Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[wasmisterfu]

Picked up a new project pair this morning for $1.20
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Well used, but no cracks or deep scratches.

Mystery maker. Anyone have any ideas? This is all that's left on the insoles
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And the codes:
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They do have some interesting Cat's Paw Microlite frankensole action happening
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Enjoy your evening!

I really like those: they’re survivors. They weren’t some pair of spectators or special occasion shoes with a half dozen wears, or a long-lost NOS pair. No, those things got worn and used. Yet they’ve survived (and I’m going to guess at least 40+ years) because they were legit made to last.

I’ve got a couple of pairs like that, and they’re among my favorite because they have personality. Those are the best project shoes.

 

[mreams99]

That's top stuff you have there. I bought a NOS pair once. The mild spade and the construction (hand lasted) etc = Beautiful.

After a big drink straight to Mr Topy.

From what I’ve read, Edwin Clapp made some of the very best shoes.

 

[wasmisterfu]

I also picked up a project pair today. It was the slight spade shape of the sole that drew my attention.
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I’m so glad you bought those!!!
I was going to buy them, but recent acquisitions and concerns regarding spousal customs prevented me from setting up the snipe (I was going to put it at 25... how far were you going to bid, cause I saw you got’em for 15?).

I was worried that a genuine piece of bench-made history would end up a prom shoe or something. Edwin Clapp was probably the finest shoemaker in America, so those, even in that condition, are something really special.

 

[mreams99]

I’m so glad you bought those!!!
I was going to buy them, but recent acquisitions and concerns regarding spousal customs prevented me from setting up the snipe (I was going to put it at 25... how far were you going to bid, cause I saw you got’em for 15?).

I was worried that a genuine piece of bench-made history would end up a prom shoe or something. Edwin Clapp was probably the finest shoemaker in America, so those, even in that condition, are something really special.

I really didn’t “need” them. For $15 though, I couldn’t pass them up.
The heel has some wear, and I’m not a fan of slippery v-cleats. If they fit well, I’ll probably look at getting those replaced.

 

[M635Guy]

I'd dump the criss cross lacing. Not a good look IMO. Straight lacing will allow the lacing to be pulled tighter together.

I'd respectfully disagree. I find bar lacing a little strange on boots and almost any non-bal shoe.

 

[Shoonoob]

Apologies for the 2nd post. May I ask where you found that ad?

Google image search for "tri-wing" vintage shoes. Every other search I tried was a cascade of triathalon gear.

 

[Shoonoob]

I’m so glad you bought those!!!
I was going to buy them, but recent acquisitions and concerns regarding spousal customs prevented me from setting up the snipe (I was going to put it at 25... how far were you going to bid, cause I saw you got’em for 15?).

I was worried that a genuine piece of bench-made history would end up a prom shoe or something. Edwin Clapp was probably the finest shoemaker in America, so those, even in that condition, are something really special.

That would have been the coolest kid at the prom. I bet the shoes would have made him a better dancer.

 

[JohnAAG]

Google image search for "tri-wing" vintage shoes. Every other search I tried was a cascade of triathalon gear.

Thank you! I got the same when I searched for Tri Wear. But the higher res image of the ad opens up a lot of possibilities to find out more!

 

[suitforcourt]

That's top stuff you have there. I bought a NOS pair once. The mild spade and the construction (hand lasted) etc = Beautiful.

After a big drink straight to Mr Topy.

Dude, Edwin Clapp makes super duper high quality shoes. Nice find!

 

[wasmisterfu]

I really didn’t “need” them. For $15 though, I couldn’t pass them up.
The heel has some wear, and I’m not a fan of slippery v-cleats. If they fit well, I’ll probably look at getting those replaced.

If they don’t fit well, let me know and I’d be happy to buy them off you (even at a markup + costs [heels, etc.] if you do restoration work on them - actually, especially if you do the restoration work as I trust your skills, with such a pair, more than mine).

 

[davidVC]

A 1950s style pair of shoes popped up on ebay today. Unusual that they have a UVa stamp in them. University colors.

https://ebay.to/2OtKRcs

 

[wasmisterfu]

From what I’ve read, Edwin Clapp made some of the very best shoes.

They were probably the best shoemaker in America. We’re talking hand lasted

Those are definitely early 50s. I have the same pair in white buck instead of ventilated nylon. The trick for the rear tears is to get your cobbler to install a strip inside the achilles around 1/2 wide which is glued in. Then overstitch on the outside where the existing edge stitching is so the new reinforcement stitching hides invisibly amongst the existing edge stitching. French Shriner & Urner is the guarantee of a great shoe.

Yup, and the key is the “Urner”. Things seemed to go downhill very shortly after the Urner got dropped.

One of the things I’ve been doing, since I have “access”, is I’ve been looking through the Esquire archive. Now Esquire has always been dreck (I can assure you, having gone through 5 decades of archives). But the advertising, especially the shoe ads from the late 30’s through the early 60’s, are priceless.

One interesting thing is there is a clear price-point stratification that’s much more pronounced than today. Using ~1953 as an example, shoes were in the 8+, 16+ and 25+ dollar price points. AE, French Shriner & Urner, and top-end Florsheim were in that 25 dollars and up range. Regular Florsheim, Weyenberg, etc., were around the 16 and up dollar point. At the bottom were a bunch of shoes we rarely find examples of, with names like City Club. I love the absolutely tactless style of advertising they used (from 1952):

Why is she dressed that way? That’s impractical in the extreme, especially if branding cattle at the farm. What does it have to do with shoes? Oh, I get it... best “brand”. Talk about using completely tangential, non-contextualized sex to sell something. I’m sure a lot young men looked at this ad just because “girl!”. Awesome.

Oh, and for @Shoonoob, not sure it’s the same shoe (last and stuff), but here’s an ad from ‘51 featuring the “Heather”:

It’s pretty amusing that they talk about their prices being comfortable, given they were at the top-end of the advertised pricing structure (though, in this ad, I guess they thought it incongruent to list the price).

 

[M635Guy]

A 1950s style pair of shoes popped up on ebay today. Unusual that they have a UVa stamp in them. University colors.

https://ebay.to/2OtKRcs

Those are pretty damn nice. If these were 12D, they'd be MUCH closer to getting me off the sidelines, though he'd have to accept an offer...

 

[M635Guy]

Why is she dressed that way? That’s impractical in the extreme, especially if branding cattle at the farm. What does it have to do with shoes? Oh, I get it... best “brand”. Talk about using completely tangential, non-contextualized sex to sell something. I’m sure a lot young men looked at this ad just because “girl!”. Awesome.

Pretty racy for the day, too (it seems like)

 

[wasmisterfu]

Pretty racy for the day, too (it seems like)

You’d be surprised. They had a whole spread in one mid-50’s issue where they were playing the whole “body paint is art/clothes/not-really-nude game” that SI play nowadays. Hell even some of the 30’s and 40’s stuff was way more suggestive than I’d have thought possible. Guys have always been guys.