 10D on advice of the Madison Avenue store's sales associate. They were snug.

I have loved and worn these shoes more than any I have ever had. I estimate that I've walked between ten and twelve thousand miles in them - 12,000 miles, not a typo - without resoling, only several replacements of the Vibram sole protectors and, of course, perhaps thirty re-heelings.

Obviously, they came to fit me very well for many years. Now, however, they fit bigger than the exact shoes in an 11.5D, a pair of which I squirreled away without knowing why. My unconscious was preparing for this eventuality. Yes, the same shoe, one and a half sizes larger is now a more snug fit than the original pair. I still love my 12,000-mile loafers and still wear them, with thick socks. Even so, they flap.


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