Alden's 403 vs 405 | The REAL Indiana Jones Boot

✱ Check out JD's list of the BEST ALDEN BOOTS: stridewise.com/best-alden-boots/
✱ And the RAREST Alden boots: stridewise.com/rare-alden-boots/
✱ A visit to Alden's NYC store: • NYC's Best Shoe Stores...
✱ Follow him on IG: / jdsasso
✱ A dopey article: Which boot did Indiana Jones wear? stridewise.com/what-boots-did...
The Alden 405 is the calfskin one that Indy wore. The 403 is made with brown Chromexcel leather, and is more popular and easy to find. The 405, since it's calfskin, has a finer grain and ages less dramatically. The 403 ages more dramatically, which is what a lot of people like! Note that the color of the 405 has changed a lot throughout the years: sometimes it's a more pumpkin color, other times a more subdued orange brown. If you check out this video on rare Aldens ( • The 5 Rarest Alden Boo... ) you'll even see a waxed chamois Indy made with a Hawaiian store that they think is the most authentic reproduction:
So in short, the 405 is the authentic one, even though it's not the precise color it was in the movies.
#aldenboots

[@AmericanNationalist852]

403 and 405 should be their pricetag, too...

[@JonathanRodriguez-nz9nw]

Cannot agree more, i am still looking for a decent pair, or i will just buy a Crockett Jones Islay for less 😅

[@alui5362]

can definitely relate to JD - once you find a brand you like, it's really hard to want to try others. I'm really attached to my crown northamptons. (and gshocks, for watches)

[@simonmandrakejones]

If you have to pick between a 403 and 405...and no one said "You chose wisely"... C'mon Nick...it was just sitting there.

[@Stridewise]

DAMN IT you’re right

[@MeteCanKarahasan]

Hi Nick, can you do more latigo videos? I heard it is more crease resistant than CXL from Nick Horween's stream with Ashland Co. and I kind of like the idea of super durability...

[@grinningfool34]

I have an older pair of Thursday Diplomats, which was a flagrant copy of the Alden Indy. The newer Diplomats are different, with raised stitching on the moc toe. The early ones look almost exactly like the Aldens, except they have a 360 degree welt.

[@aradoran]

Wow I didn’t know that. I’ll have to search for a pic of the old Diplomats

[@Stridewise]

Yeah the old Diplomats were VERY Aldeny!

[@Crackers2549]

JD is spot on Nick, "comfort is king" and out of all my boots my Aldens are the most comfortable and yes the most expensive but worth it because of the comfort...! LOve my Alden Earth Reverse Chamois with the Commando soles... It was because of Nick that I purchased them....GG

[@tommysmith7031]

Rose Anvil cut apart pair if Aldens, I think it was the Indy. You could see the materials aren't premium considering the price point. I know they have the orthopedic background which may justify a higher price. I'm not sure the value proposition is as strong as it once was.

[@kylet7784]

That’s why I bought my 403s on eBay haha got em for less than half retail and they weren’t even broken in yet

[@ThurstonHowell3rd]

@@kylet7784 Sure they're not fakes?

[@iHustleLXXXI]

I would like either 405 or the 403 Indy if they were given to me or on a heavy discount. Or I prefer my Grant Stone Ottawa’s in crimson cxl. I think it’s a great alternative to the Alden Indy and Tankers.

[@Kystifyable]

Agree. Alden pricing is terrible value even for MIA.

[@american_psycho1147]

Ironic about getting the 405s specifically because they are not CXL and hopefully avoiding the bad creasing. That's what I did with my pair of 405s and the creasing on one of the boots is really ugly like you get on a lot of CXL boots. Oh well, I guess

[@kingofthekludge]

out of curiosity, do you still have your tricker's stow boots? be great to see what they look like after a few years

[@Stridewise]

I do, I usually wear them when I go to England but I can't say they've aged enough to be a good advertisement for how they age. But they age really well haha

[@RichardGilbert2727]

I hanker after a pair of 405s to go with my 403s. But what about Rose Anvil's comment that the 405 leather is "painted." Makes me wonder how they age.

[@anonymousotter6455]

You guys talk about how the 405 ages better but IDK... the patina at 4:12 looks very, very pretty. IMO that chromexcel has not aged badly at all.

[@Stridewise]

Yeah "better" is subjective isn't it! Chromexcel ages more dramatically which is what a lot of folks love about it.

[@umarzabidin]

Joke questions from someone who never owned Indy or cork sole: Is it a good boot for real adventurer? Likethe grip and traction for various field conditions (desert, rain forest, mud, gravel, etc) like what Indiana Jones did in the films? The comfortability to run on that boots, and the durability of the boots? Maybe real life Indy would prefer commando, ripple, or supergrip from dr.sole, lol.

[@rudiausbuddeln]

Nope, its an overpriced „staple piece“. You pay for the legend of the Indy boots.

[@victoryveshinojosa]

I would say yes, if you get a pair of Indy boots with lug soles. Shoemart has them as well as other fine shoe stores. Technically, Red Wing build quality is some areas is better but the Indy boot is built well. Even though they skimp on a couple areas they are still very well built. If you are super rough on your boots and I mean super rough Red Wing is the way to go. I own Iron Rangers and it's a super durable boot. I also own the 405 Indys. I wore them today in the rain. I never slipped once. The Indy boot is far superior in comfort. I can do 12+ hours in them no problem. I am really pushing it on my Iron Rangers at 8 hours of wear. Everyone's foot is different. I would try out both to decide for yourself. Also check out Rose Anvil youtube channel. He cuts both boots in half so you can see how they are constructed.

[@umarzabidin]

@@victoryveshinojosa If Indy ever plan to do new adventures in Asia, I wouldn't surpsrise if he do MTO from Indonesian/Chinese/Japan bootmakers before lol. Yeah you can say whatever you want about alden, but many people satisfied with the comfort of alden indy. Always thought that indy's flat cork sole would be slippery on the wet surfaces.Personally I would choose wedges sole like vibram 2021 for a day long standing/running. Subs to rose anvil only for his famous cut in half part.

[@Stridewise]

The flat sole actually has really good grip. Something about the composition of cork/rubber, but it's like shocking how well they grip given their flatness and they wear like iron, it takes FOREVER to need a resole

[@seppukusushi2848]

@@umarzabidin HAHA VERY FUNNY!

[@morrisonreed1]

"what went wrong in your life " mine was surgery on my big toe from wearing bad fitting shoes . I have an odd shape foot . that led me to Alden . Its all about the Last

[@aradoran]

Graying out the “old” video so no one knows they were shot on the same day. “Don’t be suspicious don’t be suspicious” 😂

[@EDHBlvd]

Lol

[@Stridewise]

We’re in the same clothes, nobody is pretending we didn’t film the same day

[@EdAb]

Nick or anyone, If Indiana Jones were a real person living in 2023, which boot would he wear? I think it would be a brown Viberg cap toe Service boot. Not sure which leather though. Cheers

[@andrewmudgett5715]

I think Indy would still wear 405’s however if he had a wider choice of leathers in 2023 then he might pick bison hide. But I could see him trying other brands besides Alden such as Viberg, White’s, Nicks, Truman or even John Lofgren and Tricker’s

[@umarzabidin]

@@andrewmudgett5715 if Indy adventures to south east asia, he might go to Indonesia with our many ancient artefacts and archeological sites. While he at it, he should do MTO one or two boots from Sagara/onderhoud/Benzein, etc lol.

[@EdAb]

The Indy character seems to use the boots for every purpose. Horse back riding, hiking in the Himalayas, attending a dinner in a jacket and tie, etc. I think for these diverse activities the Viberg Service boot would work well. They are a stichdown construction, so they are pretty water and snow resistant. The leather is thick so it can stand up well to being dragged under a truck. And in the case of my Saddle Tan Chromepak boots, they can handle all of the abuse and still buff to an amazing shine with the right shoe cream.

[@Murtagh653]

i think he would wear jim green razorbacks. vibergs would be too pricey for him, in my opinion, especially with the way he treats his possessions, he can't afford to be spending that much money on a boot when he is going into jungles, rivers, deserts, the boots would be ruined, he needs something more affordable, but also more durable, and i think the razorback fits that bill

[@Highland_Paddy]

I still can't get over the face that they have no traction on the outsole and nobody ever pointed out that my boots didn't have decorative stitching on the top because they would usually look for some other flaw like I had a canvas bag strap instead of a leather one or my bullwhip was missing... [Yes, they would also say it's lazy to wear one's "regular" clothes to Halloween parties.]

[@Stridewise]

You own a pair? The cork sole actually grips really well, weirdly

[@Highland_Paddy]

@@Stridewise Grips to concrete or asphalt I assume? I seem to have stumbled upon the same argument or something from another guy when I wonder about WW2 infantry in non-city conditions or Indy being this jungle hiker traipsing over rugged mountains and such. I guess I was more thorough with my comments elsewhere. No, I don't own these because they seem a bit pricey for boots that don't seem practical for most "boot" situations that I encountered, and didn't really notice they were the official Indy boot until last year sometime when everybody started pumping out these Alden vids and finally saw that he wasn't wearing cap-toe army boots like I always assumed., But what I HAD noticed in the film was that he seemed to have extra-slick-looking, flat bottoms, which turned out to be true and at least the Airborne was issued boots without tread for their jumps for specific reason but Europe and Pacific different terrain, blah, blah. Suffice to say, if one is just getting dressed-up for Halloween or just wants an Indy look, they can get away with much less expensive boots, etc.

[@Highland_Paddy]

Actually, several years ago had stumbled upon a website listing all the Indy clothes and specs and things, and overall I was the same body dimensions for pretty much everything except foot size but found that all the REAL Indy stuff apart from the cheap branded hats for fifty bucks was ALL out of my budget. The "real" hat was over $200; the jacket was about $600; the pants were a different shade than the Dockers at JC Penney; I still don't know where to get lightweight safari shirts with decorative piping down the front, etc., and yet, if I dress as Indy for Halloween, people will usually say those are just my Regular Clothes. And one year I saw a guy in jeans and a blue chambray shirt and everybody at the bar still thought he was close enough because he had a hat. Almost maddening.

[@PumpUptheJam81]

@@Highland_Paddy a lot of opinion for a guy who hasn’t even tried them on. Men have been getting by just fine since the Middle Ages with these soles. There’s a lot more to these boots than appearances, they are ultra comfortable compared to many other brands.

[@Highland_Paddy]

@@PumpUptheJam81 Why would I try them on when they cost three times more than I want to spend?

[@rudiausbuddeln]

Alden is a scam and overpriced. Cheaper construction than Red Wings even

[@EDHBlvd]

You literally know nothing about boots. You just post these nonsense comments on boot videos. Go away.

[@american_psycho1147]

You'd have to be an idiot to believe this. Are Red Wings leather lined? No. Do Red Wings have a midsole on most of their models? No. Anyone that's worn both will tell you the Aldens feel way more sturdy and quality. I guess you've been watching way too much Rose Anvil and his paid shill commercial videos. If Alden paid him he'd have made a video calling Alden the greatest brand in the world. Too bad it's mostly Thursday paying people to shill

[@seppukusushi2848]

We understand, you're a broke zoomer. lol...