Dacks and other Canadian shoe brands

[Paul902]

Ask the seller if you can keep the box and return just the shoes for slightly less
Just because that box is pretty neat

Seller and I came to an agreement where I keep both. I will keep the box until one of you finds me its correct contents, and I will sell the shoes as they are a bit too big for me.

A little wrinkled, but I believe these are the bags the go with your box. I bet we can find the shoes too.

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Very cool! Are they burlap, or softer but with a weave pattern? They have got to be pretty thin on the ground!

 

[Jiqea]

Seller and I came to an agreement where I keep both. I will keep the box until one of you finds me its correct contents, and I will sell the shoes as they are a bit too big for me.


Very cool! Are they burlap, or softer but with a weave pattern? They have got to be pretty thin on the ground!

They are quite soft. They are the only pair like this that I have even seen. I have three versions of the purple bags. I suspect these were post 150 anniversary, which makes sense given that your box shows a 5 digit style code.

 

[Jiqea]

I posted a pair of brown S.E. Dacks (1952-58) cap-toes a while ago. They just came back today from having a small heel counter repair. I realized that I had not posted an image of their very cool original Biltrite heels. This is the first I have seen like this.

 

[suitforcourt]

I posted a pair of brown S.E. Dacks (1952-58) cap-toes a while ago. They just came back today from having a small heel counter repair. I realized that I had not posted an image of their very cool original Biltrite heels. This is the first I have seen like this.

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Mimicking cat paw heels?

 

[Jiqea]

I posted these shoes yesterday over in the Vintage Shoe thread, but thought they should more properly have a home here amongst the Canadians. It is not often we get to see a pair of truly NOS shoes from circa 1950, just as they would have looked in the display case 70 years ago.

Today I received these amazing John McHale signature cap-toes, made for Owens-Elmes, a high end Toronto retailer of shoes and leather goods who opened their doors in 1916 and closed in the late 1980's. On the weekend I showed a black pair of John McHale shoes that were sold by Owens-Elmes. Like those shoes these have John McHale's signature imprinted on the interior at the mid-sole, with the sock-liner reading "Scott Elmes Hand Sewn". Hand Sewn was only used by Scott-McHale in reference to their own line of John McHale shoes between 1946-1949, at least in newspaper advertizing. These shoes also have the John McHale "box-barring" , the small four stitch square on the lacing stay flap. This trait only begins to show up around 1950 on Scott-McHale and John-McHale bluchers. On that basis I think it is likely that this pair dates to right around 1950.

They are very similar to the John McHale "Bomber" cap-toes, with the exception of the custom leather and buckle laces, and the interesting heel nail pattern. While this pair had these up-grades, they do not have the doubled and stitched sock-liner edges that we associate with John McHale shoes and even the Canadian made Florsheim Imperials.

I need to confirm that Scott Elmes was the son of J.T. Elmes, one of the founders of the firm. I have confirmed that Scott Owens, the son of the second founder, C.J Owens, was managing the company through the 50's.

The shoes are 11.5C and will be the flagship of John McHale gunboat navy.

 

[Jiqea]

Mimicking cat paw heels?

That is what I thought they were when I first saw them. Cat's Paws have been around since at least 1910.I am not sure how far back Biltrite go. They certainly are similar.

 

[Jiqea]

I received a rare pair of Astoria shoe trees today. Based on the knob height and style of construction, these trees likely date to the 1930's. Astoria shoes were first manufactured by Cook-Fitzgerald starting in 1904 in London, Ontario. In later iterations, Cook-Fitzgerald became Scott-Chamberlain, and later Scott-McHale. These trees would have been made for shoes built under John McHale's leadership of the company. Astoria labelled shoes were made right up until the early 1950's.

 

[Paul902]

It has been said that both Cheaney and Church built for Dack's. Sometimes when we see "Made in England" on the insole we assume those builders, but are not sure which one. Well, this shoe was definitely a Church's build. If you abide by a "Church's on Sunday" rule, you will no doubt be familiar with the hand written coding info, the 73 last, and the Diplomat style Oxford, which is still available at Church's for some $900CAD, now on 173 last.

This is indeed a Dack's branded Church Diplomat on 73 last, as worn by 007, in size UK6.5G. I thought it would be interesting to post it here for reference that this Dack's arrived on our shores, every bit as out of the Church's catalogue. This example was perhaps not my best pickup. When I got home I noticed it has some damage around the heel entry on both shoes (shoe horns, people, shoe horns!), to add to the marks and cracked leather at the flex point. What to do? Well, although tired, it was once a great shoe, so give it all the TLC you can and see how it turns out.

Spoiler: Lots more pics

If my sis does not take these, any you regulars here an approx US7.5E want to get into these at cost? They feel like a good Pay It Forward shoe as the faults on them might be too much for a paying customer.

add: Sis is pretty excited and sending me a tracing of her feet.

 

[Paul902]

Speaking of mistakes, I did not buy these base on A) $28 price B) somewhat dated style C) Factory Rejects. Well, they looked way better quality than anything at the mall for even 5x the price. What would you have done?

 

[suitforcourt]

Speaking of mistakes, I did not buy these base on A) $28 price B) somewhat dated style C) Factory Rejects. Well, they looked way better quality than anything at the mall for even 5x the price. What would you have done?

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You don't want to know what I would do with vintage NOS Hartt shoes.

 

[Dit_rich]

That is what I thought they were when I first saw them. Cat's Paws have been around since at least 1910.I am not sure how far back Biltrite go. They certainly are similar.

I
I saw Biltrite still offers Cat's Paws for sale on their web site. Apparently they have rights for these.

 

[Dit_rich]

What would you have done?

Grabbed these, no doubt... Then spend a week hiding them from my wife ))).
But VV is getting too smart about pricing for their own good... I am thinking of stop snobbing Salvation army.

 

[Bjorling]

Dacks made in England. Not my size.

 

[Paul902]

Dacks made in England. Not my size.

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You, what, thrifted those!? The thing is that they are fairly recent being the new Matthew Dack's. How these things get donated is beyond me. I have to say they look very well done: full leather interior, even tight stitching, channeled welt, nailed heels with skid plates, and beautiful NST design.

 

[Bjorling]

You, what, thrifted those!? The thing is that they are fairly recent being the new Matthew Dack's. How these things get donated is beyond me. I have to say they look very well done: full leather interior, even tight stitching, channeled welt, nailed heels with skid plates, and beautiful NST design.

current and on sale

Kingston

Dack's contemporary apron loafer Sole : Flat Welted Single Leather Last : 11028

www.matthewdack.com