Plain toe blucher - Beckett Simonon, Allen Edmonds, or Alden?
I’m looking for a pair of plain toe bluchers/derbys, mostly to give myself another smart-casual shoe to carry some Ivy and Ivy-adjacent outfits, as well as do double duty with a suit once in a while.
I’ve looked at the Dunham derby from BS https://www.beckettsimonon.com/products/dunham-derby
The Leeds from AE (seconds) https://www.shoebank.com/product/mens-factory-second-leeds-plain-toe-blucher-dress-shoe-3026044/coffee-ec4500301
or should I just bite the bullet and save a bit more for the Alden PTB’s (these I’d probably try and wait around for a seconds email)?
Obviously the pro of the BS are the price, with the cons being MTO wait time (November) and a lack of reviews to be found online, especially long-term reviews. The AE’s are a decent price (especially seconds), a beloved shoe among online communities, and are available now. Of course, Alden are generally considered the cream of the crop (I have the LHS and love them), and the PTB in color 8 cordovan are gorgeous…but $800+ is a hard pill to swallow when I’m still looking to spend on some wardrobe upgrades as well.
Anyone have experience with any of these and want to weigh in? I think right now I’m leaning toward the AE Leeds in coffee, or possibly burgundy cordovan if I can find seconds. Am I right to skew away from BS? Are the Aldens really worth another ~$400 over the AE’s?
Beckett Simonon
Dunham Derbies
Reliable and durable derbies. Familiar, comforting and reliable, wearing a pair of well-crafted Dunham Derbies is like covering yourself in a warm blanket on a cool day. Straightforward with no pretensions, the Dunham Derbies present an uncomplicated profile and let you shine with confidence. You can always depend on
36 Replies
Forgot to say in the post, I’m thinking either a coffee/dark brown color or maybe jumping for burgundy/color 8 cordovan
IME if you're lusting after the Alden PTBs, you're not going to be happy with the alternatives. The BS PTBs are chunkier than the AE Leeds which is a good thing imo, the sleekness of the Leeds makes them not a great choice for casual outfits
If I were in your shoes I'd be setting up ebay alerts for Alden PTBs in your size. You can definitely get em for under 300
Also if you want shell it doesn’t get too much cheaper since a much larger fraction of the cost comes from the leather itself
But get what you want and you’re happy with rather than something you’re meh about just for the price
Otherwise you’ll just end up selling it later and buying what you want, just at a loss lol
Beckett Simonon and Alden are a huge price difference. Are you really cross-shopping them or just throwing out names you know?
Personally, owning both BS and Alden... I'd just wait for an Alden shoe in my size to pop up secondhand. You can get them nearly-new for half price of new, or less. Or you can get a well loved pair for like $100-150, and if you love it enough, buy a new pair later.
Swing for the alden if u have the cash
It def a great shoes
It’s moreso that I started with the BS because I didn’t want to spend more than a few hundred, but then as I started looking into lasts, colors, and styling, Aldens obviously pop up quite a bit so I started thinking “well…should I?”
What it really comes down to is I could get the Aldens, but then I’d be foregoing spending that money on other wardrobe items like a new sportcoat or some filler pieces
This is I think why I’m leaning toward the AE. They’re a shoe that genuinely gets a lot of love and look great, but with the added benefit of being a good price. The BS’s definitely feel like a price-first compromise, which I think is really why I even ask the question instead of just getting them.
BS looks weird
And there’s quite a bit of toe spring
Maybe that’s just the photo but I dislike shoes with toe spring
I owned vintage Leeds and liked them
if you can find shell Leeds that are vintage I’d say skip alden if the price is good
But the Alden PTB reigns supreme
personally, having gotten into the goodyearwelt hobby and having like 10 pairs of boots, i agree with gsh that you shold really look through ebay first
theres a ton of pairs out there that are barely worn and they're like 50% off
talking like single digit wears probably
if you're lucky or are okay with waiting a bit, you can find aldens for cheaper and get the best of both worlds in cost and look
the second consideration i think though, is decide if you really want shell cordovan or not
if you get shell, the price differnce between allen edmonds and alden shrinks significantly relatively
just because shell itself is like a $500 up charge for the leather itself
at that point id just go with alden
just as an example of the used ebay market though, i just bought this off ebay for $530 shipped, when its $1000 new
eBay
Alden Color 8 Shell Cordovan Tanker Boots 11.5D Barrie Last Leffot ...
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Alden Color 8 Shell Cordovan Tanker Boots 11.5D Barrie Last Leffot 40349HC at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
if you do decide to go for allen edmonds though, i really would look for a sale or used as well
imo allen edmonds isnt worth full price given how often sales happen
and the finishing is kinda meh for the price i think
Yeah definitely, I’ve done a basic first pass at ebay and grailed and would lean on those heavily for Alden or shell in general. Problem is 8/8.5 sizing not as common :/
Seconds for AE is my basic assumption, not full price, so we agree there
just putting another option out, you could also go for grant stone ptbs, although their designs are a less refined and probalby a bit more casual/heavy
their qc is insanely good though
My only hesitancy toward GS is the allegedly brutal break-in period
GS loafers being uncomfortable were actually what got me to buy the Alden LHS lol
lol
migth just be a last compatibility issue
some people say gs is really comfy out of the box
personally its just okay
although their lasts are too roomy for my feet
May be try on in store if u have an alden store nearby?
I found their sizing sorta unconventional, at least for my feet
May save u from a resell if it not working out
just make sure you have an accurate brannock before buying
missizing is very common
I have an Alden retailer in town I was planning to visit based on feedback here, though the Van last fits me comfortably, so I imagine the Barrie last on the PTB’s would work well
hawt damn
Lots of good info here.
All I'll say is that Alden is pricey but honestly just really good.
I'm a little surprised to learn their cordovan plain toe blucher is Van or Barrie as opposed to Hampton.
Please do. I thought i was 9.5d based on sizing feedback from wearer online, but sizing in store and one exchange later i felt at home in 9e
My bran nock is 10c 😂
Yeah I've been surprised by some Alden sizing.
sizing in person definitely the way to go, since brannock doesnt say anything about instep height and other potentially issues like toe splay
that said, i wouldn't ever stray more than half a size off of the recommended size based on your brannock (meaning including if a boot typically fits half a size big or small)
My issue is toe splay
The 9d suppose to fit like a glove but it press my pinky against the adjacent toe pretty bad
yeah theres a guy in the stitchdown premium discord who has horrible toe splay that pretty much nothing ready to wear fits him
if a boot doesn't fit you though within half your brannock size even in multiple widths, it usually means the last just doesn't work for you
can't size too differently from your brannock because the htb on it tells you where your foot bends, which has to match with the shoe/boot
most people's heel to ball is longer than their heel to toe anyway
Hey what is stitch down? I wear Grant stones and some guy last spring noticed and he said i should join stitch down but never said what it was other than that lol
Paid discord server for goodyearwelt and fancy boots shoes
5 buck per month
Ok cool lol thanks i just never have heard of it besides him and you and I thought i was fairly into boots lol but i guess not
stitchdown itself is a term for a type of boot construction, but yes what im referring to here is a paid discord server
No yeah i know what stitchdown means as a term he definitely was referring to a social media thing like a discord lol
some of the things you get out of it is discount codes for grant stone and sagara, special boot collab runs, and ability to participate in their patina thunderdome competition
also the secondhand marketplace is pretty good there, and people do giveaway of stuff sometimes
most people will give priority/discount to secondhand selling in the discord
I just kinda assumed it was like styleforum.net or something off reddit/discord cuz i had never heard about it
imo it pays for itself if you do anything that involves buying a boot where you get something from it
If i have to curtail duck feet convos in another server, I’ll cut off my pinky toes
Skew away from BS — Yes
Are Alden’s worth it — if you are very in to shoes; yes
I’ll fourth the suggestion to check second hand tho. Keeps it low budget, which is frankly the best place to be if your options consist of BS, AE, and Alden. Once your taste develops is the best time to drop hot cash, not before.
I drop too early and there are regrets 😆
Shoes are addictive. Try staying sane and stop acquiring more is very hard