Alden 975 Longwing “Gunboat”: Classic 75 Years Later?
Highlights
- Price: $802
- Pros: Timeless Design; Great Materials
- Cons: Divorce-inducing Price
Specs:
| Color | Color 8 / Black |
| Size | 12 B / D |
| Weight | 805 g / 1.8 lbs (each) |
| Materials | Shell Cordovan Upper / Leather Outsole |
| Construction | Goodyear Welt |
| Country of Origin | United States of America |
Contents:
History:
As someone who has had more than a reasonable number of shoes pass through his hands, I’ve started to really appreciate having “classic” design. By a classic, I mean a pair of shoes that you know will work. You’ve worn it. Your dad wore it. And, in the case of this pair here, your grandad wore it. When it comes to classic, there is nothing that fits that bill more than the Alden 975, also known as the Alden Longwing or Alden Gunboat.
First introduced in the 1950’s, the Alden Gunboat wasn’t actually the first shoe in this style to make it big. That was the Florsheim Imperial. By all accounts, that was an amazing shoe. However, the winner writes history, and with Florsheim being a shell of what it once was, the Alden Longwing is now the definitive model.
The reason this shoe is so well known is it is a workhorse of a dress shoe. Originally designed with the best durability features the 1950’s could offer, this was THE shoe to go from your business meetings to your three-martini lunch.
Looks:
Upper:
The formula for the Alden Gunboat has not changed in 70 years.
Start with a heavy dose of Alden’s color 8 shell. Sprinkle broguing heavily throughout the shoe. Add in traditional round laces and – voila – you get an Alden 975.
When you first take the shoe out of the box, the color 8 shell is really the star of the shoe. I’m on record saying that I’m not a fan of the coating Alden puts on their shell. Much of the joy of shell comes from the slight color variations between the panels. Thankfully, despite Alden’s best efforts, this pair does come with some slight variation out of the box. It’s hard to show in pictures due to the reflexivity, but it’s definitely there.
The next item of note is the broguing throughout the shoe. It covers the toe, along the eyelets and throat and along the feature that gives this shoe it’s long-wing name: the panel that runs in a straight line along the shoe. I have to say, I’ve seen straighter hole punches elsewhere. Nothing worth returning over, but definitely not perfect.
Inside it is all classic Alden. A white footbed with a tan heel pad – feature Alden and J Crew’s logo – and a tan leather lining. On the side is the sizing and model number in the hand-written style font.
Mid- and Outsole:
There is a lot of discussion online about what is the trigger that makes a longwing into a gunboat. While everyone is going to have their own opinion, for most, it all comes down to this part of the shoe.
First, a true gunboat is going to have a storm welt. For those not familiar, a storm welt wraps up onto the exterior of the upper, rather than being placed underneath. Historically, this style was used to help protect against water entry – and fits the durable look. Diving into the style on the Alden 975, Alden uses a black welt with brown stitching along the edge. As expected from them, the stitching is clean overall but does have a bit of imperfection on the welt
Further, much like the Alden Indy, the Alden longwing has a welt that sticks out significantly more than is needed. This provides a lot of visual weight to the shoe, especially as, unlike the classic Indy, this pair uses a full 360-degree goodyear welt construction.
Second, a gunboat is going to have a double leather outsole. While not actually twice the thickness, a double leather outsole is still much thicker than a single layer – providing both durability and more visual weight. This midsole is painted black on this pair, a traditional pairing with Color 8 shell.
One side effect of the double leather sole, is that the heel looks lower than you would expect on a typical pair of business-focused shoes – closer to double the thickness of the outsole rather than triple.
Fit & Comfort:
Fit:
The Alden Gunboat is built on their Barrie last. This last is generally a bit larger fitting than most, however and as always, I suggest trying on a pair before you buy if at all possible. It’s important to remember that the Barrie is still a business-style last, not a boot last, and is not as forgiving as some may expect based on other reviews.
Personally, I measure a size 11.75 D on a brannock and take these in a size 12 D. This is the same size I wear in my Allen Edmonds’ Park Aves and my Alden Indys. I might be able to get away with an 11.5 E if I were wearing incredibly thin socks, but that isn’t what I would wear with a pair of shoes like these.
For a full list of sizing for all the shoes we have reviewed, click here.
Comfort:
Despite their durable appearance, the Alden 975 is surprisingly comfortable out of the box. Of course, shell cordovan and a double leather sole will take some time to break in – be sure to check back for a long-term review – but the support these shoes give is immediately noticeable.
The biggest pro here has got to be the extended heel counter. On most shoes the heel counter is a half-circle, extending only as far as it goes up. On these shoes, the heel counter runs nearly the entire length of the throat. This keeps your heel planted and supports your entire foot and ankle. Sure, you won’t want to hike in these, but I wouldn’t hesitate wearing them if I had to run around a city for a day taking meetings.
Materials & Construction:
The Alden Longwings are made with high quality materials from top to bottom. Starting with the upper, the entire upper of this shoe is made with Horween’s Color 8 Shell Cordovan. Shell is a material just under the flesh of a horse, and is well known for being extremely tough. One of the defining characteristics of shell is that it rolls rather than creases – creating a distinctive wear pattern. Shell shoes are known to last for decades. Indeed, you can still find 975s from 50 years ago.
Below the upper, the midsole is a multilayered design. Directly under your feet is a vegetable tanned leather insole. Under that is a cork footbed. Further down is a steel shank. And finally, a thick double-leather outsole. Each of these materials will work together to compress to the shape of your foot overtime, ensuring a shoe that actually fits better with wear.
There is nothing at all to complain about with these shoes when it comes to material choices.
As for construction, these shoes use a 360-degree goodyear welted construction. We go more in-depth on what that means here, but in short, a goodyear welt is a style of stitched construction where a piece of leather is sewn to the upper, and then also sewn to the outsole. This style of construction allows for multiple and easy resoling, and is the construction of choice for most people.
Ease of Care:
Care:
Being shell cordovan, the Alden Gunboat is going to have a different care regimen than most other stitched footwear. The need for product goes down significantly, but the need for elbow grease goes up just as much. The best thing for a pair of shell shoes is a horsehair brush. When the shoes start to look dull, brush them for as long as you can. Then, ice your elbow, and brush them again.
You’ll only want to condition them when absolutely needed. For me, I find that is often once a year or less, but if you wear your shoes regularly it might be slightly more often. While I normally find that the more expensive brands are not really worth it, for my shell I do find that going with Saphir is worth the investment. It does a much better job at preventing bloom, and because it’s used so rarely a bottle may last a decade or more.
It isn’t all brushing, however. The biggest concern is that when wearing the Alden Gunboats, you’ll need to be aware of water. The leather sole will wear significantly quicker when wet, and may leak if out in the rain long enough. Further, while Horween’s shell is better than most, this material has been known to get spots if water is left to dry on the material. Really, these shoes are best worn in completely dry weather if at all possible.
Resole:
When it comes time to resole, Alden does offer a resole package directly through their factory. As with all things Alden, the price consistently has gone up over the years. At time of writing, the cost is $189. That is a lot for a resole, but the package does include shoe trees, conditioning, and the repair of any loose stitches. They will also recoat your shell, unfortunately, and will not put on a different outsole.
Alternatively, thanks to the goodyear welt construction, just about any cobbler should be able to throw a new outsole on. The price for this will depend on your city, but generally will range from $75 to $125.
Pricing and Value:
Pricing:
There is no way to get around it. The Alden Gunboat is an expensive shoe. Very expensive. At the moment, these exact shoes cost $802. These are the most expensive shoes we have reviewed here at 100wears.
Thankfully, it is possible to find these on sale. Unlike most Alden retailers, J Crew will occasionally put their entire Alden line up on sale. Sometimes as much as 40% off (which is what allowed me to pick up this pair for a still eyewatering 482). Another alternative is going through the theshoemart and getting seconds (I’m unable to link directly).
Value:
Can any $800 shoe provide a good value? I’m honestly not sure, but if any could it would be this pair. While we don’t like to admit it, most of our shoes – even really well-built ones – are subject to fashion as much as anything else. That pair of $700 service boots might last long enough that you will wear them in your automated vehicle, but will they still look good? Nobody really knows.
However, we do know that the Alden 975 has been a shoe you can wear to work in every decade since the 1950’s – and odds are pretty good the same will be true 70 years from now. It offers the rare combination of a shoe that will last for decades both in construction and style. More than any shoe I can think of, this is an investment.
Wrap Up:
The Alden Gunboat is a classic in every sense of the word. They are the pinnacle of design when it comes to this style of shoe. There is no “next level” that is worth looking at.
Further, they are built so well and with such great materials that your son will be able to include them in his last will and testament.
Honestly, there is almost nothing to complain about when it comes to these shoes. If you’re lucky enough that your budget allows you to pick a pair up, it’s an absolute no brainer.