# Alden all-weather walkers - need owner's opinions/reviews



## Markus (Sep 14, 2004)

I'm shopping for another pair of shoes to put into my rotation. Part of the motivation is an upcoming trip to the middle east next spring when I will be doing a LOT of walking. I'd like to take one pair of shoes that are comfortable, can stand up to a lot of walking, and also can be polished up to look passable when wearing slacks, jacket and tie. I want to keep the price fairly reasonable and prefer shoes, like Aldens, that can be resoled.

The purpose of this thread is to solicit the objective feedback from those who own/have owned the Alden all-weather walkers. What do you think? How did you like the combination sole? How did the shoes wear? Would you buy them again? Have you had them resoled and, if you did, did you stick with the combination sole? How are they in wet weather? How about snow?

Thanks for any information you can share.

Markus


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Count me as a fan of Alden's All Weather Walkers. I have the PTB, alpine grained version and the NST calf option. Both are equipped with Alden's leather tipped, plantation crepe soles. Not to sound trite, but I must have liked the first pair pretty well because I bought the second pair, as a result of my impressions of the first. The AWW's are both among the most comfortable shoes in my collection, for days I am going to be doing a lot of walking. The footing provided is as secure/sound as that provided by any shoes in my closet, except perhaps boots with heavy lug, rubber soles. Plantation crepe soles are going to wear a bit more quickly than leather soles under dry conditions, but they hold up much better than leather under wet conditions. The leather tip at the toe of each sole does greatly extend the service life of Alden's version of plantation crepe soles well beyond that offered by those installed on Clark's Desert Boots and Wallabees. 

The uppers of Alden's AWWs are crafted of a very nice quality of calf and can occassionally be had crafted of shell cordovan. They are easily maintained and, if properly cared for, will present very handsomely, throughout the long, long life of the shoes. Clearly, I have been very satisfied with my AWWs! :thumbs-up:


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## joenobody0 (Jun 30, 2009)

I've posted in the past regarding my dislike of the Alden crepe sole. I know there are some fans on this site, so I'll be brief. I don't find them to be made for "all weather" use. The leather tip will disintegrate if used in rain at the same rate as a standard leather sole. If you want them for walking around then they should work. If you want them for walking around in the rain, then you should consider something else, like dainite. 

I would not buy them again, and when it's time for a resole they will be fitted with a commando sole. I find the commando sole superior in every way (looks, comfort, durability).


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## DG123 (Sep 16, 2011)

I own and wear a pair of the 947 All Weather Walker. It is a very sturdy shoe which gets more comfortable the more I wear it.The crepe sole with leather tip is sensational. Regarding fit, I chose a B width insetad of C width, since the Barrie last has a voluminous shape, especially though the ball of the foot.

If the ground is wet I wear my rubber soled Alden style #7118S.
If it is actually raining I wear Dunham water proof shoes.
If I am in the snow I wear shoes or boots designed for snow.


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## DG123 (Sep 16, 2011)

I could not find my 12B size in the NST calf version, so I placed an order. The wait time is supposedly 6 months.



eagle2250 said:


> Count me as a fan of Alden's All Weather Walkers. I have the PTB, alpine grained version and the NST calf option. Both are equipped with Alden's leather tipped, plantation crepe soles. version of plantation crepe soles well beyond that offered by those installed on Clark's Desert Boots and Wallabees.
> 
> :thumbs-up:


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## CMDC (Jan 31, 2009)

I have the scotchgrain ptb AWWs and absolutely love them. They were my first pair of Aldens and have become my favorite pair of shoes. They're extremely comfortable. That said, they aren't exactly light so doing a lot of walking may be a bit harder than in something less sturdy. Also, having spent a week in Israel doing a bunch of walking this summer, I wouldn't want to put my Aldens through that beating. I'm not sure where you'll be specifically but you might want to consider a pair of shoes you won't worry about trashing.


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

I've had mine for 20+ years. They receive infrequent use (they're a little heavy), but are a go-to in snow and rain. The leather tip has shrunk a little, but is still quite servicable, the looks, like most Aldens, improve with age, and I like the plantation crepe soles.


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## Markus (Sep 14, 2004)

*Hmmmm........*



CMDC said:


> I have the scotchgrain ptb AWWs and absolutely love them. They were my first pair of Aldens and have become my favorite pair of shoes. They're extremely comfortable. That said, they aren't exactly light so doing a lot of walking may be a bit harder than in something less sturdy. Also, having spent a week in Israel doing a bunch of walking this summer, I wouldn't want to put my Aldens through that beating. I'm not sure where you'll be specifically but you might want to consider a pair of shoes you won't worry about trashing.


Actually, Israel is the destination next April/May for a couple of weeks. Why would you think that such heavy use would trash the shoes or beat them up?

How long have you had yours?

Regarding the commando sole (this is a reply to another post above) I have a pair of the Alden lug sole bluchers and found the lug sole to not be very long lasting. Also, they are very slick on wet floors, such as granite or linoleum, as found in many office building lobbies. When it came time to send my pair back to the factory for resoling I had them made up with double leather soles and those have lasted very well. They are my favorite shoes and I probably wear them more than I should.


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## CMDC (Jan 31, 2009)

I've had mine for a little over a year and I baby them, to be sure. I want these to last for years. Granted, we were doing more of the touristy things--Old City Jerusalem, Galilee, Akko--but basically you're talking a lot of dust, uneven pavement and stone streets, etc. I had a pair of new Teva trail shoes that took a beating after only a week. Also, its damn hot and my feet would have been sweating something fierce in the AWWs. If you're going to be in jacket and tie close to full time this might be a good option but if it were me I'd have something more casual and rugged for walking around and then another pair to change into when I need to dress up a bit. Just my two cents.

Either way, Israel's incredible. Enjoy it.


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## joenobody0 (Jun 30, 2009)

Markus said:


> Actually, Israel is the destination next April/May for a couple of weeks. Why would you think that such heavy use would trash the shoes or beat them up?
> 
> How long have you had yours?
> 
> Regarding the commando sole (this is a reply to another post above) I have a pair of the Alden lug sole bluchers and found the lug sole to not be very long lasting. Also, they are very slick on wet floors, such as granite or linoleum, as found in many office building lobbies. When it came time to send my pair back to the factory for resoling I had them made up with double leather soles and those have lasted very well. They are my favorite shoes and I probably wear them more than I should.


The leather toe will wear on the AWW just like it would on a leather soled shoe. If you wouldn't consider walking around for a week in a pair of shoes with a full leather sole, then you probably shouldn't consider it with the crepe/leather sole. As someone else mentioned, they are also extremely heavy.

My worst slips have always come with the crepe/leather sole in the wet.


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## bd79cc (Dec 20, 2006)

I mainly agree with CMDC - lots of dust, sand, cobblestones, low humidity, high temperatures. . . just a harsh irregular environment for shoes in that part of the Middle East. Low-cut hiking shoes (I use Vasque) and supportive running shoes (Brooks GTS) seem to provide the right combination of support, traction, ventilation and protection for me there. Thick wool hiking socks help a lot (Smartwool does it for me). I would use a pair of AWWs in Jerusalem or Amman - the generous proportions of the Barrie last will allow the use of comfortable cushioning socks. Lots of the local men in those two cities sport long-toed thin-soled Italian-style shoes. I wouldn't baby the AWWs over there, but I would clean the dust, sand, and dirt out of them after every day of use and treat the leather with conditioner very often.


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## David J. Cooper (Apr 26, 2010)

Are they worth almost twice as much as the AE Wilberts?


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^
Having both the AE Wilbert and Alden's AWW designs, my answer to your question would be...absolutely, the AWW is worth twice the price that I paid for my Wilberts! I am a fan of those leather tipped, plantation crepe soles and the Wilberts more streamlined toe box is less comfortable for me than the more voluminous AWW toe boxes!


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## Markus (Sep 14, 2004)

*All-weather walker vs. Welter weight walker*

Today I noticed the so-called welter weight walker. It looks like it has a lot of the same things going for it as the AWW. Has anybody here compared the two? I'm guessing the sole on the welter weight won't last as long as that on the AWW, but it does look to be much lighter and equivalently serviceable, especially in wet weather.

Anybody tried them?


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

David J. Cooper said:


> Are they worth almost twice as much as the AE Wilberts?


That's a great question and I have to say that I am in complete disagreement with Eagle's opinion. I dislike the rock hard Alden crepe sole so much that I have inquired with Nick to see about having an almost brand new pair of AWW resoled with Danite.

On the other hand my Allen Edmonds Wilberts went seven years of hard wear. In the pacific northwest Winters I wear rubber soled shoes, specifically my Wilberts, sometimes three days per week. My Wilberts were re-crafted after about four years and I opted to get a new pair of Wilberts just because of a sale Allen Edmonds had that made them too good to resist.

I can see someone saying that they like their Alden All Weather Walkers better than Allen Edmonds Wilberts because they like the fit of an Alden shoe better. But is the All Weather Walker twice the shoe of a Wilbert? In my opinion *not a chance. In fact on the durability side I would go so far to say that that Alden's All Weather Walker is half the shoe of an Allen Edmonds Wilbert!*

My first pair of All Weather Walkers had the leather toe section separate from the crepe section after one rainy pacific northwest Winter. (I finally gave them away)

I own more Allen Edmonds and Alden's than I'm willing to admit and I say the best true all weather Alden is the now discontinued 957. (I'm wearing them today) It's a soft, (almost Wilbert like) rubber sole, cap toed blucher and it's is comparable to the Wilbert in terms of truly being an all weather shoe.


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## David J. Cooper (Apr 26, 2010)

I just bought a pair of Wilberts and it's my first foray into the world of handbuilt shoes. I love them. I looked at the Aldens but couldn't justify the price difference. The Wilberts fir my feet very well, although other AEs I tried didn't.


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## DG123 (Sep 16, 2011)

The welter weight (#946)version of the (#947)All Weather walker has a rubber-type sole, which would be a good choice for walking on wet ground. If the color of the 946 was not identical to the 947, I would own both.
The 947 is not expecially "heavy" to wear, it's just a sturdy shoe. The 946 welter weight sole is a lighter weight shoe, but I would choose it more for walking on wet ground than I would for any "weight" factor.



Markus said:


> Today I noticed the so-called welter weight walker. It looks like it has a lot of the same things going for it as the AWW. Has anybody here compared the two? I'm guessing the sole on the welter weight won't last as long as that on the AWW, but it does look to be much lighter and equivalently serviceable, especially in wet weather.
> 
> Anybody tried them?


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## joenobody0 (Jun 30, 2009)

DG123 said:


> The welter weight (#946)version of the (#947)All Weather walker has a rubber-type sole, which would be a good choice for walking on wet ground. If the color of the 946 was not identical to the 947, I would own both.
> _*The 947 is not expecially "heavy" to wear*_, it's just a sturdy shoe. The 946 welter weight sole is a lighter weight shoe, but I would choose it more for walking on wet ground than I would for any "weight" factor.


I don't agree. My crepe soled Aldens are noticeably heavier than my double leather soled Alden shell chukka boots (which are already fairly heavy).


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## DG123 (Sep 16, 2011)

In general terms, when a shoe or boot gets a reputation as being "heavy", much of that is due to poor fit.
If a sturdy shoe or boot "holds" the foot (at the ball area), the foot does not move about within the shoe , the wearer recognizes the shoe's support benefits, and the shoe ends up feeling relatively light weight.
If the fit is at all sloppy, then it will feel heavy on the foot. 
Fit-to-weight is less noticeable when wearing light weight thin soled shoes versus sturdy, thick soled shoes or boots.



joenobody0 said:


> I don't agree. My crepe soled Aldens are noticeably heavier than my double leather soled Alden shell chukka boots (which are already fairly heavy).


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## joenobody0 (Jun 30, 2009)

DG123 said:


> In general terms, when a shoe or boot gets a reputation as being "heavy", much of that is due to poor fit.
> If a sturdy shoe or boot "holds" the foot (at the ball area), the foot does not move about within the shoe , the wearer recognizes the shoe's support benefits, and the shoe ends up feeling relatively light weight.
> If the fit is at all sloppy, then it will feel heavy on the foot.
> Fit-to-weight is less noticeable when wearing light weight thin soled shoes versus sturdy, thick soled shoes or boots.


Point taken. However, I'm talking about physical "pick it up of the shelf" weight. Those shoes are heavy. They're the same size/last as my shell chukkas which are less heavy (both when you pick them up and when you wear them).


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

DG, thanks for pointing out what a heavy shoe is, I'm sure most of us had no idea.


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## DG123 (Sep 16, 2011)

I hear you. Alden's crepe material has some weight. It's dense stuff, more comfortable and longer lasting than cheaper crepe.
If you hold the Alden 947 crepe in one hand, and the 946 Alden rubber welter weight in the other hand, the welter is noticeably lighter.
But I've found more significant than a shoe's "dead weight" is how fit affects the shoe's "wearing weight". This is especially true for western style boots with 12" or longer shafts. Those boots all have heavy dead weights. If the fit is too loose at the ball, and the upper never holds the foot, then the boots feel too heavy. If the fit is proper , with the upper grabbing the foot, then the dead weight becomes irrelevant.
Alden's AWW, all Barrie lasted shoes really, I think would have a better reputation if stores stocked C widths. This would give typical D width customers a better chance to get a good fit our of a Barrie lasted shoe.



joenobody0 said:


> Point taken. However, I'm talking about physical "pick it up of the shelf" weight. Those shoes are heavy. They're the same size/last as my shell chukkas which are less heavy (both when you pick them up and when you wear them).


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## joenobody0 (Jun 30, 2009)

DG123 said:


> Alden's AWW, all Barrie lasted shoes really, I think would have a better reputation if stores stocked C widths. This would give typical D width customers a better chance to get a good fit our of a Barrie lasted shoe.


I agree about that. I'm not fan of the Barrie last, but it would be a lot better if I could find it in a B width.


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## DG123 (Sep 16, 2011)

Barrie B width shoes:

Dress category:

norwegian front blucher

All Weather Walker:

original 947 brown
norwegian front blucher brown 965 or black 2965
welterweight 945 black or 946 brown

For B width using Barrie last, the above is it. Finding a store with inventory of B widths is probably limited to Alden's San Francisco and Washington DC corporate owned stores, and even then I've found (in the B width) they only stock the original 947 AWW.
C width Barrie shoes come in considerably more styles than B width.
I get a good Alden fit, using same length shoe size, in either B width Barrie or C width Leydon last.



joenobody0 said:


> I agree about that. I'm not fan of the Barrie last, but it would be a lot better if I could find it in a B width.


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## oldominion (Dec 8, 2009)

I've got a pair of the Leffot/Alden AWW's and love them. Fantastically comfortable. That said, I'm with the above posters who claim the shoe is heavy. It is. It's a big boat of a shoe, at least the Leffot Aldens are, and hard to imagine wearing them in the dry heat of Israel. Mine are Horween chromexcel and also very warm and waterproof, so perhaps that layer of thickish leather adds to the weight. When I'm touring in hot places I find that a good pair of running shoes is hard to beat for comfort and overall foot health...


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## joenobody0 (Jun 30, 2009)

DG123 said:


> Barrie B width shoes:
> 
> Dress category:
> 
> ...


Nobody stocks B widths in my size - 7. It's a shame.


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## DG123 (Sep 16, 2011)

If you do not mind the styling ,PW Minor, Batavia , New York, does produce a few men's 7B width shoe models.

For Alden, another option is an accessory insole , sold by Alden ,which effectively transforms a C width shoe into a B width shoe.


joenobody0 said:


> Nobody stocks B widths in my size - 7. It's a shame.


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## Sartre (Mar 25, 2008)

I bought a pair of Alden AWWs for a similar trip, and absolutely hated them. They are the heaviest shoe in my closet by far, and I'm not talking about how it fits, I'm talking about its actual weight. In addition, the shoe lacks flexibility. As long as your all weather walking is on a flat surface, they are fine. But if you're walking on irregular ground or cobbles or rocks they are extremely awkward. Or at least I find them to be so.


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## joenobody0 (Jun 30, 2009)

I would suggest this shoe:



Its sole is much more appropriate for what you're looking to do.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^
LOL. I really wish you hadn't posted the link to those RanCourt Ranger Mocs. Now I have one more pair of shoes on my ever growing list of 'I wants!' 

Seriously, they do look to be the best of both worlds, in terms of what the OP is seeking.


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## joenobody0 (Jun 30, 2009)

eagle2250 said:


> ^^
> LOL. I really wish you hadn't posted the link to those RanCourt Ranger Mocs. Now I have one more pair of shoes on my ever growing list of 'I wants!'
> 
> Seriously, they do look to be the best of both worlds, in terms of what the OP is seeking.


I'm going to order two pairs MTO. I just need to get my wife to forget about my RL Darlton purchase a few weeks ago!


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## CMDC (Jan 31, 2009)

joenobody0 said:


> I'm going to order two pairs MTO. I just need to get my wife to forget about my RL Darlton purchase a few weeks ago!


I've found that the best way to accomplish this is to buy a lot. That way individual purchases blur together and become indistinguishable. Eventually they're forgotten altogether.


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## bd79cc (Dec 20, 2006)

joenobody0 said:


> I would suggest this shoe:
> 
> Its sole is much more appropriate for what you're looking to do.


Those look open enough for the warm temperatures, and the sole looks good, too. For lots of walking over there I'd use aftermarket insoles and thick socks with them. All the better if the uppers have body like the current LL Bean camp mocs and are not soft and limp like Chromexcel.


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