Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[wasmisterfu]

I actually have to purge a few pairs and flip them. I realize that 70+ pairs is getting ridiculous.

 

[wasmisterfu]

That would be great! I have the navy mesh version.
View attachment 1393435

Awesome.

I just bought a pair of those yesterday. I can’t wait for them to arrive.

 

[nikolau]

Do any of you know when these are from? Just finished shining them up. MiUSA Aristocrafts.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Do any of you know when these are from? Just finished shining them up. MiUSA Aristocrafts.

View attachment 1393525 View attachment 1393526 View attachment 1393527 View attachment 1393528 View attachment 1393529

Early to mid 90’s, I believe.
Very nice.

 

[OmBom]

Can you do a water droplet test on those?

No plastic coating found. I squirted a few droplets of Ozarka spring water using one of my diabetic cat’s insulin syringes. It was absorbed within 5 minutes. I had applied some VSC about 2 months ago. (Sorry for picture quality, old iPhone only camera available)

 

[Buckeye20012001]

Do any of you know when these are from? Just finished shining them up. MiUSA Aristocrafts.

View attachment 1393525 View attachment 1393526 View attachment 1393527 View attachment 1393528 View attachment 1393529

Those are nice.

 

[hamercha]

Do any of you know when these are from? Just finished shining them up. MiUSA Aristocrafts.

View attachment 1393525 View attachment 1393526 View attachment 1393527 View attachment 1393528 View attachment 1393529

$225 price tag makes me say it is mid 90's.

 

[suitforcourt]

Which part? 70+ pairs? Or the cull?

I do sell a few pairs every now and then. But not only are they quickly replaced, the numbers usually increase.

I thought 20 pairs of dress/work shoes would be reasonable given I generally don't wear them on weekends. Then I started wearing them on weekends. So what the hell, add to the collection.

70+ pairs later, and I realize most of my shoes won't be worn more than a few times a year. Especially in the summer when I wear sandals and flip flops. I have also been getting more boots.

All that to say - I have all of you to thank for the massive and unwieldy collection. When the day comes that I have to move into an old age home, and can only take a few pairs with me, I will curse the day I met you all.

Until then, carry on.

 

[wasmisterfu]

No plastic coating found. I squirted a few droplets of Ozarka spring water using one of my diabetic cat’s insulin syringes. It was absorbed within 5 minutes. I had applied some VSC about 2 months ago. (Sorry for picture quality, old iPhone only camera available)
View attachment 1393541

View attachment 1393542

Dunno why they called these binder; has nothing to do with the other kinds of leather that carry that label. Looks like that’s just a pattern grain leather; nothing wrong with that stuff at all. Very nice!

 

[OmBom]

Dunno why they called these binder; has nothing to do with the other kinds of leather that carry that label. Looks like that’s just a pattern grain leather; nothing wrong with that stuff at all. Very nice!

Correct, it's not what we know as bookbinder leather at all. This leather is a nice pebbled full grain. Compared to the Imperials, the Varsity differences are (1) good quality rubber heels replacing stacked leather w/ v-cleats; (2) cotton liner at the toe (i.e., not fully leather lined); (3) flexible fibre insole replacing leather.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Which part? 70+ pairs? Or the cull?

I do sell a few pairs every now and then. But not only are they quickly replaced, the numbers usually increase.

I thought 20 pairs of dress/work shoes would be reasonable given I generally don't wear them on weekends. Then I started wearing them on weekends. So what the hell, add to the collection.

70+ pairs later, and I realize most of my shoes won't be worn more than a few times a year. Especially in the summer when I wear sandals and flip flops. I have also been getting more boots.

All that to say - I have all of you to thank for the massive and unwieldy collection. When the day comes that I have to move into an old age home, and can only take a few pairs with me, I will curse the day I met you all.

Until then, carry on.

Sandals?... Flip flops?!

 

[smfdoc]

Do any of you know when these are from? Just finished shining them up. MiUSA Aristocrafts.

View attachment 1393525 View attachment 1393526 View attachment 1393527 View attachment 1393528 View attachment 1393529

The estimate of early 1990s is correct. That shoe is listed in the 1992 catalog on vcleat.com (page 12) and listed for the $225 seen on the box. Black smooth calf construction. Nice shoe.

 

[eTrojan]

Oooooh...look what arrived late yesterday.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Oooooh...look what arrived late yesterday.
View attachment 1393679

There are two possibilities here:

1. You’re teasing us with the promise of savory vintage Nunn-Bush shoe Appreciation;

2. You’ve started collecting empty vintage shoe boxes.

I’m hoping for number 1.

 

[eTrojan]

There are two possibilities here:

1. You’re teasing us with the promise of savory vintage Nunn-Bush shoe Appreciation;

2. You’ve started collecting empty vintage shoe boxes.

I’m hoping for number 1.

So. Much. Wax. Holy balls.