Dacks and other Canadian shoe brands

[Jiqea]

Just a couple of McHale tidbits to help get you through the day. The first ad is from 1957. Scott-McHale must have paid the licence fees to offer the arch-preserver technology in some of their shoes. Take a look at this 6 eye Blucher. Wow! There is a whole host of cool 1950's Scott-McHale shoes that we have a chance to find while out thrifting. Maybe one day......

The second ad is from 1983. If there was ever any doubt that Scott-McHale continued to produce the John McHale Bomber gunboats into the 80's, this ad puts it to rest. A lot of chatter on the internet suggest that these shoes date to the 50's, or even the 40's. The truth is that the John McHale signature line began in 1944, shortly after the death of Francis Scott, and production continued with very minor changes right up to the companies' demise, circa 1989. Most of the ones we see are later.

 

[lbgradwell]

Very cool. I'm surprised I'd never heard of McHale until I started reading about them here, given they survived so late.

The Scott-McHale relationship with Wright went back at least as far as 1923 as I've seen many ads.

 

[mackbrad]

Just a couple of McHale tidbits to help get you through the day. The first ad is from 1957. Scott-McHale must have paid the licence fees to offer the arch-preserver technology in some of their shoes. Take a look at this 6 eye Blucher. Wow! There is a whole host of cool 1950's Scott-McHale shoes that we have a chance to find while out thrifting. Maybe one day......

The second ad is from 1983. If there was ever any doubt that Scott-McHale continued to produce the John McHale Bomber gunboats into the 80's, this ad puts it to rest. A lot of chatter on the internet suggest that these shoes date to the 50's, or even the 40's. The truth is that the John McHale signature line began in 1944, shortly after the death of Francis Scott, and production continued with very minor changes right up to the companies' demise, circa 1989. Most of the ones we see are later.

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Thanks for this. Tge level of research devoted to these brands s impressive and appreciated. Makes my day, every day.

 

[Jiqea]

Very cool. I'm surprised I'd never heard of McHale until I started reading about them here, given they survived so late.

The Scott-McHale relationship with Wright went back at least as far as 1923 as I've seen many ads.

Wright opened a new factory in St. Thomas in 1914. Their superintendent was a Mr. E.E. Donavan, who had been running the Cook-Fitzgerald factory in London (later Scott-Chamberlain (1916) and Scott-McHale (1922)). His brother in law founded Wright. The St. Thomas factory later changed its name to Talbot Shoes. I think there is no truth to the rumour that Mr. Donavan's nickname was Double-Wide.

 

[Jiqea]

We need to keep an open mind when we see a Dexter shoe while out thrifting. While most Dexter shoes were made by the Dexter shoe company of Dexter Massachusetts, which was founded in 1956, there was a Canadian Dexter Shoe Company in Montreal that dates back to at least 1934, and was still in business as late as 1961. This Dexter Shoe Company ran their business much like Stuart McGuire in the US, in that they solicited full and part -time sales staff in cities across the country, much like Fuller Brush, or for the younger readers, Amway.

I started to look into this when I noticed an eBay listing for an interesting Dexter Shoe salesman package that showed some very well made products, including some triple soled gunboats. I assumed this was a Canadian branch of the American company, but that was not the case. I have included two of the classified ads for Dexter salesmen that ran by the hundreds in newspapers across the county between 1934 and 1961; the first from 1940 and the second from 1952. I have also included a couple of images from the eBay listing, but it is worth checking out as there are quite a few more.

1950 Dexter Shoe Co 12pc PAPER LOT Original Envelope 45 pg Full Color Catalog for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for 1950 Dexter Shoe Co 12pc PAPER LOT Original Envelope 45 pg Full Color Catalog. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.ca

 

[Dit_rich]

Besides British Boot Shop Calgary shoes, to which the new owner will do us the honor of writing a separate review soon -)), this week update consists of another pair of Florsheim Imperial Kudu Derbies - these darn kudus jumping at me from all sides... an all in wrong sizes. Absolutely the same model as I thrifted last week but 8 1/2D instead of 12D (sellers pictures, the shoes are in SPA now, some work definetelly needs to be done). And pretty nice Dacks Water Bison in 7F. These probably were re-soled because I don't think they were coming in original Vibram full soles. If so the job was done properly - at list stitching is not messed up, very neat.

 

[Paul902]

Good find, @Dit_rich. "these darn kudus jumping at me from all sides " Was it like this?
Kangaroo have been known to jump from all sides, too. Maybe that is next.

 

[Jiqea]

Good find, @Dit_rich. "these darn kudus jumping at me from all sides " Was it like this?
Kangaroo have been known to jump from all sides, too. Maybe that is next.

Crocodiles can jump too!

Great finds @Dit_rich. I went the whole week without finding anything.

 

[Paul902]

Crocodiles can jump too!

Great finds @Dit_rich. I went the whole week without finding anything.

Thrifting is a slog, although sometimes there is a modest reward. That is the Hartt of the matter.

 

[Jiqea]

Thrifting is a slog, although sometimes there is a modest reward. That is the Hartt of the matter.
View attachment 1341998

Those look early. What sock-liner do they have. What size? Great find, Good looking shoe.

 

[suitforcourt]

Finally found a classic pair.

 

[Paul902]

Those look early. What sock-liner do they have. What size? Great find, Good looking shoe.

 

[Jiqea]

View attachment 1342090

That is an very early liner. Note the primitive lettering and depiction of an ancient arrowhead. I have seen a similar example on the cave walls at Lascaux. I believe the shoes were genuine aurochs leather.

 

[nikolau]

I don’t mean to detract from the ongoing conversation of vintage Dacks, but wanted to inquire as to people’s expectations/experience of their current offerings (particularly the Dufferin). They are supposedly bench-made in England on the same lasts as the classic, and come with a hearty looking storm welt to boot. Priced at a small premium over the AE MacNeil, I was curious what folks’ experience of them happens to be.

 

[Jiqea]

I don’t mean to detract from the ongoing conversation of vintage Dacks, but wanted to inquire as to people’s expectations/experience of their current offerings (particularly the Dufferin). They are supposedly bench-made in England on the same lasts as the classic, and come with a hearty looking storm welt to boot. Priced at a small premium over the AE MacNeil, I was curious what folks’ experience of them happens to be.


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I have had several pairs and wore them into the ground. IMO they are a very well made shoe, based on vintage Dacks designs. I only stopped buying them when I realized what great values I could find in the vintage world.

Welcome to the discussion.