A reader question:
Good Morning — I have a question for the readership. I have several pair of Rancourt shoes that I like. I have never worn a pair of Alden shoes or boots. Are Alden worth the higher price over Rancourt? I am specifically looking at a blucher or the Alden Jumper boot compared to Rancourt alternatives.
Kind regards,
- Rancourt & Company <https://www.rancourtandcompany.com/>
- Alden Shoe Company <https://www.aldenshoe.com/>
There are several ways of looking at this. If you want the definitive Ivy tassel loafer or leisure handsewn, only Alden will do since Barrie Ltd. has long been but a memory. If that is not important, most Aldens and Rancourts are very different types of shoes. Aldens are heavy and have very solid soles. Except for suede, their uppers are quite structured and can take a bit of breaking in, especially for cordovan. Their leathers have classic finishes that most people brush regularly. Most Rancourts are more casual, have softer and more flexible soles and uppers, and most of their leathers have much more casual finishes like Chromexcel. Several models like longwings and penny loafers are offered by both. Other than the first point, they are both excellent choices. To those who flinch at Alden prices, I have Aldens that have served well, despite hard wear, for over thirty years, and I know others who have had similar experiences. On a per wear basis, I find them quite reasonable, perhaps a bargain.
ReplyDeleteI agree with VV, and would add that both Alden and Rancourt are well made, and a buyer will not go wrong with either. Given the high quality of each, the difference to the consumer really should be fit. Both are made on different lasts, and Aldens are made on a variety of lasts. If you try them both on (multiple models for Alden) and find the last that fits your foot the best, then buy the shoes that you like from that maker that are made on that last. If you buy the shoes that fit you well, and take reasonable care of them, you will wear them long enough that you won't mind the price that you paid for them. I wear Aldens on the Aberdeen last to the office four to five days per week, and all of my pairs are over 20 years old. I don't regret any of them.
ReplyDeleteAlden every time!!
ReplyDeleteI have shoes from both companies. Apples and oranges. Both serve their purpose well
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI wear shoes from both makers as a matter of course. Aldens are, admittedly, more substantial and require a certain period of acclimation, but once broken in they are remarkably durable—easily lasting a decade without the need for resoling, assuming one walks with the requisite care and posture.
I wear Rancourt beefrolls with some regularity—three times a week, at least—and find that a pair typically serves me well for four to five years. When they reach the end of their working life, I keep them in rotation for dinners and other informal, non-professional occasions.
One cannot really err with either choice; however, there is only one Alden, and in my view it more than justifies its reputation.
Alden all the way!
ReplyDeleteI have shoes from both. I find Alden to be much more substantial and longer wearing. The Rancourts fill a more informal role in my shoe rotation.
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteRancourt are better made and a lot cheaper in price.
ReplyDeleteIt is apples and oranges.
ReplyDeleteAldens are Goodyear welted, which means they have a shank between the insole and the outsole. For Aldens, this is a hefty steel shank. The advantage is that they are very comfortable (especially if you have high arches); the disadvantage is that you have to take them off in airports, because they trigger the metal detector.
Rancourts, Quoddys, are both blake stitched (although Rancourt glues on a fake welt to some of their shoes). Both styles can be resoled, but blake stitched shoes don’t have that shank. If you have higher arches, I recommend getting additional insoles for your moccasins.
I don’t own any Aldens but I have a pair of the Rancourt Harrison boot and the Baxter Mocs. They are nice shoes but, not the sort of shoes I envision lasting decades. I have a pair of AE Wilberts that have been re-crafted twice. I bought them instead of the Alden walking shoes in 2011. Just my rambling thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAldens will last for decades plus Alden offers restoration - for $219 the factory will restore the shoes to substantially new condition. I recently had a pair of cordovan leisure handsewn penny loafers restored and they are a new pair of shoes.
ReplyDeleteI have owned both Rancourt and Alden and they are not in the same league when it comes to quality and construction. Alden’s will last a lifetime and having a Goodyear welt any decent cobbler can put on new soles and heels. My Rancourts had Blake stitching, which is not as rugged or weatherproof as a Goodyear welt and the shoe construction (you can feel the Blake stitching in the sole, the shoe laces lasted a couple of weeks and the fit was terrible) was far inferior to my Alden’s, proving that in the long run that it pays to buy the best.
ReplyDeleteApples to oranges comparison. I mostly think of Rancourt when it comes to more casual shoes (mocs and casual loafers), and Alden for heavier and / or dressier shoes.
ReplyDeleteI've been very happy with my 3 pairs of Aldens and 3 pairs of rancourts.