Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[kilowatts]

Funny how we shoe guys seem to have a collective memory. I remember my Boy Scout boots quite well as they were somewhat controversial at the time. They were US made moc-toes and as I was raised in the UK in the conservative 1950’s my scoutmaster was aghast when he saw them. Muttering something about second class colonials etc. Little did he know, eh?
Kilowatts

 

[suitforcourt]

Funny how we shoe guys seem to have a collective memory. I remember my Boy Scout boots quite well as they were somewhat controversial at the time. They were US made moc-toes and as I was raised in the UK in the conservative 1950’s my scoutmaster was aghast when he saw them. Muttering something about second class colonials etc. Little did he know, eh?
Kilowatts

Wow. What would he have called my family members in Hong Kong?

 

[VintageZealot]

Does the FR stamped on the sole stand for Factory Reject, Factory Recraft, or something else?

Some boots for a change! Allen Edmonds Winchester zipper boots in 9476 Burgundy Polished Calf (not cobbler) from 1985. These boots fit very well and get a lot of attention. Since it's been rainy/snowy weather for a few weeks now I've been wearing these a lot more. The pictures were taken when the weather was nicer.



The date code suggests these were made on October 3rd 1985.

 

[CWOyaji]

Allen Edmonds factory recraft would be a hammer marking on the sole. I'm inclined to think the FR means factory reject. Nice looking shoes, though.

 

[friendlygoz]

Does the FR stamped on the sole stand for Factory Reject, Factory Recraft, or something else?

Some boots for a change! Allen Edmonds Winchester zipper boots in 9476 Burgundy Polished Calf (not cobbler) from 1985. These boots fit very well and get a lot of attention. Since it's been rainy/snowy weather for a few weeks now I've been wearing these a lot more. The pictures were taken when the weather was nicer.
View attachment 1711653
View attachment 1711654
View attachment 1711655
The date code suggests these were made on October 3rd 1985.
View attachment 1711656
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Those are really cool. I always thought that stamp stood for “factory reject” (i.e., factory seconds). I have a pair with the same stamp and I can’t find any flaws. That is often the case with contemporary F2s.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

I wonder if anyone in this group and others from the various Facebook groups would be interested in a sort of Shoe Show or convention?

I think it would be fun to have a weekend thing — maybe next summer? We could pick a centrally located City. And have a show maybe semi sponsored by AE or Alden or even Florsheim. They could bring styles they want to introduce. We could have a swap meet where people bring vintage shoes they want to sell. We could have some demonstrations from our gifted Cobblers. Or a speaker from Horween? This is all just brainstorming at this point. Maybe a dinner with a silent auction to raise money for Charity?

We could combine the shoe challenge into it? In order to pay for a ballroom/convention room, we would have to have some pretty firm commitments. I bet we could talk AE into making one of their trunk show stops there.

 

[friendlygoz]

Nettleton shell saddles today’s.

 

[friendlygoz]

I wonder if anyone in this group and others from the various Facebook groups would be interested in a sort of Shoe Show or convention?

I think it would be fun to have a weekend thing — maybe next summer? We could pick a centrally located City. And have a show maybe semi sponsored by AE or Alden or even Florsheim. They could bring styles they want to introduce. We could have a swap meet where people bring vintage shoes they want to sell. We could have some demonstrations from our gifted Cobblers. Or a speaker from Horween? This is all just brainstorming at this point. Maybe a dinner with a silent auction to raise money for Charity?

We could combine the shoe challenge into it? In order to pay for a ballroom/convention room, we would have to have some pretty firm commitments. I bet we could talk AE into making one of their trunk show stops there.

I wonder if anyone in this group and others from the various Facebook groups would be interested in a sort of Shoe Show or convention?

I think it would be fun to have a weekend thing — maybe next summer? We could pick a centrally located City. And have a show maybe semi sponsored by AE or Alden or even Florsheim. They could bring styles they want to introduce. We could have a swap meet where people bring vintage shoes they want to sell. We could have some demonstrations from our gifted Cobblers. Or a speaker from Horween? This is all just brainstorming at this point. Maybe a dinner with a silent auction to raise money for Charity?

We could combine the shoe challenge into it? In order to pay for a ballroom/convention room, we would have to have some pretty firm commitments. I bet we could talk AE into making one of their trunk show stops there.

I love the idea. It's something folks on the thread have thrown out there a few times. Is there a convention where shoes companies like Alden and/or AE show off their new lineups? If there is, it might be good to piggyback on it. I have no capacity to organize but would try very hard to attend. I'd pack 1 pair of socks, 1 pair of underwear, a toothbrush, and 15 pairs of shoes.

 

[ccpl14]

Here’s a recent find:

Custom Florsheim Imperials.
Can anyone ID the material?

Given that, any tips on the best cleaning/conditioning product to use? I don’t own any reptan, but have just about everything else.

Also, no size or it rubbed off, but they fit perfectly!

 

[Jiqea]

I finally made it across the border today. These 1930's shoe display stands had been waiting 18 months. Hard to believe. I added them to my John McHale shrine. My lovely wife is sooooo patient with me.

 

[sam67]

Here’s a recent find:
View attachment 1712471 View attachment 1712472 View attachment 1712473
Custom Florsheim Imperials.
Can anyone ID the material?

Given that, any tips on the best cleaning/conditioning product to use? I don’t own any reptan, but have just about everything else.

Also, no size or it rubbed off, but they fit perfectly!

Isn't it gator? My vote is get the reptan. Does great on my shark. Though I get no sponsorship, I am a Saphir fan.

 

[CWOyaji]

Here’s a recent find:
View attachment 1712471 View attachment 1712472 View attachment 1712473
Custom Florsheim Imperials.
Can anyone ID the material?

Given that, any tips on the best cleaning/conditioning product to use? I don’t own any reptan, but have just about everything else.

Also, no size or it rubbed off, but they fit perfectly!

I also vote gator. And I agree that Reptan is worth spending a little extra for. There must be something about the size of the molecules that it gets into gator and croc skin better than the usual moisturizers we use. I use a hairdryer to warm up the shoes before I apply it, then buff once they've cooled down.

 

[ccpl14]

Isn't it gator? My vote is get the reptan. Does great on my shark. Though I get no sponsorship, I am a Saphir fan.

I also vote gator. And I agree that Reptan is worth spending a little extra for. There must be something about the size of the molecules that it gets into gator and croc skin better than the usual moisturizers we use. I use a hairdryer to warm up the shoes before I apply it, then buff once they've cooled down.

Thanks both. I had almost ruled out gator since I had always assumed that its scales were more uniform in size and smaller. Looking closely, I also see no sign of the pore that would indicate croc, so I was thinking maybe caiman.

In any case, Reptan should be incoming soon.

 

[sam67]

I also vote gator. And I agree that Reptan is worth spending a little extra for. There must be something about the size of the molecules that it gets into gator and croc skin better than the usual moisturizers we use. I use a hairdryer to warm up the shoes before I apply it, then buff once they've cooled down.

I'll have to try the hairdryer. Thanks

 

[Jiqea]

Among my pickups in Ogdensburg today were these two pairs of Dacks whole-cuts. The brown pair are labelled as S.E. Dacks and were made sometime between 1952 and early 1958. The black pair are the latest that I have seen in this style and date to circa 1990, although they have all the stampings of the shoes as made in the 1960's and only differ in the sock-liner; a real throwback pair. Both are water bison and my size at 10.5D. I have been waiting 18 months to pick up the SE Dack pair, and only a week for the black "Bespoke Quality" pair.