Dacks and other Canadian shoe brands

[Doctor Damage]

Here's some old Dack's stuff. The brochure (precise date unknown, but late 1990s) is not very informative but the photo on the front of their four premier models at the time. The list of stores and model lineup was printed from their website in 2001, which was a couple years before they stopped making shoes in Canada and started selling re-badged Cheaney. I have no idea what I wrote on the left side of the list of stores. Look at the range of sizes/widths they offered for the Dufferin and York models!

 

[suitforcourt]

Here's some old Dack's stuff. The brochure (precise date unknown, but late 1990s) is not very informative but the photo on the front of their four premier models at the time. The list of stores and model lineup was printed from their website in 2001, which was a couple years before they stopped making shoes in Canada and started selling re-badged Cheaney. I have no idea what I wrote on the left side of the list of stores. Look at the range of sizes/widths they offered for the Dufferin and York models!

Thanks for sharing this!

I am either F, G, or H width for Dacks shoes. So the old catalogue and inventory would have worked for me very well.

Dacks also went through a period of manufacturing in Mexico. I have only handled one pair at a thrift store, and the quality was markedly a huge departure from the Canadian, and later English made models.

For recrafting, Ivor Woolridge (Dacks store manager for many many years), and now the owner of Woolridge shoes in the Path (only sells English brands like Cheaney, Loake, Sanders etc) recommends Alphonse at Bay Bloor Shoe Repair. Alphonse was the "go to" recrafter when Dacks had their stores.

I used Alphonse once, and his work was acceptable. I prefer other cobblers in Sudbury, Vancouver, and Thunder Bay.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Dacks also went through a period of manufacturing in Mexico. I have only handled one pair at a thrift store, and the quality was markedly a huge departure from the Canadian, and later English made models.

I think I had a pair of those, some loafers. They were okay for banging around in snow/winter.

For recrafting, Ivor Woolridge (Dacks store manager for many many years), and now the owner of Woolridge shoes in the Path (only sells English brands like Cheaney, Loake, Sanders etc) ...

I remember Ivor!! I had no idea his store existed. I'll have to check it out the next time I'm in Toronto. Thanks!

 

[suitforcourt]

I think I had a pair of those, some loafers. They were okay for banging around in snow/winter.

I remember Ivor!! I had no idea his store existed. I'll have to check it out the next time I'm in Toronto. Thanks!

I only met Ivor after Dacks closed their last retail stores.

Ivor is a true gentleman. Always open to chatting about shoes, and never pressures to make a sale. I have only bought a pair of Loake from him, but I expect to purchase more in the future. It's in the Path:

http://www.woolridgeshoes.com/

 

[Jiqea]

Here is an interesting pair of well made Canadian long-wing gunboats in an unidentified exotic leather (camel?). They were produced by Fournier, a Quebec firm. I can find very little information in my preliminary searches, although I believe they were based out of Quebec City. The shoes are double soled, with 13 nails; five along each side and three near the toe! Size 9E if I am reading the coding correctly.

 

[suitforcourt]

Here is an interesting pair of well made Canadian long-wing gunboats in an unidentified exotic leather (camel?). They were produced by Fournier, a Quebec firm. I can find very little information in my preliminary searches, although I believe they were based out of Quebec City. The shoes are double soled, with 13 nails; five along each side and three near the toe! Size 9E if I am reading the coding correctly.

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Never heard of this brand. Looks like camel to me. And these look very well made.

Maybe @mariusscott or @tonylamer know something and can enlighten us?

 

[suitforcourt]

Here is an interesting pair of well made Canadian long-wing gunboats in an unidentified exotic leather (camel?). They were produced by Fournier, a Quebec firm. I can find very little information in my preliminary searches, although I believe they were based out of Quebec City. The shoes are double soled, with 13 nails; five along each side and three near the toe! Size 9E if I am reading the coding correctly.

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I also believe size is 9e. If 9f or 9g, I'd be throwing my money at you already.

 

[Jiqea]

During my travels over the holidays I picked up these two pairs NOS Hartts Strathcona boots, identical in every way to the RCMP dress boots, but labelled as Church's (Size 7F and 8.5F). The boots are stamped as "Made in Canada" on the upper interior as well as on all the original packaging. Hartts manufactured the Strathcona boot from 1974 to 1998, however the RCMP Strathcona boots have a Hartts sock liner and are stamped RCMP on the sole. These boots must have been destined for retail sale, and I suspect that the Church's brand was considered more prestigious, and of course Hartt was owned by Church at the time. The sizing appears to be North American rather than UK.

 

[suitforcourt]

During my travels over the holidays I picked up these two pairs NOS Hartts Strathcona boots, identical in every way to the RCMP dress boots, but labelled as Church's (Size 7F and 8.5F). The boots are stamped as "Made in Canada" on the upper interior as well as on all the original packaging. Hartts manufactured the Strathcona boot from 1974 to 1998, however the RCMP Strathcona boots have a Hartts sock liner and are stamped RCMP on the sole. These boots must have been destined for retail sale, and I suspect that the Church's brand was considered more prestigious, and of course Hartt was owned by Church at the time. The sizing appears to be North American rather than UK.

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The markings are definitely not Church’s.

 

[suitforcourt]

McHale shoe by John McHale. Their cheap line made at the end of their time. The corrected grain really shows the age.

 

[Jiqea]

So these would have been made under the Florsheim reign in the 90's, and labelled as McHale, or are they earlier? Is the finish equivalent to the Dacks "hand waxed" shoes? They are still good looking shoes.

 

[Jiqea]

I stopped in Belleville last night on my way home and picked up these Dacks Prairie Oxhide shoes. They were completely dried out and looked awful and were priced at $13.00. I have been nourishing them and they are starting to show some promise for casual wear. I am pleased with the shoes and am glad I grabbed them. I added the wider waxed laces to add some character.

 

[suitforcourt]

So these would have been made under the Florsheim reign in the 90's, and labelled as McHale, or are they earlier? Is the finish equivalent to the Dacks "hand waxed" shoes? They are still good looking shoes.

Yes, I believe these were made in the 80s or 90s. The "McHale shoe" was definitely created during their dying days.

Florsheim bought McHale sometime in the 50s, I believe. Anyone can chime in if I am wrong.

 

[suitforcourt]

I stopped in Belleville last night on my way home and picked up these Dacks Prairie Oxhide shoes. They were completely dried out and looked awful and were priced at $13.00. I have been nourishing them and they are starting to show some promise for casual wear. I am pleased with the shoes and am glad I grabbed them. I added the wider waxed laces to add some character.

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I have been looking for a pair in my size. The quintessential Dacks model.

 

[mariusscott]

During my travels over the holidays I picked up these two pairs NOS Hartts Strathcona boots, identical in every way to the RCMP dress boots, but labelled as Church's (Size 7F and 8.5F). The boots are stamped as "Made in Canada" on the upper interior as well as on all the original packaging. Hartts manufactured the Strathcona boot from 1974 to 1998, however the RCMP Strathcona boots have a Hartts sock liner and are stamped RCMP on the sole. These boots must have been destined for retail sale, and I suspect that the Church's brand was considered more prestigious, and of course Hartt was owned by Church at the time. The sizing appears to be North American rather than UK.

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In my experience I dont think these were ever sold to the public, just for RCMP use. Also the inner markings are defiantly Hartt/Dack's, I think likely a cobbler just put in the church's on the bottom, perhaps to make an easier sale...maybe a way of getting rid of all the shoes I have...