Indiana Jones boot alternative

Yeah, different soles for different folks I guess. I wear my Aldens almost every day (especially Fall/Winter/Spring)... they are far more comfortable than my $100 Clarkes shoes.
 
Here are the J. Crew Vintage Boots I just snagged on ebay. They need some serious wear and some darkening plus switch out the laces, but hey not too far from the Aldens... And I like the soles better. :)
indyboot.jpg

indyboot2.jpg
 
You are THE MAN! lol. Those look really good!! I will now go buy a pair!!(y)thumbsup
 
You know, those are pretty darned close. The only thing I would change is the sole (though those look much more practicle). I wonder if the sole could be changed to something closer?
Man! How cheap can I be? :lol
 
I think these soles are way better than the slide all over the place Aldens... If you go without flap pockets on the back of your pants then you can't worry about the slight difference in the soles on your feet. :)
 
Yeah, that is the one drawback of the Aldens -- the soles DO NOT grip. They're a completely smooth sole. Now, you can always get stuff that you affix to the sole to give it some traction (I think they have gripping soles with an adhesive that'll stick to the current sole), but Aldens don't have it right out of the box. There's also an issue with coloring of the leather, since Alden has gone back and forth on coloring. They started out with a dark chestnut brown, then went to this pumpkin orange crap, and finally to a more brick red (I think). My shoes were from the pumpkin colored batch, so I'm happy to have gotten them to look like the red brick color.


There's two good threads on this (both of which I posted in, one of which I included pics of my Aldens in) over at Indygear.com. Here's the links. Hope this helps.

http://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=18747&highlight=alden+color+colour

http://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=19028&highlight=alden+color+colour


Oh, and one other that I didn't contribute to:

http://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=22085&highlight=alden+color+colour
 
Well, I just bought a pair of Sketchers that have the same exact design as the Aldens and actually look closer in color to a faded and worn out pair of Aldens than the real deals.Got them new for about $40.00. I wear Sketchers anyway, so I got a great pair of boots to wear this winter.
 
Hey Helmet, which Sketchers did you go with? When I looked at the sketchers online I couldn't find any that I felt came close enough...
 
The model/style number should be on the inside of the boot near the tongue typically... it would help others find a cheaper alternative. So far I'm liking my J.Crews, they're breaking in nicely. I may dab them with some black or Navy blue leather dye to darken up more to a brown and cancel out some red. I need to find some decent round laces as well.
 
I recently picked up a pair of the J. Crew Vintage and they look great. Problem was they were a little too small. I got 9.5's and they're a little too snug- I usually wear a 9.5 or 10. Guess I'll have to resell them and hope to pick up a pair of 10's!

Otherwise, they're great looking boots, and look pretty darn close to the Aldens.
 
Revitalizing this thread, as interest in Indy things seems to be slowly building...

I just ordered a pair of what seem to be good-looking Alden alternatives here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PD5HD2

They had lots of sizes in stock, including wides, which are extremely hard to find.

What's more, a discount coupon offer and free shipping. So altogether, under $80 shipped, which I thought was a good deal for a new pair of shoes. I'll try to let you know how they feel when I get them, and post a pic.

Rick
 
Those ARE a pretty good alternative. As far as the J-Crew just keep checking with them. They've done specials on their shoes a few times they just don't carry them all the time so frequent checks on them may result in finding some. Also check COW as there is always someone selling a pair. Again it's one of those hit or misses but good deals to be found.
 
Wow - good find. They still seem to be on sale. Have you gotten your pair yet, rickrickrick? I'm thinking of ordering me a pair.
 
Yes, I did get mine. They run very large - I ordered an 11 EEE, which is what I wear in Reeboks (yeah, I know, wide feet), and they were ENORMOUS. I exchanged them for a 10.5 EE, which is still a tad wide. Major differences from Aldens: gold-tone rivets instead of Aldens' dark brown, and moc toe stitching is raised, unlike Aldens which is virtually flat. The sole is gum, not leather, but looks much more like the Aldens sole from a distance than any of the boots that have those huge black lug soles. The color is great - very like that reddish brown you always see on Aldens.

For $80, I'm very happy.

Now I plan to color the rivets, swap out the laces for dark brown, and darken all of the white stitching on the shoe except on the moc toe, which is how the Aldens are. I may even color the sides of the heel black for a better match.

Cheers.

Rick
 
Just snagged these for $18 shipped.

Close enough for me (at least at my current budget). I'll probably paint the sides of the soles to look more like Aldens.

boots.jpg
 
It was just an ebay auction, one used pair.

The brand/model:
Hy Test "Foot Rests"
 
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