Aldo? Nubuck care?

[BenB]

Hey all,

I've been trying to get some good looking boots for a while now (tried Timberland 6" zip, Florsheim Hawley, and even Clarks Flannery) and finally came across these today at Nordstrom: the Aldo Eldringhoff boot in Rust.

Link: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/aldo-eldringhoff-boot/3188151?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_ite=aldo_'eldringhoff'_ boot:366848&cm_pla=shoes:men:boots&cm_ven=Froogle& mr:referralID=NA&mr:trackingCode=3A6151FE-4AD3-E011-8116-001517B1882A


They look and feel good but I don't know too much about Aldo other than they seem to put out inexpensive but not cheap shoes. Now, I paid the full $150 for these and was wondering if anyone has had good/bad experiences with Aldo quality.


The material seems to be nubuck and is listed as leather (with a rubber sole). I was sort of hoping to get a pair of boots for rainy day use... but I really liked these. How should I expect the nubuck to hold up to water exposure after treating with the synovia water/stain repellent the salesman recommended?


Thank you for your comments and advice!

Ben

[greg_s]

Ben, I don't want to be too much of a nay sayer, but from what I've seen, if you can still return them you should. I've never owned Aldo, but my significant other has not had good luck with the quality of their shoes. Hers have fallen apart rather quickly. That being said, their construction may differ for men's shoes.

[spartanlaw]

Greg is right. I would get the $150 back and wait for something better on sale. Why didn't you like the Hawleys?

[andrew7]

I would tend to agree with these guys that I have seen some Aldos fall apart and not stand up to wear like shoes at those prices should. I would fear that a pair of their boots would look worse over time in contrast to the improvement that pair of similar Timberlands or Redwings would see with age and wear. If you can't/aren't returning them, post back to get care advice, but I am unsure about it.

[BenB]

Thank you all. I was a little afraid of the durability issue when I bought them but they looked great. I guess I'll keep looking.


My problem with the Hawleys and Timberlands was just a size/comfort issue really. Although with the Timberlands I thought the toebox wasn't quite tapered enough for my liking. But maybe if i go a half size up and get a cushion or gel insole they'll fit better.


Sadly, Aldos will go back.


Cheers,

Ben

[MarcF]

You're making the right call.


I got a pair of brown dress shoes about a year ago. I wear them to work about 9 days out of 10. Within 6 months, the leather on the left shoe was wearing significantly more than the leather on the right.


I don't recommend Aldo to anyone.

[jason_carreira]

@BenB did you look at the Gaffney's from Florsheim? They're a little different from the Hawleys, and I like mine a lot.

[glen_delossantos]

I also vote against the Aldos. Nice designs, terrible durability. Myself and several friends/coworkers regret buying them after they self-destructed in just a few months.

[BenB]

@Jason Carreira: I have not had a chance to put on the Gaffneys. I wasn't really looking for a lug sole boot but might consider them though - I really liked the feel of the leather on the Hawleys. My biggest problem with Florsheim is that I need a size 11.5 and shoebuy.com doesn't carry it.


Found these today at a local store for $160: Kodiak Trent Waterproof boot

http://theshoebuff.com/boots/kodiak-...terproof-boot/

With the New England winter approaching, the waterproofing would be great. Kodiak seems like they have a pretty respectable working boot history too but I can't find any specific reviews online as the boot itself seems rather hard to come by.

[jason_carreira]

For that price for the New England winter you can go for the classic New England all-weather boot:


http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/35487?feat=506697-CL2


I love my bean boot mocs