Dacks and other Canadian shoe brands

[Jiqea]

VINTAGE VIOLATION (although from a 90 year old Canadian firm)

Pictured below is one of a pair of black shell plain-toe derbys that are currently under construction for me by Viberg. Brett was kind enough to send me this photo shortly after they were put on the last earlier today. They go on wet, and will stay on the last for approximately five days.

They are being built on the 2020 last, which works well for my foot and I think gives the shoe a nice elegant vintage look. They will end up looking like the finished pair below, although that pair is on the 2030 last, which has a more rounded generous toe. My pair will also differ in have double leather soles, with black edges rather than the natural. They will have the contrasting white stitching.

 

[Jiqea]

Today I picked up this pair of mid 1950's John McHale Custom shoes built for sale by Saks 5th Ave. The shoes that Scott McHale built for sale by Saks in New York, Owens-Elmes in Toronto and Ben B Berkes in Detroit all had subtle upgrades from the main Custom Grade line, and are the very best shoes that McHale built post 1950.

This pair has a nasty tear on the heel of the right shoe which is unfortunate. However i will send them to Gary Coakley In London Ontario. His shop is one short city block from the location of the factory in which these shoes were built. I will post better pictures and detail the repair work sometime early next year.

These shoes were built on a last I have not seen before with McHale. Quite an elegant toe. 9.5D.

In a separate purchase I picked up a pair of period correct Saks John McHale shoe bags. Tout ensemble!

 

[Jiqea]

Has anyone seen this "Custom Made" stamp on a vintage Canadian shoe? I have a pair coming in with it on them and I post a full description when they arrive. I suspect it dates to the early 60's. Thanks.

 

[dadjeans]

Has anyone seen this "Custom Made" stamp on a vintage Canadian shoe? I have a pair coming in with it on them and I post a full description when they arrive. I suspect it dates to the early 60's. Thanks.

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I knew I'd seen that before! It's on the John Ritchie shoes quoted below.

Thanks to @Jiqea for posting this ad last year. I believe these are the 305 style from the ad but custom dyed in a redder hue.
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Spoiler

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[Jiqea]

I knew I'd seen that before! It's on the John Ritchie shoes quoted below.

Wow. that was fast. That is super. That is amazing. I am so pleased. That will let me tell the whole story when the shoes come in. And its a good one!

Thanks!!!!

Here is another one.

 

[dadjeans]

Wow. that was fast. That is super. That is amazing. I am so pleased. That will let me tell the whole story when the shoes come in. And its a good one!

Thanks!!!!

You're very welcome! Glad I could help you instead of the other way around for once! Looking forward to the story...

 

[Jiqea]

I was looking through V-Cleats archives and stumbled across this pair of Slater 1950's Austerity U-wings that I though we should have documented in our thread for future reference. They are to die for.

 

[goatamous II]

Wait
@tonylamerCJC are those yours?
That carpet looks familiar

 

[tonylamerCJC]

Wait
@tonylamerCJC are those yours?
That carpet looks familiar

Yep, those were mine. Found at the Value Village at Keele/Wilson in Toronto and sold to a forum-member in Utah. They were so solid you could have used them to chisel stone.

 

[mackbrad]

I was looking through V-Cleats archives and stumbled across this pair of Slater 1950's Austerity U-wings that I though we should have documented in our thread for future reference. They are to die for.


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Beautiful. I see nothing austere about them!

 

[Jiqea]

Beautiful. I see nothing austere about them!

I agree entirely. It is simply the lack of brogue work that earns them that distinction. I would love to own that pair. simply super.

 

[Jiqea]

I stopped at a thrift store in Ottawa the other day and found this pair of 1960's "McHale Shoes" built from Corfam, the Dupont made leather "substitute". I had to document them as I have never seen a pair before, or even an advert for Corfam McHales. I left them on the shelf. At least we know they will not go bad!

 

[Jiqea]

As we know, in early 1959 the Scott-McHale company was purchased by Savage shoes of Cambridge, the Canadian subsidiary of the US shoe giant, Interco, which also owned Florsheim. From 1944 on McHale had marketed two lines of shoes; the John McHale Custom shoe being the premier offering, while the Scott-McHale shoe was a slightly lower grade. As ancillary note, the "Astoria" was the top grade prior to 1944.

With the purchase of McHale by Interco, change was in the wind, and the old Scott-McHale marque was retired and the lower quality line was rebranded as "The McHale Shoe". The Scott-McHale shoes in the 50's, while a second tier, had been very fine quality indeed, while the rebranded "McHale Shoe" quickly fell to the level of the Florsheim Blue label offerings.

I recently acquired a lovely pair of cap-toe Oxfords branded as the McHale Shoe which must have been made very close to the time of the transition. They are the only "McHale Shoe" that I have seen with nailed leather heels, and the build quality is exceptional. Pictured below are three photos of my pair followed by three pictures of the same shoe branded as a Scott-McHale from the late 50's. My pair are a 10.5D, while the Scott-McHale pair are a 6.5D, so the proportions differ and the Scott-McHale pair has metal eye grommets, but there can be no doubt they are the same shoe. This style was one of the very few "McHale Shoes" that did not diminish significantly in quality and it continued to be offered with rubber heels in low numbers through the 70's. It was a favourite of RCMP officers who could have the price of their purchase reimbursed rather than wearing the standard issue Hartt shoes.

 

[suitforcourt]

Dacks in black captoe to receive judgement on a trial. Usually Friday is a casual fun dress up day. But not today.

The Crown is also a shoe guy. He thinks acquittal. I think otherwise. Winner gets a new pair of shoes.

 

[Bjorling]

Dacks in black captoe to receive judgement on a trial. Usually Friday is a casual fun dress up day. But not today.

The Crown is also a shoe guy. He thinks acquittal. I think otherwise. Winner gets a new pair of shoes.

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good luck!
what brand of shoes does the winner get?