The Sutro Alder II Boot Review
I received the following product in exchange for my honest opinions. Use my code “CAMHYDE25” for $25 off your purchase from Sutro!
Boot season is right upon us so I am excited to bring you another boot review from one of my favorite brands—Sutro Footwear! Sutro is based in San Francisco, California and they sell both men’s and women’s boots. Two of their most popular boots are the Alder and the Alder II. I reviewed the Alder previously and now I get the pleasure of bringing you my review of the Alder II. How do they compare? Is one more comfortable than the other? Let’s talk about it!
Differences
The Alder and Alder II are very similar boots, but they have a few key differences—in fact they have three. First is the sole. When I reviewed a pair of the Alder, they actually had a combination rubber and leather sole. This created a kind of “click clacking” sound when walking on hard surfaces. I found it a little annoying because it was constantly reminding me the boots were on my feet. Since the time of that writing, Sutro has upgraded the Alder to a full Vibram rubber sole. This is a massive upgrade. From what I can tell in pictures, the Alder has the Vibram sole, but it is thinner and pretty smooth. The Alder II has Sutro’s signature sole that you’ll also find on their Charlton boot. It has thicker rubber with ample tread. While the Alder II is still a business casual boot, I might feel more comfortable taking it off road with a more robust tread.
The next big difference is the cap toe. The Alder has a seamless, folded-over cap toe. It has a really smooth and uniform look. The cap toe of the Alder is what initially drew me to it. It is really striking. The Alder II has a cap toe with partial stitching and inverted seem. I’ll be honest, the partial stitching just looks a little odd to me, but that’s ok because some people really love it. One reason I really wanted a black pair was because the black kind of camouflaged that partial stitching. If we were giving a score, I’d give the cap toe portion to the Alder.
Finally, the last difference is the welt. Both boots have a Good Year welt, but the Alder has a traditional 3/4 welt and the Alder II has 3/4 Storm Welt with a rivet. Personally, I think both look good, but my preference is probably the Storm Welt. You can’t go wrong either way because a Good Year welt means your boots are going to last and when the sole starts to wear down, you’ll be able to resole them and keep on rolling.
A Few More Things
Let me tell you a few more things that I love about the Alder II (these also apply to the Alder because they are such similar boots). I’ll start off with the comfort. Sutro knows how to make an incredibly comfortable boot! It’s like the Alder II is built for my feet. One of the biggest reasons is because of the last it’s built on. This last is amazing because it gives your foot room to actually spread out! I hate boots that feel like they’re squeezing your foot, but the Alder II has a nice, roomy last that will make you forget that there’s even a boot around your foot.
Another amazing feature of the Alder II is the opening in the back of the boot. While this is a unique look, it creates amazing comfort for your feet. In so many boots, you’ll feel pressure on the back of your leg when you’re sitting down or even sometimes walking. Sutro has alleviated that problem by putting an opening in the leather that let’s your foot and leg move the way it was meant to.
I also can’t say enough about the insoles in the Alder II. Sutro uses premium cushioned insoles and they are thick! This insole is a huge contributor to the boots comfort, but even better, they’ve allowed it to be removable so that if you wear a custom or prescribed insole, it slides in no problem without making the boot too small. This is an overlooked feature, but it truly is a great feature that makes Sutro’s boots more versatile than many of their competitors.
Finally, I have to mention Sutro’s leather. The leather is soft and it looks great. It continues to look better with wear. This is because it’s vegetable tanned. Their process involves using oils, beeswax, creams, and brushing multiple times in various stages. All of this is done by hand! Sutro truly cares about the look of their boots and it shows.
Wrapping it Up
The Alder II is a great boot. I’m not much of a black boot guy, but I really do like this one. How do you decide between the Alder and Alder II? Well, in my opinion it’s a hard choice with Sutro’s recent upgrade of the Alder sole. Maybe, like me, the looks of one strike you just a little more than the other. Either way, you’re getting a Good Year welted boot that will last you for years to come. You can trust that Sutro is a small company that cares about their product and their customers. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with a pair of Alder or Alder II boots.
As a gift to you for checking out my review, you can use my code “CAMHYDE25" for $25 off your purchase from Sutro!
Check out a few more pictures below! Click the images to make them bigger.
