Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[MattRiv]

What do you call a chukka when it has no laces?
These were made by Foot Joy.

I've got some loafers from Foot Joy that are very well made.

 

[petejefferson]

Hey everyone, long time lurker but first time poster. For a while I've wanted to try my hand at restoring an old pair of shoes so I'm looking for just the right candidate. I prefer loafers, and I have a wide foot (9.5 E or EE typically), any ideas what I should look out for? I see lots of V-cleat Florsheims on eBay, but finding a nice looking pair of loafers can be difficult and I don't know exactly what to look for.

 

[smfdoc]

Hey everyone, long time lurker but first time poster. For a while I've wanted to try my hand at restoring an old pair of shoes so I'm looking for just the right candidate. I prefer loafers, and I have a wide foot (9.5 E or EE typically), any ideas what I should look out for? I see lots of V-cleat Florsheims on eBay, but finding a nice looking pair of loafers can be difficult and I don't know exactly what to look for.

Sorry, but that is outside my expertise and others may be able to make a suggestion. The only loafer in my house, according to my wife, is ME. I will stick with the vintage oxfords.

 

[makewayhomer]



What do you call a chukka when it has no laces?
These were made by Foot Joy.

believe that is a George boot

see also

http://www.theshoemart.com/alden-me...grain-91674c?gclid=CKbN7LHv_c8CFUZehgodMYEEJg

 

[AHS]

PSA. Not my listing, but a great deal for someone looking for a pair of 96624 Florsheim black royal imperial longwings. Comes with box and bags. These won't last long.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Flo...993927?hash=item4657dfc6c7:g:MkwAAOSwal5YE5-2

AHS

 

[smfdoc]

Another PSA. In my quest for more vintage shoes I collected these 93602 and 96204 Florsheims made in 1968 and 1969. They are 6E in size and, for some reason, seem a bit small for my 11 EEE foot. It is good to see shoes of this age in such great condition. Any 6E forum members are welcome to PM me. Or maybe a forum member who has a son of this size.

 

[MattRiv]

So, I'm selling this pair of 12 B vintage Bostonian Shell Cordovan PTBs for a good price if anyone is interested. Pricing Negotiable.

IMO, these are beautiful variation of the color #8 that you don't normally see. Wish they fit me!







http://www.styleforum.net/t/529877/vintage-8-shell-cordovan-bostonian-crown-windsor-ptb-11-5-12-b

 

[smfdoc]



So, I'm selling this pair of 12 B vintage Bostonian Shell Cordovan PTBs for a good price if anyone is interested. Pricing Negotiable. IMO, these are beautiful variation of the color #8 that you don't normally see. Wish they fit me! http://www.styleforum.net/t/529877/vintage-8-shell-cordovan-bostonian-crown-windsor-ptb-11-5-12-b

Love the color on those. It's kind of a cross between #8 and whiskey. Wish they fit me and I would get them in a second.

 

[smfdoc]

The search for vintage can lead one to search high and low and occasionally spend a few dollars on the roll of the dice. Such was the case when I bought these made in USA shoes sold by Sears "Where America shops." Sears did sell some cordovan shoes made by Hanover and the bad photos were sufficient for me to spend a few bucks on the chance they may be shell. Well, no such luck. Their appearance was produced by "Corfam", a synthetic leather made by DuPont. Since you may encounter Corfam in your own searches, this seemed like a great opportunity to pass on some information.



The leather substitute
In the mid-1960s, chemical giant DuPont invested millions in the promotion of Corfam, a synthetic substitute for leather. But although Corfam was launched in 1963, it had been conceived many years before. Indeed, in the late 1930s researchers at DuPont had discovered ways to make leather-like materials and had experimented with various possible uses. One of the most obvious uses was for footwear. Demographic trends were starting to indicate that the global population was increasing at such a rate that there would soon be a demand for footwear from non-animal sources.

DuPont therefore believed the world would greet the arrival of their hardwearing, shine-preserving, water-repelling leather look-a-like. And indeed, when the product made its first public appearance at the Chicago Shoe Show in the autumn of 1963, it was greeted enthusiastically.

All DuPont had to do now was to find out where exactly Corfam’s place in the footwear market would be. The company had predicted that by 1984, a quarter of US shoes would be made from Corfam, but to do that it would first need to carve a niche for itself. In the United States of 1963, the footwear market could be divided into the following percentages:

• 47 per cent Women’s shoes
• 20 per cent Children’s shoes
• 18 per cent Men’s shoes
• 15 per cent Athletic footwear/Other

Clearly if Corfam was to become as big as it could be, it would need to be used by manufacturers of women’s shoes. It soon became clear, however, that the female shoe market was itself divided – between comfy, everyday shoes and ‘fashion’ shoes made for special occasions.
For all Corfam’s strengths, it was not as flexible or ‘skin-like’ as ordinary leather, and therefore was not suited for those shoes designed for comfort or everyday use. So fashion shoes seemed to be the solution. And yet, even here there was a problem. A synthetic material called polyvinyl chloride (now known to us as PVC) was fast becoming popular owing to its extreme low cost.
Vinyl shoes, which could be colored or embossed very easily, were perfect for women looking for a ‘throwaway’ pair which may be worn once or twice at special occasions before being discarded.

Furthermore, the leather industry was keen to dampen the appeal of Corfam by lowering its prices and improving quality. This factor, combined with the growing popularity of vinyl shoes, led to DuPont’s announcement in March 1971 that they were to withdraw Corfam. On 11 April 1971, the New York Times referred to Corfam as ‘Du Pont’s $100 million Edsel.’

 

[Allen Dreadmon]

I'm interested in a picking up a pair of vintage Hanover shell PTBs. I have never tried Hanovers before. Should I size the same as my Florsheims?

Thanks.

 

[smfdoc]

I'm interested in a picking up a pair of vintage Hanover shell PTBs. I have never tried Hanovers before. Should I size the same as my Florsheims?

Thanks.

I have shell and calf Florsheims and calf Hanovers. I find them all to fit the same, with shell being a tad looser as it cannot be pulled as tightly as calf during construction. I find them both to be true to size for me.

 

[Allen Dreadmon]

I have shell and calf Florsheims and calf Hanovers. I find them all to fit the same, with shell being a tad looser as it cannot be pulled as tightly as calf during construction. I find them both to be true to size for me.

Thank you for the quick reply! Any pointers on determining the year of production? The pair I'm looking at says "HANOVER Since 1899" on the sole and "insole".

 

[smfdoc]

Quote:
Hanovers are harder to date than Florsheims. Production ended in 1996 while they were still made in the USA. In the late 1960s(?), the Hanover Imperial brand was replaced with “LB Sheppard Signatures”. The LB Sheppard line appears to have ended in the 1980s and “Masterflex” or “Masterflex Signature” was used instead. Maybe others have additional tricks to pass on.

 

[Smith Premier]

I have been an occasional lurker around here, but finding this interesting thread made me rush to register. Shoes posted on this thread have been simply gorgeous!

Vintage shoes originally caught my interest some years ago because of their aesthetics and style, as well as of the opportunity to find very good quality at affordable prices on ebay. Well, as we all know, the finds you make on ebay don´t always turn out out to be as good as you hoped for: smelly shoes, bad fit, wrong size marked by the seller, defects, etc.

After a learning curve and collecting by aid of trial and error, I have now some half a dozen vintage shoes in my collection, and in use of course.

These Dack´s were made in Canada somewhere around the end of 50´s or early 60´s, and I am really happy about how well they have been maintained by their original owner, as they are still in perfect condition. These were custom made, but they fit me very well. I consider these to be my parade shoes.



These spade shoes have no manufacturers name on them, but according to the well-informed seller from whom I bought these on ebay, it´s apparently a pair made by Connolly´s for Thom Mcan in the 1940´s. I´m impressed about the rock-solid structure and quality of the leather. They fit very nicely and are comfortable on the feet. Then again, they do look a bit old-fashioned. But next time I get a chance to wear my dad´s old three-piece pinstripe suit, this pair will get a chance to get out of the closet and see some action, too.

 

[smfdoc]



I have been an occasional lurker around here, but finding this interesting thread made me rush to register. Shoes posted on this thread have been simply gorgeous! Vintage shoes originally caught my interest some years ago because of their aesthetics and style, as well as of the opportunity to find very good quality at affordable prices on ebay. Well, as we all know, the finds you make on ebay don´t always turn out out to be as good as you hoped for: smelly shoes, bad fit, wrong size marked by the seller, defects, etc. After a learning curve and collecting by aid of trial and error, I have now some half a dozen vintage shoes in my collection, and in use of course. These Dack´s were made in Canada somewhere around the end of 50´s or early 60´s, and I am really happy about how well they have been maintained by their original owner, as they are still in perfect condition. These were custom made, but they fit me very well. I consider these to be my parade shoes. These spade shoes have no manufacturers name on them, but according to the well-informed seller from whom I bought these on ebay, it´s apparently a pair made by Connolly´s for Thom Mcan in the 1940´s. I´m impressed about the rock-solid structure and quality of the leather. They fit very nicely and are comfortable on the feet. Then again, they do look a bit old-fashioned. But next time I get a chance to wear my dad´s old three-piece pinstripe suit, this pair will get a chance to get out of the closet and see some action, too.

Great shoes and welcome to the forum and the thread. Share pictures and info on you other shoes when the occasion allows.