Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[CWOyaji]

Catch-and-release on Corfam poromeric LWBs just now.

 

[instigateur]

Sunday Funday. Wrapping up my birthday week with a steak dinner with family in Chicago.

Vintage walnut Nunn Bush for the win.

 

[suitforcourt]

Florsheim PTBs with new rubber heels and sole protectors.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

I bought these recently on eBay. I’m a fan of Bragano. So many of the styles are woven so it is hard to find them in really great shape.

They will look better in the summer. But, I had to had to try them on when I got them today.

 

[Jiqea]

Last week was the winter of my discontent, at least with regard to thrifting. However this week has started out as the best of times.

While the shelves were in disarray from the Sunday shoppers, this pair of 1970's NOS Hartt Gold Bonds plain-toe derbys (11.5D) nearly jumped into my arms. They are a very heavy shoe with nice thick scotch grain calf. I also found a pair of rare as unicorn crap Hartt cap-toe boots, likely from the early 70's. A Dickens of a start to the week.

 

[friendlygoz]

Boulevards in “aniline brown” (i.e., chili) from 1984.

 

[eTrojan]

AE Cambridge shell cordovan today. Not particularly vintage, but shiny.

 

[davidVC]

It was a sad shoe day today.

Weather has been improving in Seattle so I picked out my Nettleton Shell Cordovan long wings. I don't think I had worn them since the end of last summer.

When I looked down at them early in the day though, I thought "those look dry". And sure enough, they started to crack. In multiple spots. A big crack in the vamp flex area.

Its a shame and a bit of a loss. They don't make Nettleton Shell Cordovan long wings in Syracuse anymore. The shoes were very comfortable and had minimal wear. I wore them all over Tokyo with @Oshare last year. But I should have kept up the conditioning. My bad.

So don't make my same mistake. Keep conditioning your vintage Shell!

 

[smfdoc]

Damn, dude. Sorry to hear it. Back to Ebay for you.

 

[CWOyaji]

It was a sad shoe day today.

Weather has been improving in Seattle so I picked out my Nettleton Shell Cordovan long wings. I don't think I had worn them since the end of last summer.

When I looked down at them early in the day though, I thought "those look dry". And sure enough, they started to crack. In multiple spots. A big crack in the vamp flex area.

Its a shame and a bit of a loss. They don't make Nettleton Shell Cordovan long wings in Syracuse anymore. The shoes were very comfortable and had minimal wear. I wore them all over Tokyo with @Oshare last year. But I should have kept up the conditioning. My bad.

So don't make my same mistake. Keep conditioning your vintage Shell!


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That is a pity. I'll wear my Nettleton 4063s tomorrow to keep the tradition going. BTW @davidVC, do I recall you wearing 11 1/2?

 

[davidVC]

That is a pity. I'll wear my Nettleton 4063s tomorrow to keep the tradition going. BTW @davidVC, do I recall you wearing 11 1/2?

Thanks. Yes, they were a 11.5 C.

 

[CWOyaji]

Hmm... may be time to set the time machine, all the way back to 1959.

 

[friendlygoz]

It was a sad shoe day today.

Weather has been improving in Seattle so I picked out my Nettleton Shell Cordovan long wings. I don't think I had worn them since the end of last summer.

When I looked down at them early in the day though, I thought "those look dry". And sure enough, they started to crack. In multiple spots. A big crack in the vamp flex area.

Its a shame and a bit of a loss. They don't make Nettleton Shell Cordovan long wings in Syracuse anymore. The shoes were very comfortable and had minimal wear. I wore them all over Tokyo with @Oshare last year. But I should have kept up the conditioning. My bad.

So don't make my same mistake. Keep conditioning your vintage Shell!


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I’m really sorry to see that. Dang. If it can happen to you it can happen to anyone. I’ve been there before. It’s heartbreaking.

 

[eTrojan]

It was a sad shoe day today.

Weather has been improving in Seattle so I picked out my Nettleton Shell Cordovan long wings. I don't think I had worn them since the end of last summer.

When I looked down at them early in the day though, I thought "those look dry". And sure enough, they started to crack. In multiple spots. A big crack in the vamp flex area.

Its a shame and a bit of a loss. They don't make Nettleton Shell Cordovan long wings in Syracuse anymore. The shoes were very comfortable and had minimal wear. I wore them all over Tokyo with @Oshare last year. But I should have kept up the conditioning. My bad.

So don't make my same mistake. Keep conditioning your vintage Shell!


View attachment 1343652 View attachment 1343653

Dude, that sucks.

I actually have a couple pair of shell that are out of rotation until I have a chance to do a full glycerin treatment. I’m still trying to source Dowicide antimicrobial to add to the distilled water/vegetable glycerine solution.

 

[Nealjpage]

I did an e-thrifting binge last week. First up is a Florsheim Imperial monk strap, 96019. Date code on this is JD, so September of 1963, '73, '83, or '93. I would guess 1973 or 1983. I've never had a pair of monk strap loafers before, and at $15 plus shipping, I didn't think I could pass them up.

Next is something a little different for me. Years ago, before I was married and had slightly more disposable income for fashion, I had a pair of ankle boots that I bought at Nordstrom Rack in Portland. And I wore the **** out of those boots for the next 7 or 8 years until I wore a hole in the sole. Once they died, I dug around in my closet and found an UGLY pair of Kenneth Cole (I was young and stupid once) that were relics of my college days, and I wore those on casual Fridays and weekends until recently. In the meantime, I've been keeping my eye open for a replacement boot, but either I didn't like what I found or they were too expensive. Then I stumbled across these Bally Essex IIs. They're not necessarily the nicest or most stylish pair I've seen, but the price $1.99 plus $10 shipping) fit the bill.