Dacks and other Canadian shoe brands

[Dit_rich]

Crocodiles can jump too!

LOL
What about these? Dack's Bond street made in England, marked "D/E 7659A 80, 44471". Camel?

 

[nikolau]

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.

Thank you! As an American resident I don’t have the access your Canadian thrift sources of choice for vintage Dacks, and they don’t seem to come up too often. The only ones currently listed on eBay that can he had in my size are these Kangaroo Chelsea’s and these Vintage Longwings. Alas, it looks like I might have to wait a long while before I can pick up a vintage pair of Canadian Dacks, but they seem to be 20th century shoemaker of note akin (at least in their demise) to Florsheim or Allen Edmonds.

 

[nikolau]

LOL
What about these? Dack's Bond street made in England, marked "D/E 7659A 80, 44471". Camel?
View attachment 1342197

Those are really quite cool.

 

[suitforcourt]

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.


View attachment 1342175

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.

The current Matthew Dacks are made by Joseph Cheaney of England. Shoes are very well made though they tend to use a lot of corrected grain or polished leather, as they call it.

For the price, I agree with @Jiqea that the vintage ones are much better value.

I bought a few pairs of the Cheaney made models right before they went bankrupt. I didn't know my size so I only kept one pair. They are 12 years old, and still going strong after a cobbler rebuilt them.

You can find some Canadian made Dacks on ebay from time to time.

You can also leave your size here. Some of us would be happy to proxy a pair or two.

 

[nikolau]

You can find some Canadian made Dacks on ebay from time to time.

You can also leave your size here. Some of us would be happy to proxy a pair or two.

Thank you, I guess I’ll need to be on the lookout for a vintage pair.

I’m a 13E on a brannock device. I have shoes in the 46-47 range, depending on the last. 46.5 in either a US-equivalent E or on a wide last usually works well for me.

I’d happily accept your offer of someone proxying a pair or two, if they’re up for it and come across something.

I’ve been on a bus the last several hours traveling North West into what Canadians would call “light winter” and what I would consider “bitter cold” and stumbled upon this thread. Beautiful shoes with an interesting heritage.

 

[suitforcourt]

Thank you, I guess I’ll need to be on the lookout for a vintage pair.

I’m a 13E on a brannock device. I have shoes in the 46-47 range, depending on the last. 46.5 in either a US-equivalent E or on a wide last usually works well for me.

I’d happily accept your offer of someone proxying a pair or two, if they’re up for it and come across something.

I’ve been on a bus the last several hours traveling North West into what Canadians would call “light winter” and what I would consider “bitter cold” and stumbled upon this thread. Beutiful shoes with an interesting heritage.

You are likely a 13F or 13G for Dacks. Hard size to find!

 

[Jiqea]

Thank you, I guess I’ll need to be on the lookout for a vintage pair.

I’m a 13E on a brannock device. I have shoes in the 46-47 range, depending on the last. 46.5 in either a US-equivalent E or on a wide last usually works well for me.

I’d happily accept your offer of someone proxying a pair or two, if they’re up for it and come across something.

I’ve been on a bus the last several hours traveling North West into what Canadians would call “light winter” and what I would consider “bitter cold” and stumbled upon this thread. Beautiful shoes with an interesting heritage.

I thrifted a very nice pair of McHale 13EE cap-toes not long ago. McHale was Canada's premier shoe-maker IMO.

Vintage Canadian Made Mchale Black Cap-toe Oxfords, Size 13 EE - Etsy Canada

Here is a spectacular pair of very early 1970’s NOS McHale black cap-toe Oxfords, manufactured in London, Ontario at the John McHale factory. These shoes have only been occasionally worn and show very wear on their sole, heels uppers. They are marked as Size 2E 13 and fit true to size. This is a

www.etsy.com

 

[Jiqea]

LOL
What about these? Dack's Bond street made in England, marked "D/E 7659A 80, 44471". Camel?
View attachment 1342197

I don't believe those to be camel. Pretty much all camel Dacks say genuine camel on the sock-liner. They did make that shoe in camel.

 

[Dit_rich]

I don't believe those to be camel. Pretty much all camel Dacks say genuine camel on the sock-liner. They did make that shoe in camel.

I hoped ((. They only have this undecodable - for me - Cheaney codes.
Well, I picked them cheap and enjoying planning with them anyway (just rapped them in glycerin).

 

[Paul902]

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.

Here is the other shoe for you...

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.


View attachment 1342175

I would love to see more discussion of current Dack's, Hartt's, Viberg, etc. It seems that most of us here are into the vintage for their value proposition, but we are lacking in the new stuff. If you think 13.5D would fit, shoot me a PM. In any case, welcome aboard the Canbus!

I hoped ((. They only have this undecodable - for me - Cheaney codes.
Well, I picked them cheap and enjoying planning with them anyway (just rapped them in glycerin).

I agree with @Jiqea that they are not camel, but I think they are prairie oxhide, not calf, especially because of the way there are dark grain ripples on the toe piece. To wit, my own Bond St are not marked as exotics, either. Here are some pics with the similar coding, for comparison. Show us some more pics after you've finished treating them, please. Enjoy!

 

[Jiqea]

Here is the other shoe for you...

View attachment 1342466




I would love to see more discussion of current Dack's, Hartt's, Viberg, etc. It seems that most of us here are into the vintage for their value proposition, but we are lacking in the new stuff. If you think 13.5D would fit, shoot me a PM. In any case, welcome aboard the Canbus!



I agree with @Jiqea that they are not camel, but I think they are prairie oxhide, not calf, especially because of the way there are dark grain ripples on the toe piece. To wit, my own Bond St are not marked as exotics, either. Here are some pics with the similar coding, for comparison. Show us some more pics after you've finished treating them, please. Enjoy!

View attachment 1342471 View attachment 1342473 View attachment 1342474

Those Hartts date between 1958 and 1968.

 

[Paul902]

Those Hartts date between 1958 and 1968.

Wow, I did not realize that liner ended that early. The slightly nautical shape of the toe and the quality leather supports that, though. They also had a cloth label inside the heel, but it is now gone with the factory. Did Hartt ever use nails on the sole in Custom Grades? These don't have it.

 

[Jiqea]

Wow, I did not realize that liner ended that early. The slightly nautical shape of the toe and the quality leather supports that, though. They also had a cloth label inside the heel, but it is now gone with the factory. Did Hartt ever use nails on the sole in Custom Grades? These don't have it.

View attachment 1342492 View attachment 1342493 View attachment 1342494 View attachment 1342495

Yes Hartts used nails, but only on the double soled shoes. Right up to the mid-80's on a few shoes.

 

[mreams99]

Here is the other shoe for you...

View attachment 1342466




I would love to see more discussion of current Dack's, Hartt's, Viberg, etc. It seems that most of us here are into the vintage for their value proposition, but we are lacking in the new stuff. If you think 13.5D would fit, shoot me a PM. In any case, welcome aboard the Canbus!



I agree with @Jiqea that they are not camel, but I think they are prairie oxhide, not calf, especially because of the way there are dark grain ripples on the toe piece. To wit, my own Bond St are not marked as exotics, either. Here are some pics with the similar coding, for comparison. Show us some more pics after you've finished treating them, please. Enjoy!

View attachment 1342471 View attachment 1342473 View attachment 1342474

I love the grain of prairie oxhide!

 

[PatrickS]

I am on a constant lookout for vintage Dack's, Florsheim, Hartt's and Church's due to this forum and collectively all the advice and observations make for education and entertainment! I have a quandary are these vintage or more recent since they are Made in Canada I thought they would be prior to the move to British manufacturing?