Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[eTrojan]

Out celebrating my wife’s birthday at a hip Italian place in Santa Monica. Took my MiUSA Bostonians out for our maiden voyage. They’re pretty comfortable.

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Better photo when not standing on a dim street corner in Santa Monica trying to walk off some bucatini cacio e pepe. Quick shot of the v-cleat, as well.

 

[friendlygoz]

AE St George jodhpurs for church today.

 

[Buckeye20012001]

I posted photos of these John Lobbs when purchased them. Now I am rehab them. Hit them with Lexol leather cleaner. Then Meguiars Rich Leather conditioner. Leather continued to look thirsty. Read members speak highly of Brick 4. Looking better. What is the best approach to polishing? Or, no polishing?

 

[eTrojan]

Church, Costco, and Target: needed reliable footwear. Florsheim 93603s.

These need a severe cleanup. May need to go deep with acetone to take out the spots on the vamp. What color dye or polish do people prefer to maintain original color?

 

[Oshare]

I posted photos of these John Lobbs when purchased them. Now I am rehab them. Hit them with Lexol leather cleaner. Then Meguiars Rich Leather conditioner. Leather continued to look thirsty. Read members speak highly of Brick 4. Looking better. What is the best approach to polishing? Or, no polishing?


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Interesting pair.

I used to buy different color cream polishes for all the shoe colors I have, but now I pretty much stick to neural conditioners and creams, only using colored polishes on rare occasions.

Bick4 is good and economical for rehydrating thirsty leather. I’d go at it with a few rounds of Bick4 (giving a day between each to let it soak in) and then see how they feel after that.

 

[davidVC]

What do you guys think? Shell or not Shell? I am thinking its Shell.

A brand I don't remember seeing. This is the listing:

Vintage Connolly Men's Lace Up Chukka Ankle Boots Size 8. Very Nice Leather. | eBay

Very nice all leather construction and beautiful hand-stitching. Leather soles and Good Year heels look new. Really gorgeous boots.

www.ebay.com

 

[Jiqea]

What do you guys think? Shell or not Shell? I am thinking its Shell.



A brand I don't remember seeing. This is the listing:

Vintage Connolly Men's Lace Up Chukka Ankle Boots Size 8. Very Nice Leather. | eBay

Very nice all leather construction and beautiful hand-stitching. Leather soles and Good Year heels look new. Really gorgeous boots.

www.ebay.com

At that price you cant go wrong. Why not get them. A quick check of the newspaper archive shows Connolly dates back at least to 1905, and was in production in Stillwater Minnesota until the late 60's. They seem to have made a lot of shoes out of Kangaroo. Ads show that they sat on the same shelf as Nettletons and Jarmans. I cant find a Cordovan reference in an ad.

 

[smfdoc]

What do you guys think? Shell or not Shell? I am thinking its Shell.

A brand I don't remember seeing. This is the listing:

Vintage Connolly Men's Lace Up Chukka Ankle Boots Size 8. Very Nice Leather. | eBay

Very nice all leather construction and beautiful hand-stitching. Leather soles and Good Year heels look new. Really gorgeous boots.

www.ebay.com

Looks like shell to me. Great price for someone.

 

[Oshare]

What do you guys think? Shell or not Shell? I am thinking its Shell.

A brand I don't remember seeing. This is the listing:

Vintage Connolly Men's Lace Up Chukka Ankle Boots Size 8. Very Nice Leather. | eBay

Very nice all leather construction and beautiful hand-stitching. Leather soles and Good Year heels look new. Really gorgeous boots.

www.ebay.com

They’re gone already. Did you pick them up?

Does look like shell to me!

 

[Jiqea]

They’re gone already. Did you pick them up?

Does look like shell to me!

I put an offer in for $50 bucks and it was accepted in about three seconds.

 

[davidVC]

They’re gone already. Did you pick them up?

Does look like shell to me!

Hopefully someone here bought them and will answer the question when they open the package. The style looks fairly modern but they must be from the 1950s or 1960s based on the info from @Jiqea.

 

[smfdoc]

I put an offer in for $50 bucks and it was accepted in about three seconds.

Oh, I love a good mystery.

 

[friendlygoz]

Church, Costco, and Target: needed reliable footwear. Florsheim 93603s.

These need a severe cleanup. May need to go deep with acetone to take out the spots on the vamp. What color dye or polish do people prefer to maintain original color?

View attachment 1338440

Walnut cream polish should take care of those.

 

[Nealjpage]

Yesterday's finds. Nothing too spectacular.

Allen Edmonds Chester. I don't think I've ever seen flatter shoes.

Towncraft loafers. At first I thought they were gator skin, but additional research informed me that TC was the Penney's house brand, so they're probably embossed CG.

Another pair of Tony Lama. Please tell me this is lizard or snake and not some sort of endangered hide.

 

[cetrio]

What do you guys think? Shell or not Shell? I am thinking its Shell.

A brand I don't remember seeing. This is the listing:

Vintage Connolly Men's Lace Up Chukka Ankle Boots Size 8. Very Nice Leather. | eBay

Very nice all leather construction and beautiful hand-stitching. Leather soles and Good Year heels look new. Really gorgeous boots.

www.ebay.com

On this pic, I'm not sure at all. But seeing the other pics, I think it's shell.