One of our goals at Alvies is to be a cowboy boot company for non-cowboys — to challenge the stereotype that you have to sport a huge belt buckle and a drawl to enjoy wearing boots. So we were selective when considering country music artists for our Waterloo collaboration.
But everyone at Alvies HQ (aka The Boot Cave) agreed that we had to include Charley Crockett’s new record. Similar to what we’re trying to do with boots, Crockett set out to make an album that would challenge the ideas of what country music is and can be. And did just that. While we think everything he has released since moving to Austin in 2017 has been great, Welcome to Hard Times is possibly his best work yet.
His intent was to make a more eclectic record, like the country albums of the 50s and 60s that paired rhumba beats with honky tonk, blues with cha-cha. The result is something that can’t easily be pigeon-holed, but that producer Mark Neill calls “dark gothic country.” The sound draws on honky tonk piano, blues and soul blended together with country into something all its own — something that must be heard.
![Charley Crockett - Welcome to Hard Times](http://checkout.alvies.com/cdn/shop/products/charley-crockett-welcome-to-hard-times-992808_180x.jpg?v=1677865329 180w 180h,//checkout.alvies.com/cdn/shop/products/charley-crockett-welcome-to-hard-times-992808_360x.jpg?v=1677865329 360w 360h,//checkout.alvies.com/cdn/shop/products/charley-crockett-welcome-to-hard-times-992808_540x.jpg?v=1677865329 540w 540h,//checkout.alvies.com/cdn/shop/products/charley-crockett-welcome-to-hard-times-992808_720x.jpg?v=1677865329 720w 720h,//checkout.alvies.com/cdn/shop/products/charley-crockett-welcome-to-hard-times-992808_900x.jpg?v=1677865329 900w 900h)
![](http://checkout.alvies.com/cdn/shop/products/charley-crockett-welcome-to-hard-times-992808_250x250_crop_center.jpg?v=1677865329)
Charley Crockett - Welcome to Hard Times
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Once you have your size, just start shopping and it the correct size will be automatically selected for you. You'll also see other shoes available in your size throughout the site.
If you're risking it and going with expert help of our Fit Sherpa (dicey move), below you'll find a few sizing tips to keep in mind.
![Boot Sizing](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1145/2636/files/Alvies_Illustrations_Boot_Sizing_726baea0-bf13-47e5-a6c8-14599a59db21_600x600.png?v=1599573953)
ALVIES BOOT SIZING TIPS
- Men's boots fit true to size: Order the size you normally wear in other shoes
- Women's boots run a little big: Order a half-size down from your usual size
- Wide-feeters order EE: Our men's boots come in EE for gentlemen of a girthier foot.
- Remain calm: We offer free, fast exchanges if you need a different size.
![Flip-Flop Sizing](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1145/2636/files/Alvies_Illustrations_Flop_Sizing_20ca631a-b6b3-4776-8ffc-8137d4d4aa41_600x600.png?v=1599576433)
ALVIES FLIP-FLOP SIZING TIPS
- Our flip-flops run small: Order a size up from your usual size.
- Don’t freak: Flops are free and easy to exchange if needed.
OLD TIMEY SIZING CHART
Alvies Men’s Flops Sizing |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flop length |
10.65" |
11" |
11.3375" |
11.6875" |
12.025" |
12.3063" |
12.6188" |
Minimum recommended foot size |
8.65" |
9.5" |
9.8375" |
10.1875" |
10.525" |
10.8063" |
11.1188" |
Maximum recommended foot size |
10.15" |
10.5" |
10.8375" |
11.1875" |
11.525" |
11.8063" |
12.1188" |
Alvies Women’s Flops Sizing |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flop Length |
9.4" |
9.9625" |
10.275" |
10.5875" |
10.9" |
11.2125" |
Minimum recommended foot size |
7.4" |
8.4625" |
8.775" |
9.0875" |
9.4" |
9.7125" |
Maximum recommended foot size |
8.9" |
9.4625" |
9.775" |
10.0875" |
10.4" |
10.7125" |
A Side
Welcome to Hard Times
Run Horse Run
Don’t Cry
Tennessee Special
Fool Somebody Else
Lilly My Dear
Wreck Me
B Side
Heads You Win
Rainin’ in My Heart
Paint it Blue
Blackjack County Chain
The Man That Time Forgot
The Poplar Tree
![](https://images.accentuate.io/?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.accentuate.io%2F5907047743647%2F1605977545342%2FAlvies-X-Waterloo.png%3Fv%3D0&c_options=w_180,h_180 180w 180h,https://images.accentuate.io/?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.accentuate.io%2F5907047743647%2F1605977545342%2FAlvies-X-Waterloo.png%3Fv%3D0&c_options=w_360,h_360,c_limit 360w 360h,https://images.accentuate.io/?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.accentuate.io%2F5907047743647%2F1605977545342%2FAlvies-X-Waterloo.png%3Fv%3D0&c_options=w_540,h_540,c_limit 540w 540h,https://images.accentuate.io/?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.accentuate.io%2F5907047743647%2F1605977545342%2FAlvies-X-Waterloo.png%3Fv%3D0&c_options=w_720,h_720,c_limit 720w 720h,https://images.accentuate.io/?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.accentuate.io%2F5907047743647%2F1605977545342%2FAlvies-X-Waterloo.png%3Fv%3D0&c_options=w_900,h_900,c_limit 900w 900h,https://images.accentuate.io/?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.accentuate.io%2F5907047743647%2F1605977545342%2FAlvies-X-Waterloo.png%3Fv%3D0&c_options=w_1080,h_1080,c_limit 1080w 1080h,https://images.accentuate.io/?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.accentuate.io%2F5907047743647%2F1605977545342%2FAlvies-X-Waterloo.png%3Fv%3D0&c_options=w_1296,h_1296,c_limit 1296w 1296h,https://images.accentuate.io/?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.accentuate.io%2F5907047743647%2F1605977545342%2FAlvies-X-Waterloo.png%3Fv%3D0&c_options=w_1512,h_1512,c_limit 1512w 1512h)
Together We Rock
Waterloo Records is an Austin institution. The musical wizards there have been slanging albums and advice since 1982. So when we wanted to highlight some of the music that makes us tap our booted and flip-flopped toes, we of course asked them to help. All the albums highlighted here are curated and sold by Waterloo through the Alvies store.