# Aldo Shoes Anyone?



## Dressing Sharp D (Nov 6, 2009)

What's going on everyone? I was browsing online the other day and ended up seeing a few styles that I liked from Aldo. I have never owned a pair of Aldos, so I would like to know any experiences with them. Yes, I know they're not top of the line by any means, but I think getting a few new styles could be interesting. For those who have had them, how did they hold up? When I was looking, I noticed they have a clearance section for $49.98 and under - with a lot of pretty decent styles in my opinion. Four pairs for $200 - can't beat that. But $200 for crap (if they are crap), is not worth it. Thanks to all.
-L8R.


----------



## Checkerboard 13 (Oct 6, 2009)

They appear to be rather trendy (and to my eye, quite unattractive.) They will doubtless be soon out of style and (at the prices they are being sold for) likely aren't constructed well enough to last very long.

Rather than getting "a few new styles", you might find yourself happier in the long run purchasing one very nice pair of shoes.
(It is not entirely necessary to pay full retail for top quality shoes, if one pursues closeouts, seconds, third party sales, etc.)


----------



## rich_202 (Jun 20, 2009)

It really depends on the emphasis and value that you place on owning quality shoes. I can say for a fact that with regular wear, your Aldo shoes will not last much more than a year and will probably end up being thrown away.

Pre-AAAC, I purchased many Aldo shoes, and would never consider them again. They may be fine if you intend to wear them occasionally (i.e. a white summer loafer), but for a workhorse shoe they won't hold up, nor will they be comfortable. My brother had purchased one pair of Aldo shoes (he liked the style), and he can vouch for my opinion regarding the lack of comfort. He will not wear the Aldos since his purchase of Loake, AE, and Boss shoes.

my .02


----------



## QuestForReason (Jan 9, 2009)

With a budget of 200 dollars you'd be much better off in the long run buying a pair of Allen Edmonds. Aldo is a trendy shoe store, they rarely have any shoe with a classic/long lasting style; furthermore, they are all cement bonded rubber soled shoes.

That is me putting it politely, wait for one of the senior members to come in here and tear you a new one for even asking. Brace yourself.


----------



## unmodern (Aug 10, 2009)

Aldo shoes are very trendy (not a knock in itself, but gives them a shorter style-life), and tend to be composed of just awful leather. The dark varnish of one shoe I remember trying on was flaking off and smudging while I grasped it. To be avoided.


----------



## NoVaguy (Oct 15, 2004)

I bought a couple pairs of Aldos a decade or half back and immediately returned them.

Leather quality is horrible; and durability is suspect.

For someone just starting out, I would just buy AE's on discount; they have some more stylish models that might work for you. I am especially fond of my AE Holts in a chestnut like color and can sometimes be found on ebay or the AE seconds stores. The AE Mora is another good choice. And of course, the traditional models (Park Avenue, Byron, Fifth Avenue, Grayson, MacNeil, Leeds, Strand) are all great choices.


----------



## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

Do not buy Aldo shoes. Period.

Put your $200 toward some Allen Edmonds---they have some fashion-forward styles, if that is your thing. Just make sure you get your feet sized up by a professional, preferably someone who sells AE.


----------



## caligula455 (Jun 3, 2009)

i think it is unanimous, none of us would consider the "4 for $200" aspect a bargain. AE is a good recomendation, if you know your size and what you are looking for you can get 2-3 pair for $200 on ebay and be much better off.


----------



## Srynerson (Aug 26, 2005)

I've owned a total of five pairs of Aldo shoes, all were bought in the 2003-04 time period, and I still have four pairs. (The one pair I had in my regular weekly rotation had the sole wear through after about three years and, since they cost me only $65, the expense of re-doing the sole wasn't worth it.) 

They are definitely not high-end shoes but, unlike most AAAC members, I firmly hold the view that there is a place for cheap rubber-soled quasi-dress (i.e., non-sneaker) shoes. I use my remaining Aldos for situations where I expect that I'll have to walk more than a mile, or through rain/snow/etc., but will not be able to make arrangements to change into proper dress shoes at my destination. Indeed, as I've mentioned before on this forum, the most comfortable pair of dress shoes I own is by Aldo. (I successfully walked six miles in one day in them without getting a blister.)

That being said, I think the important question is what you're planning on doing with your shoe wardrobe. Buying four pairs of shoes for the sake of buying four pairs of shoes is silly. But, on the other hand, buying one pair of higher quality shoes is also silly if your shoe wardrobe presently consists of nothing but sneakers.


----------



## MF177 (Jun 10, 2009)

crap!


----------



## NoVaguy (Oct 15, 2004)

Srynerson said:


> They are definitely not high-end shoes but, unlike most AAAC members, I firmly hold the view that there is a place for cheap rubber-soled quasi-dress (i.e., non-sneaker) shoes. I use my remaining Aldos for situations were I expect that I'll have to walk more than a mile, or through rain/snow/etc., but will not be able to make arrangements to change into proper dress shoes at my destination. Indeed, as I've mentioned before on this forum, the most comfortable pair of dress shoes I own is by Aldo. (I successfully walked six miles in one day in them without getting a blister.)


You can do these with Allen Edmonds, which is what I do. I've all but given up the idea of using cheap shoes as beaters. Don't baby the nicer shoes; many of them are intended for rougher treatment. Its easy enough to build a small rotation of Allen Edmonds just for long walks and rain/snow/etc. I wear and would recommend the Allen Edmonds Stockbridge, Ellis, Benton or Norse for these purposes.


----------



## Checkerboard 13 (Oct 6, 2009)

I had used cheap shoes for such purposes for years. Rockport has had a line (off and on) called Dressports, which usually looked presentable enough, were well enough made for inexpensive shoes, and could be considered disposable, given the price. 
Probably because they do a huge run of any particular model, in whatever overseas factory happens to meet their specs at the moment, models are constantly brought out and then discontinued within a year or less. There usually is a similar model brought out as the remainder of the previous model are sold off, but in the recent change of models, the company has seemed to have lost whatever direction they might have had. 
I looked for many months to replace a rather decent looking balmoral, that could easily pass for a dress shoe from a short distance. I even contacted the company, but what they advised me was the comparable model turned out to be a blucher which looked more like a work shoe of some kind. And unfortunately, any balmorals they have put out since are just plain ugly.

Finally, I have (probably wisely) given up on the folly of finding expendable shoes that look nice enough to wear as dress. I just purchased another pair of Park Avenues, which I will relegate as my "bad conditions" shoes. 
I will keep them well polished, rotate them out if they get wet, and otherwise perform normal maintenance on them. 
Even if I only get three years of wear from them, they will have cost me no more than the three pair of "disposables" that I would have used in that time. (And, if recrafting will bring another year of wear, I will have saved money.)


----------



## Musick (Oct 5, 2009)

If you like the style/s, I say go for it.

Yes they are inexpensive shoes that tend to be a modern style that may or may not last a few years (I see no problem w/ myself), but they are decent for the price (~$60 max imo).

I own 1 pair and they are good for the price. Leather is not the highest quality - a bit stiff and dry (conditioning them before wearing helps a lot), but for casual/"beater" wear, they are serviceable.


----------



## tsaltzma (Jun 3, 2009)

*-*



Dressing Sharp D said:


> What's going on everyone? I was browsing online the other day and ended up seeing a few styles that I liked from Aldo. I have never owned a pair of Aldos, so I would like to know any experiences with them. Yes, I know they're not top of the line by any means, but I think getting a few new styles could be interesting. For those who have had them, how did they hold up? When I was looking, I noticed they have a clearance section for $49.98 and under - with a lot of pretty decent styles in my opinion. Four pairs for $200 - can't beat that. But $200 for crap (if they are crap), is not worth it. Thanks to all.
> -L8R.


I owned a pair of Aldo shoes. Terribly constructed all the way around.


----------



## Dressing Sharp D (Nov 6, 2009)

Thanks a lot to everyone so far. It seems that we have some mixed reviews in here but nonetheless, it's great information. My message should have probably been a little more detailed I think. I'm not just starting out, as I have a pretty sufficient shoe collection IMO. I have some AE's currently (the Wendells in black and cordovan/chili to be exact), and stand by them 150%. As far as the $200 deal - that's not my budget, but I was just proposing the idea of being able to get about 4 pairs for that. No, I would not wear them all of the time, but just on rare occasions. The reason I started looking at Aldos is due to the fact that one of my coworkers bought a pair last week for $40 and said they were decent, especially considering the money (and he has multiple pairs of Ferragamos). It's hard to explain, but I'm looking to get a really modern/funky style for a decent price - and considering I'll be wearing them rarely, they don't have to be a top of the line workhorse...just something out of the ordinary but not over the top. Any ideas?
-L8R


----------



## Checkerboard 13 (Oct 6, 2009)

Whether or not you place high value on the shoes, it's always a good practice to afford your feet the highest measure of comfort and protection.

Cheap shoes rarely (if ever) provide the support and comfort of truly well-crafted shoes. If they only addressed aesthetics and not proper conformity to and support of the foot, no premium shoemaker (Lobb, Ferragamo, whomever) would be able to command the prices they do.

Certainly there is no need to wear only the most expensive shoes made, however, think about it, there has to be a reason those shoes are selling for $40.

Also, beware the "modern" shoe. It will all-too-soon become the passe shoe!


----------



## Checkerboard 13 (Oct 6, 2009)

BTW, was the Wendell made in cordovan? I was not aware of that.


----------



## Dressing Sharp D (Nov 6, 2009)

Checkerboard 13 said:


> BTW, was the Wendell made in cordovan? I was not aware of that.


My mistake, no it's not. I couldn't remember what color the box said when I got them, so that's why I typed "cordovan/chili" due to the fact that I knew they didn't say anything simple such as "brown". Maybe I should have said I have them in black and "some lighter hue of the brown family".
-L8R


----------



## Sufferable Fob (Aug 26, 2009)

I got a pair for a girl once.

She liked them.

They made her six inches taller and I felt really short. They were still sexy - but in an _Attack of the 50 Foot Woman_ way.

I had a look at their men's shoes on their web-site, and they're definitely "funky". I'm not a huge fan, the "rock and roll hipster" look just doesn't do anything for me. But if you like them and have the money - why not ? If you can live with the quality and treat them as what they are, you'll be fine.


----------



## Checkerboard 13 (Oct 6, 2009)

Dressing Sharp D said:


> My mistake, no it's not. I couldn't remember what color the box said when I got them, so that's why I typed "cordovan/chili" due to the fact that I knew they didn't say anything simple such as "brown". Maybe I should have said I have them in black and "some lighter hue of the brown family".
> -L8R


Actually, cordovan is a rather specialized type of leather, made from a horses rump. There are only a couple of tanneries in the world still making it in any substantial commercial quantity. This is one:


----------



## Dressing Sharp D (Nov 6, 2009)

Checkerboard 13 said:


> Actually, cordovan is a rather specialized type of leather, made from a horses rump. There are only a couple of tanneries in the world still making it in any substantial commercial quantity. This is one:


I'm aware of what cordovan is - it's a completely different type of leather. However, cordovan is brownish in color and I simply just typed it because I couldn't remember off the top of my head what the specifications of my shoes were. It's not usual for me to go walking around the office hearing, "Hey, I love your shoes - is that the Allen Edmonds Wendell in the chili burnished calf finish?" Once again, my mistake. Truth be told - to an untrained eye they're "brown dress shoes". Let me edit my earlier post.

I have some AE's (Wendell in Chili Burnished Calf and Black Custom Calf to be exact). 
-L8R


----------



## thefancyman (Apr 24, 2009)

Dressing Sharp D said:


> I'm aware of what cordovan is - it's a completely different type of leather. However, cordovan is brownish in color and I simply just typed it because I couldn't remember off the top of my head what the specifications of my shoes were. It's not usual for me to go walking around the office hearing, "Hey, I love your shoes - is that the Allen Edmonds Wendell in the chili burnished calf finish?" Once again, my mistake. Truth be told - to an untrained eye they're "brown dress shoes". Let me edit my earlier post.
> 
> I have some AE's (Wendell in Chili Burnished Calf and Black Custom Calf to be exact).
> -L8R


There is nothing wrong with describing a shoe that isn't made from cordovan leather as being cordovan because cordovan is also a color of dye used to burnish leather (sometimes referred to as simple burgundy). If you don't specify whether you are speaking of the color or the type of leather people tend to misinterpret things.


----------

