Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[sam67]

Mmmmmmm. Forbidden shoes.

Sea turtle chukkas from Lee Kee.

For what it's worth, they fit fine but are NOT comfortable. Probably serves me right.
View attachment 1744646

Everything is renewable!

 

[barutanseijin]

Correct about thrift stores. Selection varies by city. Vegas thrift stores are in love with hideous black square toed abominations. As for Wisconsin, I grew up in Minnesota but spent a good deal of time in the Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls area, and you are right, local products were always preferred. When in an Eau Claire bar for Friday night fish fry, the beer of choice was Walter's ("The Beer That Is Beer") from Eau Claire, Point Special Lager from Stevens Point, or the "green death," LaCrosse's Heileman's Special Export.

My dad drank Special Export. Heilemans folded at around the same time he stopped drinking. Coincidence?

My buddies used to complain about Minnesota beer when we went across the river.

There were also things like Fox Deluxe (blech), Point (from Stevens Point) and Leinenkugels. These days many Wisconsin natives are loyal to New Glarus brews.

The big Milwaukee brewers converted their product into watery swill and didn’t have the advertising chops or budgets to convince people it was something else. As a result, the Pabst plant is a lame hipster theme park & the Schlitz plant has been converted into an office park. Miller is still going and still spewing its perfume over the Menominee valley.

 

[Hotel Cali]

@smfdoc

Is this chestnutty? I think it is a versatile color.

 

[Thomas Crown]

My dad drank Special Export. Heilemans folded at around the same time he stopped drinking. Coincidence?

My buddies used to complain about Minnesota beer when we went across the river.

There were also things like Fox Deluxe (blech), Point (from Stevens Point) and Leinenkugels. These days many Wisconsin natives are loyal to New Glarus brews.

The big Milwaukee brewers converted their product into watery swill and didn’t have the advertising chops or budgets to convince people it was something else. As a result, the Pabst plant is a lame hipster theme park & the Schlitz plant has been converted into an office park. Miller is still going and still spewing its perfume over the Menominee valley.

When in Milwaukee nowadays many new small breweries are popping up-many of them good. One of the best is one of the earliest local microbrewers,Lakefront Brewery. Everything they do is solid. Now back to vintage shoe programming: the Golden Harvest fan favorite

 

[suitforcourt]

Mmmmmmm. Forbidden shoes.

Sea turtle chukkas from Lee Kee.

For what it's worth, they fit fine but are NOT comfortable. Probably serves me right.
View attachment 1744646

What makes them uncomfortable ?

 

[BAK]

Introduced in fall 2001-not the best of times. I was never fond of the bicycle toe but that was it’s era of popularity View attachment 1744302

And quite popular it definitely was for awhile - it stayed at the top of the best sellers list for a few years running. And it's casual counterpart, The Mapleton, also made the list. As Hillcrest began to fade they propped the bicycle toe back up with a model called the Warren - a softer treatment on the VIP rubber sole with Poron-cushioned footbed. That also did quite well but my recollection is it did not last quite as long. So I think the bike toe lasted almost a decade at AE.

 

[eTrojan]

Nettleton alligator loafers.

I have the same style in a pair of Foot-Joys, as well, but they’ve seen a bit more duty than these, so I tend to wear them less. I’m guessing that 5 pairs of alligator shoes is adequate…until that sixth pair magically appears on eBay.

 

[Nealjpage]

What makes them uncomfortable ?

The top of the shoe cuts into my ankle joint.

 

[DWH]

I am pretty sure that Alden tassels are shell, actually. I can't tell whether your pair's tassels are shell from the pics but you're stressing me out with the deconstruction! That looks like a nice pair. Curious what you find.

I had a pair of cigar shell Alden tassels that seemed to have calfskin tassel, etc but I have never confirmed. Sorry to stress you out. The insole and lining were not in good condition if that helps. The shell is fantastic though!

 

[smfdoc]

@smfdoc

Is this chestnutty? I think it is a versatile color.


View attachment 1744680

Looks it to me. I think the pair being sent to me are a little bit more brown with red tones. Your pair appears to be a little redder, but this is from memory and not a side-by-side comparison at the end of all of this, you have a great looking pair of shoes and I can see why you find them to be versatile. If you’re the one who died them that color I think you did a good job.

 

[Silver13gt]

Cleaned up my recent purchase, vintage Hanover in brown shell. First pair of Hanover, super solid shoes.

 

[stook1]

And quite popular it definitely was for awhile - it stayed at the top of the best sellers list for a few years running. And it's casual counterpart, The Mapleton, also made the list. As Hillcrest began to fade they propped the bicycle toe back up with a model called the Warren - a softer treatment on the VIP rubber sole with Poron-cushioned footbed. That also did quite well but my recollection is it did not last quite as long. So I think the bike toe lasted almost a decade at AE.
View attachment 1744712

Also interesting how well the tassel loafers apparently sold according to this list. If I am not mistaken the Maxfield, Cody, and Grayson are all tassel loafers, ie. 6 of the top 25 sellers.

 

[stook1]

Cleaned up my recent purchase, vintage Hanover in brown shell. First pair of Hanover, super solid shoes.
View attachment 1744811 View attachment 1744812 View attachment 1744813

Those came out REALLY well. Nice color on that pair.

 

[Quantum17]

I made a list of shoes I know that I wish for. A secret scavenger list. Well, there’s also a wish list for shoes I have yet known. That unknown list is long. I just don’t know what I don’t know, you know. But it brings me comfort to know that you know I know you know she knows I know you know I know at least something… Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.

Presenting AE Bancroft from 1983, the early year for Bancroft and for “The handcrafted world of…” The model runs for some years, but only by MTO if I understand correctly. I am glad to finally found a pair my size. The scavenger list gets a pair shorter. The wonderful seller even included the AE trees from the 80s. I’m happy ?

Edit: the inaugurating year for Bancroft and “The handcrafted world of…” was 1982, not 1983.

 

[stook1]

I made a list of shoes I know that I wish for. A secret scavenger list. Well, there’s also a wish list for shoes I have yet known. That unknown list is long. I just don’t know what I don’t know, you know. But it brings me comfort to know that you know I know you know she knows I know you know I know at least something… Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.

Presenting AE Bancroft from 1983, the inauguration year for Bancroft and for “The hand crafted world of…” The model runs for some years, but only by MTO if I understand correctly. I am glad to finally found a pair my size. The scavenger list gets a pair shorter. The wonderful seller even included the AE trees from the 80s. I’m happy ?

View attachment 1744826 View attachment 1744827 View attachment 1744828

I'm glad you got that pair! I figured they would be too narrow for you.