Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[eTrojan]

LB Sheppard PTB.

 

[sam67]

Soles seem massive. Not my listing

New Vtg FLORSHEIM IMPERIAL Kenmoor Spectator Dress SHOES Brown White 9.5 D M NOS | eBay

Ready to wear. Clean as a whistle and exceedingly rare, custom made brown and white grain leather spectator or correspondents shoes. Simply beautiful and hard to find. Goodyear welted.

www.ebay.com

 

[pasadena man]

Florsheim 93605's have landed!

View attachment 2086329
View attachment 2086331

Florsheim 93605's have landed!

View attachment 2086329
View attachment 2086331

Are 93605's the Ur model on this board?

 

[WoolyLamb]

Soles seem massive. Not my listing

New Vtg FLORSHEIM IMPERIAL Kenmoor Spectator Dress SHOES Brown White 9.5 D M NOS | eBay

Ready to wear. Clean as a whistle and exceedingly rare, custom made brown and white grain leather spectator or correspondents shoes. Simply beautiful and hard to find. Goodyear welted.

www.ebay.com

You need massive soul to wear these

 

[ccpl14]

Are 93605's the Ur model on this board?

It’s the King of All Wingtips!

 

[Satoman1]

You need massive soul to wear these

Massive pocket to pay that price also

 

[friendlygoz]

Keith Highlanders today

 

[suitforcourt]

New-to-me, late 1990’s shell Leeds
View attachment 2085423

I must assume this is a shoot for GQ. Can you hook me up? I've always wanted to pose in a magazine.

In all seriousness, excellent set up and a dapper combo as usual.

 

[greekgeek]

Soles seem massive. Not my listing

New Vtg FLORSHEIM IMPERIAL Kenmoor Spectator Dress SHOES Brown White 9.5 D M NOS | eBay

Ready to wear. Clean as a whistle and exceedingly rare, custom made brown and white grain leather spectator or correspondents shoes. Simply beautiful and hard to find. Goodyear welted.

www.ebay.com

My listing. I got about 200 more pair to go, keep an eye out and PM me for best direct sale pricing. Minimum 15% off eBay prices could be much more depends on the pair.

 

[pasadena man]

Are 93605's the Ur model on this board?

Reasons the 93605 are an Ur model for me:

-Arguably Florsheim created the prototype modern American LWB with the 93605 intro in 1957. The Alden 975 was introduced about a year later, I think.

-Because cordovan.

-While produced it was probably the best selling American LWB, perhaps by far.

-It is Horween, cordovan produced in Chicago, and then manufactured by Florsheim in their Chicago factory. As an ex-Chicagoan that trumps the undoubted NE, Ivy, mystique of the Alden 975.

-one of the very few models widely known just by model number, at least on this board.

-I prefer the more refined, to my eye, styling of the 93605 versus the slightly chunkier, more rusticated, 975. I find it more business appropriate, although I do wear them with denim.

-no longer being made adds mystique, but they are still widely available due to the high initial sales volume.

-maybe the best priced high-quality cordovan LWB, because of the above.

-reputedly the most popular cordovan LWB model in heaven.

 

[memoriastoica]

Reasons the 93605 are an Ur model for me:

-Arguably Florsheim created the prototype modern American LWB with the 93605 intro in 1957. The Alden 975 was introduced about a year later, I think.

-Because cordovan.

-While produced it was probably the best selling American LWB, perhaps by far.

-It is Horween, cordovan produced in Chicago, and then manufactured by Florsheim in their Chicago factory. As an ex-Chicagoan that trumps the undoubted NE, Ivy, mystique of the Alden 975.

-one of the very few models widely known just by model number, at least on this board.

-I prefer the more refined, to my eye, styling of the 93605 versus the slightly chunkier, more rusticated, 975. I find it more business appropriate, although I do wear them with denim.

-no longer being made adds mystique, but they are still widely available due to the high initial sales volume.

-maybe the best priced high-quality cordovan LWB, because of the above.

-reputedly the most popular cordovan LWB model in heaven.

What does UR model stand for?

 

[CWOyaji]

Ur- in this usage means the original model of something. See 'urtext'

 

[friendlygoz]

Alden shell single monks yesterday

 

[pasadena man]

Reasons the 93605 are an Ur model for me:

-Arguably Florsheim created the prototype modern American LWB with the 93605 intro in 1957. The Alden 975 was introduced about a year later, I think.

-Because cordovan.

-While produced it was probably the best selling American LWB, perhaps by far.

-It is Horween, cordovan produced in Chicago, and then manufactured by Florsheim in their Chicago factory. As an ex-Chicagoan that trumps the undoubted NE, Ivy, mystique of the Alden 975.

-one of the very few models widely known just by model number, at least on this board.

-I prefer the more refined, to my eye, styling of the 93605 versus the slightly chunkier, more rusticated, 975. I find it more business appropriate, although I do wear them with denim.

-no longer being made adds mystique, but they are still widely available due to the high initial sales volume.

-maybe the best priced high-quality cordovan LWB, because of the above.

-reputedly the most popular cordovan LWB model in heaven.

Background on the 93605 as an Ur model:

There is a lot of history around the 1957 Florsheim 93605 introduction, and that of the Alden 975 in 1958, at the zenith of post WW 2 American CM. Cary Grant appeared in arguably CM’s most famous suit in North by Northwest a year later.

I don’t know if the LWB gunboat was invented in America, but it was certainly defined and popularized here. It has never been a particularly common style in Europe.

Here is a review and 93605 online buyer’s guide on vcleat.com:

Florsheim Imperial 93605 eBay Guide | vcleat

vcleat.com

vcleat is one of the most useful resources for all things vintage shoes. David from vcleat is active on this board. All hail David!

This is a good history and review of the 975:
https://100wears.com/alden-975-longwing-gunboat-classic-75-years-later/

And here is a side by side review of the 93605, 975, and AE Macneil:

 

[heathenist]

Anyone know the maker on these? Appear to be shell. In desperate need of a resole.