Dacks and other Canadian shoe brands

[Jiqea]

Can't remember if I've ever posted this...

Phillips Rubber Soles 1918-19:


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And 1944:


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Here is a pair of made in England 1930's cap-toes that I thrifted last year in NOS condition, and in my size!! They have the earliest Phillips heels that I have seen. I always wonder how this stuff survives. Perhaps these heels were on that truck!

 

[lbgradwell]

Here is a pair of made in England 1930's cap-toes that I thrifted last year in NOS condition, and in my size!! They have the earliest Phillips heels that I have seen. I always wonder how this stuff survives. Perhaps these heels were on that truck!

Magnificent. Those really did last much longer!

 

[Jiqea]

Magnificent. Those really did last much longer!

I wish I knew the maker. Zero markings. Hidden welting with a tucked waist. They are one of my favourite pairs.

 

[Dit_rich]

Here is a pair of made in England 1930's cap-toes that I thrifted last year in NOS condition

My God! I would never make myself to put them on. Have Florsheim in NOS and keep looking at them in like "maybe when the weather gets better" excuse . And those are made in India. England 30s, incredible, fantastic shoes!

 

[Jiqea]

The local Value Villages occasionally put out small bags of vintage shoelaces in the knitting supply area. I have managed to pick up a lifetime supply of useful lengths, colours and styles at an average cost of about .24 cents. If you get skunked for shoes you can often get a small win by finding laces. My tip for the day is that you should know where the shoe trees and the laces are shelved in your own stores. I learned these skills at the feet of Master Thrifter @Paul902

 

[Jiqea]

My God! I would never make myself to put them on. Have Florsheim in NOS and keep looking at them in like "maybe when the weather gets better" excuse . And those are made in India. England 30s, incredible, fantastic shoes!

I wore them out to a concert in the fall. It was hard, but they will never be for sale so I might as well use them. I think I could get by with about 10 pairs of dress shoes, 6 pairs of dress boots, 2 pairs of winter boots and a pair of gym sneakers. But I want them all to be the best. Life is just too short to wear ****** shoes.

 

[Paul902]

The local Value Villages occasionally put out small bags of vintage shoelaces in the knitting supply area. I have managed to pick up a lifetime supply of useful lengths, colours and styles at an average cost of about .24 cents. If you get skunked for shoes you can often get a small win by finding laces. My tip for the day is that you should know where the shoe trees and the laces are shelved in your own stores. I learned these skills at the feet of Master Thrifter @Paul902

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Comes in so handy when you thrift a pair of shoes without laces, or when a guy comes to your house to buy a pair and breaks a lace, which happened to me the other day.

 

[Dit_rich]

The local Value Villages occasionally put out small bags of vintage shoelaces in the knitting supply area. I have managed to pick up a lifetime supply of useful lengths, colours and styles at an average cost of about .24 cents

Thank you for this hint! I am packed on shoe-trees - seems that VV put out a new pair everytime I buy one, but laces I definitely mist to look for.

 

[Jiqea]

Thank you for this hint! I am packed on shoe-trees - seems that VV put out a new pair everytime I buy one, but laces I definitely mist to look for.

Yes, but you need period correct vintage she trees for your keeper shoes. That adds to the challenge.

 

[lbgradwell]

I never thought I'd envy shoelace collections.

As to laces or shoe trees locally? There are NONE of either, much less period correct!

 

[Dit_rich]

Yes, but you need period correct vintage she trees for your keeper shoes. That adds to the challenge.

I think I have a couple ;-) - I am picky and very snobbish about them.

 

[Jiqea]

Joy of joys, the British Boot Shop of Calgary McHale gunboats that @Dit_rich posted last week arrived at noon today. They are Size 10.5EE and they will end up with my wide-footed son, who was born about two kilometers from the factory in which these shoes were made. They really didn't require much work, but I washed them and cleaned the welts, removed a bit of old polish with Renomat, moisturized with Bicks 4, dressed the edges, and polished with a bit of clear Collonil Supreme Creme de Lux. I also put in some new laces, put they may get changed to a darker pair.

The shoes were a private label offering by the British Boot Shop (BBS) but they are for all intents and purposes the Canadian version of the Florsheim Imperial that was built by McHale. These shoes have the Made in Canada maple leaf printed mid-sole on the sock-liner indicating they were made in the 70's or early 80's. For interest's sake, the last few pictures show one of the "Florsheim/BBS" shoes side-by side with a John McHale signature shoe from the same era. Both have thick double soles, with the McHales being perhaps a 32nd of an inch thicker. The McHales have nailed leather heels and the BBS shoes have Goodyear heels, however many Florsheims by McHale had leather soles. In this case the choice of soles would have been determined by the British Boot Shop.

The McHale shoes have a deeper reddish brown colour and larger brogue holes on the toe box, while the Mchales are short-wing Bluchers and the BBS are long-wings. The McHales have their signature John McHale "box-barring" on the base of the lace stays and have gold 360 storm welt versus the black 360 storm welt on the BBS shoes. Both shoes have the classic McHale doubled and stitched sock-liners, and both have the MIC maple leaf. The heel height is almost identical, with perhaps a very slight nod to the McHales. Overall both shoes are of a wonderful quality.

Thank you so much @Dit_rich for passing these on to me. They will be in the family for many years to come!

 

[suitforcourt]

Joy of joys, the British Boot Shop of Calgary McHale gunboats that @Dit_rich posted last week arrived at noon today. They are Size 10.5EE and they will end up with my big footed son, who was born about two kilometers from the factory in which these shoes were made. They really didn't require much work, but I washed them and cleaned the welts, removed a bit of old polish with Renomat, moisturized with Bicks 4, dressed the edges, and polished with a bit of clear Collonil Supreme Creme de Lux. I also put in some new laces, put they may get changed to a darker pair.

The shoes were a private label offering by the British Boot Shop (BBS) but they are for all intents and purposes the Canadian version of the Florsheim Imperial that was built by McHale. These shoes have the Made in Canada maple leaf printed mid-sole on the sock-liner indicating they were made in the 70's or early 80's. For interest's sake, the last few pictures show one of the "Florsheim/BBS" shoes side-by side with a John McHale signature shoe from the same era. Both have thick double soles, with the McHales being perhaps a 32nd of an inch thicker. The McHales have nailed leather heels and the BBS shoes have Goodyear heels, however many Florsheims by McHale had leather soles. In this case the choice of soles would have been determined by the British Boot Shop.

The McHale shoes have a deeper reddish brown colour and larger brogue holes, with a gold 360 storm welt versus the black 360.storm welt on the BBS shoes Both shoes have the classic McHale doubled and stitched sock-liners, and both have the MIC maple leaf. The heel height is almost identical, with perhaps a very slight nod to the McHales. Overall both shoes are of a wonderful quality.

Thank you so much @Dit_rich for passing these on to me. They will be in the family for many years to come!

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They are a dead replica for my pair of Florsheim by John McHale - the medallion, leather material, stitching, and even the soles. Love 'em.

 

[Dit_rich]

Thank you so much @Dit_rich for passing these on to me. They will be in the family for many years to come!

I am very happy you like them. It was a great pleasure to be helpful - just a small thank you for everything you do for the forum.

 

[Jiqea]

I was panning through the gravel at the local VV last week and came up with this MIC Nugget Shoe Polish brush. A quick perusal of the newspaper archives indicates that Nugget Shoe Polish advertisements can be found between 1909 and 1972. The first write-up is from 1909, while the second ad is from 1942. The 1942 advert uses the same font as is on my brush.