Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[mreams99]

Here’s a pair of Hanovers in 13A that look like they could be easily stripped and refinished. The price is super cheap.

HANOVER Men's Leather Wingtip Dress Shoes SZ 13 A/AAA | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for HANOVER Men's Leather Wingtip Dress Shoes SZ 13 A/AAA at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

rover.ebay.com

 

[suitforcourt]

Shell?

Oxford Brogue Saddle Dress Shoe Mens 8 Bostonian USA Two Tone Black Burgundy | eBay

Condition is Pre-owned.

rover.ebay.com

I say not shell. Pics 7 and 8 have questionable marks that suggest CG.

 

[mreams99]

Wouldn’t it be great if Allen Edmonds brought back a model in shark? I’ve got these in brown and black.

 

[woofmang]

Shell?

Oxford Brogue Saddle Dress Shoe Mens 8 Bostonian USA Two Tone Black Burgundy | eBay

Condition is Pre-owned.

rover.ebay.com

I don't think so. Notice the fine cracking along the rolls in closer pics; I don't think shell does that.

ETA: @suitforcourt beat me to it.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

Shell?

Oxford Brogue Saddle Dress Shoe Mens 8 Bostonian USA Two Tone Black Burgundy | eBay

Condition is Pre-owned.

rover.ebay.com

It’s REALLY hard to tell for sure with this pair.
I think that they might be. The seller is accepting offers, so they might be worth a shot.

I say not shell. Pics 7 and 8 have questionable marks that suggest CG.

I don't think so. Notice the fine cracking along the rolls in closer pics; I don't think shell does that.

ETA: @suitforcourt beat me to it.

A few things make me think not shell. 1. It’s Bostonian. While the company did have some shell Cordovan, it is pretty rare. 2. The only Shell Bostonians I have seen said it on the sole. 3. I agree it looks like fine hairline creases. But, sometimes the whiteish bloom in the shell rolls does sometimes look like cloudy creasing.

I will say these look old enough that they might be the decent variety of Bostonian. For the price, they might be worth it just for good vintage calf Saddles.

 

[lemmy127]

Could you fit into a 13 B?

I can. What do you have?

 

[smfdoc]

A few things make me think not shell. 1. It’s Bostonian. While the company did have some shell Cordovan, it is pretty rare. 2. The only Shell Bostonians I have seen said it on the sole. 3. I agree it looks like fine hairline creases. But, sometimes the whiteish bloom in the shell rolls does sometimes look like cloudy creasing.

I will say these look old enough that they might be the decent variety of Bostonian. For the price, they might be worth it just for good vintage calf Saddles.

yes, this pair are hard to figure out. Are they fine creases in the roll, or just dried out and need some hydration? Bostonian did make a shell black and cherry saddle. Style 1810. This May or may not be them.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

It’s a rainy dreary day here in the mid-south. After seeing all the great exotic skin shoes, I was thinking about wearing shark or Alligator. I’m always glad to wear Shell Cordovan too. But, the weather gave me pause.

One pair I can always turn to for dependability and vault like solid construction is my vintage Nettleton LWB.

It is really amazing that at the time these were made both Florsheim and Nettleton were making great shoes that can last a lifetime. They made them sturdy and thick with quality materials and even better workmanship.

I think about a lot of things in terms of cars. These Nettleton LWB are, to me, like an older Mercedes Diesel. Classic, dependable, elegant but not fussy. They aren’t flashy. They just last forever.

I also brought my old AE Leeds today because I’m seeking opinions. These are pretty rough. I bought them used on eBay. I thought I got a great deal, but they were worse than I had anticipated.

Structurally, they are fine. But, the creases look bad. The finish looks like it is covered with years of funk. Maybe the CG is just looking bad.

I am thinking about sending these in for refinishing with AE. I’m wondering if you all think the refinishing is worth it and if they will look good again.

I took these in harsh lighting to show all the flaws.

 

[eTrojan]

What year are those from? The toes seem a lot less square than mine. Those are great.

I would guess late ‘70s. They have the insole/heel branding that predates the change to all caps in 1981 or so.

 

[eTrojan]

Here’s a pair of Hanovers in 13A that look like they could be easily stripped and refinished. The price is super cheap.
View attachment 1326415

HANOVER Men's Leather Wingtip Dress Shoes SZ 13 A/AAA | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for HANOVER Men's Leather Wingtip Dress Shoes SZ 13 A/AAA at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

rover.ebay.com

I’ve looked at those a few times, but don’t have the capacity to do a CG restore right now (or any time in the near future).

“Negative, ghost rider, the pattern is full.”

 

[Nobleprofessor]

I don’t want to start a whole war over this. But, I am wondering about saddle soap.

I remember years ago before I really had an appreciation for quality shoes, I wore what many people still wear — department store shoes. Most were CG. Most were intended to last a few years and then they were replaced. I did have some quality shoes, but I wasn’t really aware of the difference.

I used to frequent a car wash that also had a shoe shine stand. I would come in with my Cole Haan or JM or (don’t judge me) Kenneth Cole and the shoe shine guy would always start with saddle soap. It would clean the funk off. Of course most were CG, so it wasn’t going to hurt them.

then, I learned that saddle soap should not be used on quality leather as it will darken and dry out the leather. I thought this was a practically universal belief. I still kept it around to clean hiking boots or other leather that was dirty and I always followed that up with some sort of conditioner/moisturizer.

BUT, I was watching an AE video and they specifically used saddle soap and recommended it on a pair of Park Avenue or Fifth Avenue. So, now I’m confused.

Saddle Soap? Yea or Nay?

 

[woofmang]

Another Wingless-tip Wednesday in these ~25yo AE Black Cherry Shell Bristols...

 

[lemmy127]

I don’t want to start a whole war over this. But, I am wondering about saddle soap.

I remember years ago before I really had an appreciation for quality shoes, I wore what many people still wear — department store shoes. Most were CG. Most were intended to last a few years and then they were replaced. I did have some quality shoes, but I wasn’t really aware of the difference.

I used to frequent a car wash that also had a shoe shine stand. I would come in with my Cole Haan or JM or (don’t judge me) Kenneth Cole and the shoe shine guy would always start with saddle soap. It would clean the funk off. Of course most were CG, so it wasn’t going to hurt them.

then, I learned that saddle soap should not be used on quality leather as it will darken and dry out the leather. I thought this was a practically universal belief. I still kept it around to clean hiking boots or other leather that was dirty and I always followed that up with some sort of conditioner/moisturizer.

BUT, I was watching an AE video and they specifically used saddle soap and recommended it on a pair of Park Avenue or Fifth Avenue. So, now I’m confused.

Saddle Soap? Yea or Nay?

I say nay. I'm fully aware that I've gone full shoe snob by using only Saphir products on my shoes, with the exception of Lexol and Venetian Shoe Cream for conditioning uppers and Leather Honey for conditioning soles, but I just think there's better products out there that aren't as hard to remove after use, doesn't darken the leather, and is milder. My go-to is Saphir Renovateur, and if that doesn't get the job done, Saphir Renomat will.

 

[Raimar]

https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/85242975

 

[Nick V.]

Those actually look like sea turtle to me.

I agree.....
Further croc skin has rounder scales vs. gator which is more squarish shaped.