If you thought that I'd have a closet full of loafers just because I created a blog called Loaferotica,...you'd be wrong.
Believe it or not, up until a few months ago, I had just four pairs of loafers to my name: a casual pair of Timberlands purchased on sale years ago; a pair of soft brown leather Kenneth Cole casuals; a pair of square-toed Kenneth Coles that I LOVED when purchased them back in the Nineties, but were now a spare pair collecting dust under my desk at work; and a lovely pair of relatively new Cole Haans that look great but kill my feet if I walk in them too long.
I hadn't spent a lot of time shopping for new shoes over the years because 1) I'm cheap frugal and the shoes I tend to like tend to be expensive, 2) when I do find a pair I like, they usually don't fit comfortably, and 3) I have the two pairs of comfy, dressy lace-ups that have been resoled twice and fit me like a glove (BUT, after MANY years, they are on their last leg, plus THEY ARE NOT LOAFERS).
So, back in November, after years of admiring and lusting for other men's Aldens/Brooks Brothers, I finally decided it was time to get a pair of my own. I'd heard you could find some great deals on eBay, but I had no idea what my correct size was. One evening, after work, I stopped by the nearby Brooks Brothers store to try on a pair of the burgundy cordovan full straps. The sales clerk took my measurements and determined my size to be a 10 1/2. When she returned with a pair from the stock room and removed them from the box, I was in love. They were gorgeous and I couldn't wait to sink my feet into them. Unfortunately, my anticipation was followed by disappointment. They looked great on but, when I walked in them, my heels popped out (and not in a good way). They were simply too wide. I asked if they came in other widths and the clerk said no. I knew that they did but I didn't press it - the clerk was obviously not an expert in shoes, so I knew this was not the place I'd be purchasing my dream loafers.
A few weeks later I ventured to the Alden shop. Here I knew I'd be met with expertise and selection. The sales associate measured my feet...again, I measured 10 1/2 but this time I was assigned a width - C. Finally, I'd be trying on my cordovan full straps in just the right size...or not. The 10 1/2C had some heel slippage. We tried the 10 1/2C in calfskin...not a match either - still slippage. Next up was a 10C in cordovan...
The fit was pretty good, the left shoe fit perfectly. The right foot was very close but no cigar - it pinched my pinky toe and, as much as I tried to ignore it, I couldn't justify plunking down $600 on a pair of shoes that caused discomfort.
The sales associate asked if I would be interested in trying the tassel loafers since, with the higher vamp, it might have a better fit. Of course, I had no objection and, as it turned out, the fit was better. Almost perfect but still with a little pinch in the right pinky toe. I spent quite a bit of time pacing back and forth, feeling them out, deciding whether or not I would take the plunge...and I did.
Introducing my very first Aldens...
