Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[friendlygoz]

Last night I decided to try a little project.

Background: I have 3 (or 4) pair of vintage 93602.

One pair was dark brown. They were almost chocolate brown and it was such an uninteresting brown that it really made these great shoes dull and pedestrian.

Here’s a picture when I wore them a couple weeks ago.

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I wanted to lighten them up and maybe even add a little antiquing to give them some depth. They were so dark compared to most other 93602, I figured they had YEARS worth of brown polish built up.

I started with alcohol and it took off A LOT of grungy brown. They looked better, but it wasn’t the dramatic change I was hoping for.

I decided to sand the edges because I have been impressed with others on here doing that. I did not realize that was not an easy chore.

The still weren't dramatically different. I decided to break out the big guns and tried Acetone. I was considering trying to make these like a two tone semi spectator.

That didn’t work. The acetone removed some more of the finish but not nearly as much as I thought it would.

After the acetone, they were sort of a faded reddish brown. I liked the red tones and decided to keep going. It still didn’t take as much color as I thought it would.

After letting them dry, I knew I needed to condition them and get some moisture back into the leather after the harsh acetone.

They looked better. the conditioner is so full of oils and fats that it makes them hard to polish afterwards. But, I know it’s good for the leather.

Finally, I polished them lightly with a neutral polish.

I am happy with the outcome. I think the natural edges look cool. But, I am surprised that they are not dramatically different. I do like the fact that the reddish tones are coming through.

Here they are before and after

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Here are a couple of recent thrift finds; a pair of blue suede Dacks Anniversary loafers and a pair of pre-1958 Hartt cap-toes. The Hartts have had the lower sole and heel replaced with some sloppy stitching, but the old uppers are still nice.

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I don’t know how you do it. Your thrifting hauls are @CWOyaji -esque. Amazing.

 

[friendlygoz]

On a work trip to beautiful Tucson and I brought my 1988 AE Shell MacNeils. I really like these shoes. The shell has an amazing patina and they are very comfy.

 

[manowar]

that's happened to me on both pairs I've dyed. Put some VSC on a rag, and rub. I would be some of the dye comes off and it might even leave a cool patina. That's what happened with my two and only two dye attempts.

Funny, that’s pretty much what I did. So now we’re to a medium-dark brown bourbon museum finish. Not all that different from where I started.

 

[Nealjpage]

Are there more pictures of those? That looks like a pretty rare pair.

Sure. Here you are.

 

[Nealjpage]

These look to be NOS. CORFAM, it says on the insole. Goodwill pricing person put the pricetag over the printed label on the other shoe. I peeled it back some; it appeared to say "King" something or other, but the lettering was coming off with the adhesive, so I stopped. At $29.99, I couldn't pull the trigger and take the gamble. They weren't my size, so they would've immediately ended up on eBay, and I doubt I could sell them for enough to make it worth my trouble.

Please tell me I chose wisely.

EDIT: I think the maker is King & Clarke, whoever that is.

 

[CWOyaji]

These look to be NOS. CORFAM, it says on the insole. Goodwill pricing person put the pricetag over the printed label on the other shoe. I peeled it back some; it appeared to say "King" something or other, but the lettering was coming off with the adhesive, so I stopped. At $29.99, I couldn't pull the trigger and take the gamble. They weren't my size, so they would've immediately ended up on eBay, and I doubt I could sell them for enough to make it worth my trouble.

Please tell me I chose wisely.

EDIT: I think the maker is King & Clarke, whoever that is.

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I think you chose wisely. Corfam shoes are a hard pass for me no matter how good the condition. @davidVC did a full writeup on what Corfam actually is over on vcleat.com, so if you feel in anyway like you missed out on something, read it and you won't feel that way anymore.

 

[mormonopoly]

Sure. Here you are. View attachment 1319439

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Very cool pair! Looks like they may have been custom ordered with that handwritten inside. The heels have definitely been replaced and I’m pretty sure the soles have been too. This is a very rare pair, and I don’t know when or if we’ll see another exactly like it.

 

[friendlygoz]

Funny, that’s pretty much what I did. So now we’re to a medium-dark brown bourbon museum finish. Not all that different from where I started.
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Did you strip them with acetone first? If not it may be that the leather can’t absorb the dye of the old finish remains.

 

[Nealjpage]

Very cool pair! Looks like they may have been custom ordered with that handwritten inside. The heels have definitely been replaced and I’m pretty sure the soles have been too. This is a very rare pair, and I don’t know when or if we’ll see another exactly like it.

Thanks! I've seen some of your collection on here so I'm impressed that you're impressed!

 

[manowar]

Did you strip them with acetone first? If not it may be that the leather can’t absorb the dye of the old finish remains.

Yes. I’ve got the Fiebing’s Deglazer on hand which is basically acetone I think. I did not let the leather dry first after stripping the finish, as per the Fiebing’s directions, but I have seen other guides that recommend allowing the leather to dry between each step. Working on the second shoe tonight, I’m actually pleased with the finish I am getting.

 

[Patrologia]

I also have friends who think Panda Express and PF Chang have decent Chinese-American food. I place my friends, and your friends, in the exact same category.

Okay. I admit that I actually like a few of the things on Panda's menu and usually stop by a few times when I'm back in the US to get my fix.

And, I'm Chinese-American.
I grew up eating lots of Chinese food.

And, yes, I like orange chicken.

Be gentle. Please.

I live in the midwest (originally from the east coast) and so even decent Chinese-American (or is it American-Chinese?) food can be hard to come by. I was told by a student of mine about a place where you could get good Chinese, but then she sheepishly says, "But, you have to be able to ask for it in Chinese, or they will just give you a confused look." She assured me that teaching me to order syllabically, like an actor in a film, would not pass the test. I went to the restaurant anyway and ordered from the regular menu. It was pretty good, but between the service and the atmosphere (think a cross between hospital and industrial cafeteria, but without the charm) made it an infrequently visited establishment.
The biggest surprise came from a Mall-Chinese (which I treat as a category unto itself) place. First I discovered, when I was feeling particularly over-carbed, that when asked to choose between rice and noodles, you could say vegetables. (I had seen one of the employees eating something that looked better than normal.) After the first time, since I was now asking with confidence that it was a thing, not just asking if there was such a thing, they started to ask me if I wanted "this" *gesture to the line of trays* or, sometimes "something good" other times something in Chinese that meant nothing to me, accompanied by a glance towards the back. I never knew what it was going to be, but being kind of a sucker for any exclusive option, I always opted for whatever was in the back. That lasted 4-5 years, and then one day after a movie the guy just said "OK" when I asked for vegetables, loaded me up with vegetables, which had become nothing-but-cabbage instead of dominated-by-cabbage, and passed my tray along to the person loading in Black Pepper Chicken or General Tso's chicken fried breading. The insightful among you can tell I still haven't fully recovered from this loss.

Oh yeah, this is the shoe thread. I found a pair of MIUSA Hanovers the other day, in my size. Jury is still out on whether that is my size in Hanover.

EDIT: Forgot to mention further shoe tie-in. The place where my student sent me is in the same shopping center as an Allen Edmonds Shoe Bank!

EDIT 2: To be clear, I'm about as white as it gets. Mostly German-Irish ancestry, with a good bit of "probably English" mutt contributing a family name.

 

[Nealjpage]

Today's pick: NOS Florsheim 30368 shortwing Oxfords. Probably date from 1990 or so. Sure, they're CG. Sure, they're lightweight. But they are NOS, were made in America, and will be a blossoming vintage shoe enthusiast's gateway purchase to NOS. Or so I'm gonna argue in my listing. Or something like that.

 

[suitforcourt]

Today's pick: NOS Florsheim 30368 shortwing Oxfords. Probably date from 1990 or so. Sure, they're CG. Sure, they're lightweight. But they are NOS, were made in America, and will be a blossoming vintage shoe enthusiast's gateway purchase to NOS. Or so I'm gonna argue in my listing. Or something like that.
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I had this very pair also in NOS condition. The CG was very hard to break in. Quite frankly I found the leather stiff and uncomfortable.

After a few wears, I flipped them and recovered my original purchase price.

Let us know how they break in for you.

 

[suitforcourt]

I live in the midwest (originally from the east coast) and so even decent Chinese-American (or is it American-Chinese?) food can be hard to come by. I was told by a student of mine about a place where you could get good Chinese, but then she sheepishly says, "But, you have to be able to ask for it in Chinese, or they will just give you a confused look." She assured me that teaching me to order syllabically, like an actor in a film, would not pass the test. I went to the restaurant anyway and ordered from the regular menu. It was pretty good, but between the service and the atmosphere (think a cross between hospital and industrial cafeteria, but without the charm) made it an infrequently visited establishment.
The biggest surprise came from a Mall-Chinese (which I treat as a category unto itself) place. First I discovered, when I was feeling particularly over-carbed, that when asked to choose between rice and noodles, you could say vegetables. (I had seen one of the employees eating something that looked better than normal.) After the first time, since I was now asking with confidence that it was a thing, not just asking if there was such a thing, they started to ask me if I wanted "this" *gesture to the line of trays* or, sometimes "something good" other times something in Chinese that meant nothing to me, accompanied by a glance towards the back. I never knew what it was going to be, but being kind of a sucker for any exclusive option, I always opted for whatever was in the back. That lasted 4-5 years, and then one day after a movie the guy just said "OK" when I asked for vegetables, loaded me up with vegetables, which had become nothing-but-cabbage instead of dominated-by-cabbage, and passed my tray along to the person loading in Black Pepper Chicken or General Tso's chicken fried breading. The insightful among you can tell I still haven't fully recovered from this loss.

Oh yeah, this is the shoe thread. I found a pair of MIUSA Hanovers the other day, in my size. Jury is still out on whether that is my size in Hanover.

EDIT: Forgot to mention further shoe tie-in. The place where my student sent me is in the same shopping center as an Allen Edmonds Shoe Bank!

EDIT 2: To be clear, I'm about as white as it gets. Mostly German-Irish ancestry, with a good bit of "probably English" mutt contributing a family name.

Don't get me wrong, the Panda Express and Manchu Wok (fast food chain in Canada) have a place in the world.

I grew up eating mostly at home. My mom only cooked Cantonese cuisine. Occasionally my dad would bbq steak or cook a roast beef. Otherwise, things like French fries or fried chicken fingers were a treat when I went out to eat with friends.

And when my family did go out for meals, we journeyed into Chinatown where we were able to access the menu, and more, because we could speak the language and looked the part.

With the range of Chinese cuisine available these days in my area, I am never in want.

Every once in a while, a good old General Tsaos chicken, or red sauce and chicken balls, does hit the spot.

 

[Nealjpage]

They're not my size, so I'm flipping them. Hopefully the buyer will be able to break them in.