The pictures are not the best - the overhead light is somewhat yellow in the first shot, a bit less so in the second. These are tan with perhaps a light brown dusting. Brand was Cole Haan "Collection" shoes with Made in Italy stamped on them. I bought them quite a few years ago around the time I was first seeing people take tan shoes and self-antique them. They were cheap and still appear to be quite well made - stitching is excellent, they have rather nice interior lining, and the leather has held up well considering I left these on a shelf for about four years. They cost me very little for new shoes - some $50 - so I'm not going to lose sleep if these are deemed junk, but:
1. What could one wear a "slightly darker tan" pair of shoes like this with? They've generally been too bright for me, hence the closet, but I was wearing black or very dark gray pants during this time. Could someone describe outfits that work with a shoe like this? I feel like the bit of yellow or orange they have kind of kills them, but...
2. I was in over my head when I bought this thinking I'd use them to practice hand-antiquing shoes. Six years later, I'm better versed at taking care of shoes. Should I put some brown polish on them and see what happens?
3. Is this the sort of shoe that looks better with some wear, scuffs and good old fashioned patina on them? When I bought them, they looked like bright tan blinders that I immediately regretted buying, but looking at them in front of me now, with some storage scuffs and smudges and some darkness, they look better.
4. My sense is that these are fairly well made shoes. The leather strikes me as a couple of cuts below my new C&Js etc., but the construction seems quite good. Does anyone know what 'Cole Haan Collection' Italy-made shoes were like? I wore Nordstrom Rack Cole Haan cap-toes for quite a few years and these are definitely several notches above those shoes which I now realize to be horrible, but there doesn't seem to be much information about lineage.
Again, apologies for the poor lighting.
1. What could one wear a "slightly darker tan" pair of shoes like this with? They've generally been too bright for me, hence the closet, but I was wearing black or very dark gray pants during this time. Could someone describe outfits that work with a shoe like this? I feel like the bit of yellow or orange they have kind of kills them, but...
2. I was in over my head when I bought this thinking I'd use them to practice hand-antiquing shoes. Six years later, I'm better versed at taking care of shoes. Should I put some brown polish on them and see what happens?
3. Is this the sort of shoe that looks better with some wear, scuffs and good old fashioned patina on them? When I bought them, they looked like bright tan blinders that I immediately regretted buying, but looking at them in front of me now, with some storage scuffs and smudges and some darkness, they look better.
4. My sense is that these are fairly well made shoes. The leather strikes me as a couple of cuts below my new C&Js etc., but the construction seems quite good. Does anyone know what 'Cole Haan Collection' Italy-made shoes were like? I wore Nordstrom Rack Cole Haan cap-toes for quite a few years and these are definitely several notches above those shoes which I now realize to be horrible, but there doesn't seem to be much information about lineage.
Again, apologies for the poor lighting.
