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smfdoc

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Wearing my Florsheim 93606 PTBs on an overcast San Francisco morning.



AHS
Wow, what a great patina. And to get that kind of shine on an overcast day is amazing. Great shoes.
 
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Allen Dreadmon

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Wearing my Florsheim 93606 PTBs on an overcast San Francisco morning.

700



AHS

I would love to obtain a pair of these. Are they on the same last as the 93605?
 

smfdoc

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Quote:

I would love to obtain a pair of these. Are they on the same last as the 93605?

In all my reading, I have yet to hear any discussion of Florsheim using different lasts during that time period. I would expect them to be the same. Perhaps David from the vcleat.com will weigh in on lasts used at that time.
 

AHS

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In all my reading, I have yet to hear any discussion of Florsheim using different lasts during that time period. I would expect them to be the same. Perhaps David from the vcleat.com will weigh in on lasts used at that time.


That is my understanding, as well.

Once caveat, however, is that I have come across specific pairs that fit differently than others of the exact same model. Twice I purchased longwings in a size 11 C (my typical fit in vintage Florsheims) that felt narrower / smaller, like a 10.5 C or 11 B. One possibility is that they came out of the factory this way: the shoes were (mostly?) handmade and there could be some slight variation on any given pair. I guess another possibility is that the leather tightened over the decades?

Allen Dreadmon, what size are you?

AHS
 

AHS

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I've been building up my collection / rotation of vintage Florsheims. Here are the highlights...

93605 #8 shell longwing. My favorite.

700

700


93606 #8 shell PTB

700

700


96624 black calf longwing. At the bottom of the rotation, but I had to have a pair of black longwings.

700

700


32601 #8 shell PTB. According to our resident scholar, David at vcleat.com, these are from 1958.

700

700


93631 golden harvest calf longwing. Check out the original box.

700


93230 #8 shell Yuma loafer. Paid more $$ than I would normally shell (ha!) out for vintage shoes, but I rationalized that I might never see this model again in my size.

700

700


Thanks for indulging me and my awful iPhone photos.

AHS
 

smfdoc

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I've been building up my collection / rotation of vintage Florsheims. Here are the highlights...

93605 #8 shell longwing. My favorite.

700

700


93606 #8 shell PTB

700

700


96624 black calf longwing. At the bottom of the rotation, but I had to have a pair of black longwings.

700

700


32601 #8 shell PTB. According to our resident scholar, David at vcleat.com, these are from 1958.

700

700


93631 golden harvest calf longwing. Check out the original box.

700


93230 #8 shell Yuma loafer. Paid more $$ than I would normally shell (ha!) out for vintage shoes, but I rationalized that I might never see this model again in my size.

700

700


Thanks for indulging me and my awful iPhone photos.

AHS


Those are great and you were right about the Yuma. Those are pretty rare and those are a great pair.
 

smfdoc

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If you are a 10.5C, I have two Florsheim Imperials that need a new home. The first is the brown long wing 93602 and the second is the 93606 shell plain toe blucher. Both are 5 nail soles with a V cleat heel. Nice additions to anyone building a few vintage shoes into their collection. PM me if interested.
 

Allen Dreadmon

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That is my understanding, as well.

Once caveat, however, is that I have come across specific pairs that fit differently than others of the exact same model. Twice I purchased longwings in a size 11 C (my typical fit in vintage Florsheims) that felt narrower / smaller, like a 10.5 C or 11 B. One possibility is that they came out of the factory this way: the shoes were (mostly?) handmade and there could be some slight variation on any given pair. I guess another possibility is that the leather tightened over the decades?

Allen Dreadmon, what size are you?

AHS


I am a 9C but would also consider 8.5D.
 

meister

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Edwin Clapp 1940s/50s New Englanders in black.

700


700



Like DFW says when the leather dries out pas a certain point you can't get it back. Hence the surface cracking on the vamps But underneath is is sound.
 

DWFII

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Edwin Clapp 1940s/50s New Englanders in black.


Like DFW says when the leather dries out pas a certain point you can't get it back. Hence the surface cracking on the vamps But underneath is is sound.


Actually, when the leather gets to that point, the best thing to do is stop wearing them. It may look solid underneath but believe me it's only a matter of degree and continued flexing will only exacerbate the problem until the cracks open up entirely.
 
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meister

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Actually, when the leather gets to that point, the best thing to do is stop wearing them. It may look solid underneath but believe me it's only a matter of degree and continued flexing will only exacerbate the problem until the cracks open up entirely.


Saying all that DWFII these are more like a surface horizontal delaminating than a deep into the body leather vertical crack - like the Prince Charles variety.

I have some other shoes that have a similar but not so advanced problem and I have worn and continue to wear them for years.
 
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meister

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Not bad for 70+ years old these Crosby Squares spades!

700
 

smfdoc

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Not bad for 70+ years old these Crosby Squares spades!


I do like many of your other shoes, but those are just stunning. I especially like the double row of contrast stitching on the welt up front.
 

smfdoc

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One occasionally runs across a vintage item connected with our favorite brand of shoes. In this case it is an Alden travel shoe shine kit. This item was made in Italy and uses crocodile on the lid. It appears to contain a horse hair brush, a tube of shoe cream, application brush and a shoe horn. I am surprised that the brushes appear to be lower in quality with widely spaced bristles. But this may have been created as something to just get a man through a trip and back home where the shoes can be properly maintained. I have no idea when this item was created or its distribution. I think the $166 being asked by the Ebay seller is optimistic, but to a diehard Alden guy it may be just the ticket.







 

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