Dacks and other Canadian shoe brands

[TimothyF]

I hope this is the right place to ask: just what is Dack's Melloflex / Mellowflex? Is it

1. A fully Goodyear-welt constructed shoe, but just with more "flexible" components? e.g. soft bendy soles, insole, soft uppers etc. ; OR
2. A cheaper construction method (such as cemented), which may also happen to achieve more flex?

I hope the answer is #1, but don't really know (and Google did not help much). Basically want to know if this line of shoes is "worthy" of us connoisseurs of quality here on this forum (lol)

 

[Jiqea]

It has been awhile since I made a post here, but I wanted to document this pair of early Dacks. I picked them up from a recent graduate of UOttawa, who had thrifted them in near pristine condition, complete with their shoes trees, and then proceeded to wear them through his university years without ever conditioning them. Needless to say they are ruined as far as collector value, but they still retain historical interest. I puttied over the cracks on the left shoe to get a better sense of what they may have once looked like (first image).

They are an extraordinarily rare pair of pre-1948 Dacks Oxfords. 1948 was the year that S.E. Dack sold the firm to the Marston group. By mid-1949 the company had been rebranded with the "Modern" thick script logo. To date this is only the third pair of pre-1948 Dacks shoes that I have seen, and on the first two pairs the sock-liner was not present. This pair retains the sock-liner, giving us our first good look at a pre-1948 version, other than those we can get glimpses of from adverts. I documented the liners I could see in adverts earlier in this thread (see page 97), but this shoe has a previously unseen version. This shoe also has a black, early-logo diamond at the interior ankle. That is consistent with the the other two pairs of pre-1948 Dacks I have seen, although on one of those two pairs, which were clearly from the 20's, the black diamond said "Dacks Toronto" rather than "Dacks Canada". My theory is that pre-1948 the diamond was always black. In 1949 Dacks appears to have had made a small run of red-diamonds with the old logo, which I have only seen on shoes with the modern logo sock-liners and stampings. There were also a few early 50's pairs that had a black diamond with the modern logo. After that all the diamonds are red, with the modern logo.

So how old are they? It is tough to say, but somewhere between 1936 and 1948. The shoe trees are original to the shoes, and they can be more easily dated, as this version with the shorter handle shows up in adverts in 1936. Pre-1936 the handle was about an inch longer, while in the 20's the shoe trees were not painted black, and the handle was about 4.5" high.

Given that the sock-liners say "Toronto", rather than "Canada" makes me think this pair may date to the 30's, but that is only a guess.

I wish I had found this pair before they were abused. They are a 10.5D,; my size (note the totally different Dacks coding which I have not seen before). I only paid $10 for them, and the shoes trees are worth more than that. I will send the shoes out to Brett Viberg in Victoria for dissection to see if we can learn anything else. They were made with hidden welt stitching, and have thin, single soles; therefore no nails at the waist or toe. There is also no stamped marks at the waist on the soles, or any other indication of what "Grade" they were. Mysteries wrapped in an enigma. But glad I found them nonetheless.

 

[Jiqea]

Duplicate Post

 

[Jiqea]

I hope this is the right place to ask: just what is Dack's Melloflex / Mellowflex? Is it

1. A fully Goodyear-welt constructed shoe, but just with more "flexible" components? e.g. soft bendy soles, insole, soft uppers etc. ; OR
2. A cheaper construction method (such as cemented), which may also happen to achieve more flex?

I hope the answer is #1, but don't really know (and Google did not help much). Basically want to know if this line of shoes is "worthy" of us connoisseurs of quality here on this forum (lol)

The Dacks Melloflex line was advertized between 1977 and 1994 as a casual summer shoe. Not many of these shoes survive, and that is OK. They were not dacks best work. Often with a vibrum or gum sole. I dont recall if I have seen Goodyear welted versions. I don't pay much attention to them when they pop up. I think there is a Chukka Mellow-flex. That might be cool.

 

[goatamous II]

Those are incredible and heartbreaking at the same time!
The latter comment in reference to how beat up they became.

Great find though!

PS - as a note, free shipping Tuesdays starts next week if you want to wait to send them out to Victoria (provided you have a Canada Post account)

 

[mackbrad]

It has been awhile since I made a post here, but I wanted to document this pair of early Dacks. I picked them up from a recent graduate of UOttawa, who had thrifted them in near pristine condition, complete with their shoes trees, and then proceeded to wear them through his university years without ever conditioning them. Needless to say they are ruined as far as collector value, but they still retain historical interest. I puttied over the cracks on the left shoe to get a better sense of what they may have once looked like (first image).

They are an extraordinarily rare pair of pre-1948 Dacks Oxfords. 1948 was the year that S.E. Dack sold the firm to the Marston group. By mid-1949 the company had been rebranded with the "Modern" thick script logo. To date this is only the third pair of pre-1948 Dacks shoes that I have seen, and on the first two pairs the sock-liner was not present. This pair retains the sock-liner, giving us our first good look at a pre-1948 version, other than those we can get glimpses of from adverts. I documented the liners I could see in adverts earlier in this thread (see page 97), but this shoe has a previously unseen version. This shoe also has a black, early-logo diamond at the interior ankle. That is consistent with the the other two pairs of pre-1948 Dacks I have seen, although on one of those two pairs, which were clearly from the 20's, the black diamond said "Dacks Toronto" rather than "Dacks Canada". My theory is that pre-1948 the diamond was always black. In 1949 Dacks appears to have had made a small run of red-diamonds with the old logo, which I have only seen on shoes with the modern logo sock-liners and stampings. There were also a few early 50's pairs that had a black diamond with the modern logo. After that all the diamonds are red, with the modern logo.

So how old are they? It is tough to say, but somewhere between 1936 and 1948. The shoe trees are original to the shoes, and they can be more easily dated, as this version with the shorter handle shows up in adverts in 1936. Pre-1936 the handle was about an inch longer, while in the 20's the shoe trees were not painted black, and the handle was about 4.5" high.

Given that the sock-liners say "Toronto", rather than "Canada" makes me think this pair may date to the 30's, but that is only a guess.

I wish I had found this pair before they were abused. They are a 10.5D,; my size (note the totally different Dacks coding which I have not seen before). I only paid $10 for them, and the shoes trees are worth more than that. I will send the shoes out to Brett Viberg in Victoria for dissection to see if we can learn anything else. They were made with hidden welt stitching, and have thin, single soles; therefore no nails at the waist or toe. There is also no stamped marks at the waist on the soles, or any other indication of what "Grade" they were. Mysteries wrapped in an enigma. But glad I found them nonetheless.

such a cool find.

 

[mackbrad]

Old pair of Florsheim Cordovan 93605 I found in a box in a thrift store...think they were $20 Cdn.

Not sure if these are Cdn made....they have a rubber toppy on sole now (no suicide heel for me) and metal toe caps.

Pic just after cleaning all the dust and debri from them....

View attachment 2035791

Suicide heels, lol. I've never heard that term before.

 

[Phrank]

Yes, "suicide heels" were the nail for these type of soles with 88 brass nails and a wooden(?) type sole, be on a smooth flooring and walk, and frequently your heels would slip out from under you. Hence the term, "suicide heels" hahahaha.....cheers!

 

[suitforcourt]

Recently thrifted these Florsheim by John McHale in kudu. They fit me so I might keep them.

 

[mackbrad]

Yes, "suicide heels" were the nail for these type of soles with 88 brass nails and a wooden(?) type sole, be on a smooth flooring and walk, and frequently your heels would slip out from under you. Hence the term, "suicide heels" hahahaha.....cheers!

I get it! I've been victim of the suicide effect several times over the years!

 

[Kizen]

Two exciting acquisitions, and nowhere to flaunt them but here:
Dack's Camel-hide Derby in my size (8), obviously barely worn, just picked them up off Poshmark, super excited to have a chance to wear them:

Dack's Zebu-hide U-Wings. Early '60s I think, and probably resoled. Size 9.5, so not my size, but I couldn't just leave them sitting in that thrift shop. Look at them! I'll resell or trade them (happy to obey forum ettiquette on this, just letme know what that works)

.

 

[suitforcourt]

Two exciting acquisitions, and nowhere to flaunt them but here:
Dack's Camel-hide Derby in my size (8), obviously barely worn, just picked them up off Poshmark, super excited to have a chance to wear them:

View attachment 2060419 View attachment 2060421 Dack's Zebu-hide U-Wings. Early '60s I think, and probably resoled. Size 9.5, so not my size, but I couldn't just leave them sitting in that thrift shop. Look at them! I'll resell or trade them (happy to obey forum ettiquette on this, just letme know what that works) View attachment 2060417 . View attachment 2060411 View attachment 2060413 View attachment 2060415

What are the widths?

 

[mackbrad]

Very nice. I'd be interested in the 9.5s.

 

[Kizen]

What are the widths?

Good question! I have no idea. Here's the inside of the shoe

 

[suitforcourt]

Good question! I have no idea. Here's the inside of the shoe

View attachment 2060669