Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[Nealjpage]

Today’s selection is brought to you by the letter C as in chili. I wasn’t sure what color might work for these. They are one of my pairs of 93602. I had some AE dark chili cream polish, so I tried it. I did not think these would end up so dark. But, I think I like them!

The polish definitely brought out the mahogany tones.

View attachment 1325824 View attachment 1325825

I also took a toothbrush and cleaned up the welt stitching. This is a relatively new thing for me. When my father first showed me how he shined shoes, he had a little jar of edge dressing and he would always blacken the welt so the stitching didn’t show. I think that looks good on a black or very formal shoe. But, I like the lighter color on these.

Looking good, Prof!

 

[Nobleprofessor]

I struck out at the thrift stores at lunch — at least as far as shoes. BUT, I did find three newer Brooks Brothers dress shirts in my size which is hard to find!

 

[Nobleprofessor]

I am going to have AE do a recraft on a pair that needs new soles. Since, I’m bringing one pair, I was considering taking in a couple others for the refinishing service.

the description is pretty vague. It says:

“Highlight the enduring quality of Allen Edmonds leather and enhance its appearance with our refinishing package.”

I had a pair recrafted before and I was happy. But, is the refinishing service just a really good shine?

Does it really “refinish” them? Are they stripping off polish and dirt and putting a new finish on them?

One of the pair I’m thinking about is a pair of Leeds. They look like they could be CG and they just look bad. I’m not sure I would ever be happy with them. So, maybe I should just try my own refinishing. But, I really do want to know what the AE service is like.

 

[Nealjpage]

I am going to have AE do a recraft on a pair that needs new soles. Since, I’m bringing one pair, I was considering taking in a couple others for the refinishing service.

the description is pretty vague. It says:

“Highlight the enduring quality of Allen Edmonds leather and enhance its appearance with our refinishing package.”

I had a pair recrafted before and I was happy. But, is the refinishing service just a really good shine?

Does it really “refinish” them? Are they stripping off polish and dirt and putting a new finish on them?

One of the pair I’m thinking about is a pair of Leeds. They look like they could be CG and they just look bad. I’m not sure I would ever be happy with them. So, maybe I should just try my own refinishing. But, I really do want to know what the AE service is like.

According to their videos online, they strip the finish, spray new dye, and polish them. You might call or email them about the CG leather, though. I doubt they strip that.

 

[Nealjpage]

Ok, guys. Alligator or crocodile hide?

 

[Nobleprofessor]

Ok, guys. Alligator or crocodile hide? View attachment 1326099

View attachment 1326100


View attachment 1326102

I don’t think it makes a huge difference in value for pre-owned, BUT what I remember is that Crocodile is much more uniform in terms of size of the scales, alligator has a big variety. Assuming these really are alligator/crocodile, then I would say Alligator since some of the scales are huge and some are small. I have a pair of crocodile Florsheim and the scales are much more uniform and smaller.

Obviously, they can’t all be the same size, because that is one of the ways to identify fake.

 

[smfdoc]

I am going to have AE do a recraft on a pair that needs new soles. Since, I’m bringing one pair, I was considering taking in a couple others for the refinishing service.

the description is pretty vague. It says:

“Highlight the enduring quality of Allen Edmonds leather and enhance its appearance with our refinishing package.”

I had a pair recrafted before and I was happy. But, is the refinishing service just a really good shine?

Does it really “refinish” them? Are they stripping off polish and dirt and putting a new finish on them?

One of the pair I’m thinking about is a pair of Leeds. They look like they could be CG and they just look bad. I’m not sure I would ever be happy with them. So, maybe I should just try my own refinishing. But, I really do want to know what the AE service is like.

One of the older recraft videos shows the refinishing.

 

[suitforcourt]

Florsheim PTBs in Black shell. These were rebuilt with JR soles and cat paw heels.

 

[mormonopoly]

Ok, guys. Alligator or crocodile hide? View attachment 1326099

View attachment 1326100

View attachment 1326102

Those actually look like sea turtle to me.

 

[instigateur]

Not so vintage Florsheims in Navy suede.

 

[eTrojan]

Absolutely not. B Mason is a tier 2 brand, but still well made. I have a pair and they remain one of the favourites in my collection. They fit TTS.

I'll vouch for the vintage Masons, too. Both the Executive Imperial and the Velvet-eez lines are rock solid.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

Not so vintage Florsheims in Navy suede.

View attachment 1326168

Dang! Where did you get those! I love them!

 

[Nealjpage]

Those actually look like sea turtle to me.

Wait. What?

 

[stook1]

93605s today. These are the pair I just got and my first wear of them. They really are in exceptional shape. I took a gamble on a EEE width when really a D or E would have been ideal. Strangely enough... they are kinda high volume. I wore them today with my thickest socks and they were still a bit too loose. I'm going to try some inserts. It'll suck if I have to resell these since they are by far the best condition pair that I've handled to date.

 

[mormonopoly]

Wait. What?

It’s surprising today, but it used to be legal to use sea turtle leather for shoes. The lines between the scales are generally cleaner and more defined than you see on alligator or croc, just the way your boots are. They’re rare to find, and quite cool (though I’m glad it’s no longer legal to make them). Be careful if you plan to sell them, as the strict regulations on sea turtles can make it a bit difficult.