used shell cordovan??

[EricE.]

Hi!
Im very interested in a pair of longwings. There are very often old used shoes made by
florsheim imperial or allen edmonds (macneil). The other day i saw an auction with these shoes...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Mens-Florsheim-I...3A1%7C294%3A50

that is how many of these old shoes look like, that can be bought on ebay. are those shell cordovan?
can i make them look new even if they are in state like the shoes in the auction? If yes, would it
be a lot of work??

thanks
eric

 

[EricE.]

no one???

 

[Tarmac]

the ones in your link look too beat. It is very difficult to restore leather which has started disintegrating (around the ankle lining).

There are tons of serviceable used shell cordovan on ebay, if you are prepared to spend about $100-150 you can find some nice examples. Not for $20 though.

 

[EricE.]

are those shell cordovan? is that what it is supposed to look like? and COULD they be restored...im asking this, because this is an example of shoes not been taking care of a lot, and there are many like those on ebay.

 

[NH_Clark]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

the ones in your link look too beat. It is very difficult to restore leather which has started disintegrating (around the ankle lining).

There are tons of serviceable used shell cordovan on ebay, if you are prepared to spend about $100-150 you can find some nice examples. Not for $20 though.

+1

or you can go the Buying & Selling forum and find some very good, or close to new, shell cordovan shoes from trusted sellers and take the guessing out of the process.

In particular, distinctive and rebel222 consistently have shell inventory as well as others.

 

[Tarmac]

Originally Posted by EricE.

are those shell cordovan? is that what it is supposed to look like? and COULD they be restored...im asking this, because this is an example of shoes not been taking care of a lot, and there are many like those on ebay.

yes they appear to be shell cordovan. The problem isn't the shell, which looks okay condition, but rather the incidental ankle lining which appears to be shredding apart. I don't know of a cheap way to restore this lining. The outsole is also well worn. You are looking at $70 for a resole and unknown $$$ for the lining repair, if even possible. Instead of doing that you could just buy serviceable used shoes from the start for $125.

 

[EricE.]

thanks for the answer.
when i buy worn shoes i allways think of the new soles. that was taken into account. i guess this is normal.
and i think the ankle lining is not a common problem (correct me if im wrong), at least i havent seen any other shoes with this kind of problem.
and on the other hand, this would not bother me at all, as this part is covered by the pants anyways. and if they dont fall apart, i wouldnt care.

a little bit patina or a little bit more, makes the shoe interesting

 

[rebel222]

Originally Posted by NH_Clark

+1

or you can go the Buying & Selling forum and find some very good, or close to new, shell cordovan shoes from trusted sellers and take the guessing out of the process.

In particular, distinctive and rebel222 consistently have shell inventory as well as others.

Thanks for the plug...

Seriously, with my sales interest aside, I would stay away from heavily used Shell shoes. They dry out and crack... Also, the creases collect grime and that looks terrible. There are ways to revive some shoes, but on eBay you never know until they show up @ your door. If the shoes are lightly worn or properly maintained then it is a simple project to restore them. Some people just don't take care of their shoes.

On the vintage stuff, there wasn't much of a premium, at the time, for shell cordovan, so there was no incentive to maintain them properly.


PM me with your sizing info & budget. I will get something good for you.