Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[davidVC]

While I have at least two of the vintage shoe heavy hitters in the room, Messrs. @davidVC and @smfdoc, may I please nominate these handsome Church's Darwin shell cordovan penny loafers to be awarded a place on the Shellcordovanmodels list? Please note this is different from the Darwin Award I've somehow managed to stay one step ahead of for way too many years. May it please the court:
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I added them to the Shell list.

 

[suitforcourt]

I think the Pulitzer people have blacklisted me. Might be related to the blood doping controversy a few years back. I will emphasize that these were just allegations. I was never convicted.

Now you know what most accused go through.

 

[CWOyaji]

I added them to the Shell list.

Like winning an Oscar. I haven't had time to work on my speech, but I'd like to thank the Academy, etc.

 

[Nealjpage]

I dunno, I was just going with what Steve used in his video. I tend to base my questionable shoe science experiments off the ideas of far more capable people than myself.

Can you help me out with a link to the video?

 

[wasmisterfu]

I think the Pulitzer people have blacklisted me. Might be related to the blood doping controversy a few years back. I will emphasize that these were just allegations. I was never convicted.

Ah yes, the great “Competition Shoeshine League” scandal. The sport never recovered from that.

 

[jpm1]

Is 16 years old enough to be considered vintage? Alden x Arthur Beren Circa 2004 (most likely). Arthur Beren was a long time Alden dealer in San Francisco until closing a few years ago.

They are a Plaza last makeup in a beautiful medium brown scotch grain with the Ram medallion. They were originally made with a white/semi-transparent Commando Sole that Alden offered briefly at one time. It was a very hard rubber compared to the smoke commando soles used today. It was also prone to crack based on my pair. Bill LaRossa in S. Weymouth, Massachusetts resoled these last year with a double leather sole.

The first picture was taken this morning. I deep cleaned these for several hours to remove all the years of gunk that had built up on them. The cleaning revealed a very beautiful shade of brown that was masked by years of grime and darker polish.

 

[jpm1]

View attachment 1395209 View attachment 1395210
Is 16 years old enough to be considered vintage? Alden x Arthur Beren Circa 2004 (most likely). Arthur Beren was a long time Alden dealer in San Francisco until closing a few years ago.

They are a Plaza last makeup in a beautiful medium brown scotch grain with the Ram medallion. They were originally made with a white/semi-transparent Commando Sole that Alden offered briefly at one time. It was a very hard rubber compared to the smoke commando soles used today. It was also prone to crack based on my pair. Bill LaRossa in S. Weymouth, Massachusetts resoled these last year with a double leather sole.

The first picture was taken this morning. I deep cleaned these for several hours to remove all the years of gunk that had built up on them. The cleaning revealed a very beautiful shade of brown that was masked by years of grime and darker polish.

Before pic

 

[wasmisterfu]

Can you help me out with a link to the video?

Sure:

 

[woofmang]

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Is 16 years old enough to be considered vintage?

I vote yes.

 

[kilowatts]

I think the Pulitzer people have blacklisted me. Might be related to the blood doping controversy a few years back. I will emphasize that these were just allegations. I was never convicted.

Hi David:

I thought the trainer was always at fault and anyway, it was only a cold medication!

kilowatts

 

[wasmisterfu]

View attachment 1395209 View attachment 1395210
Is 16 years old enough to be considered vintage? Alden x Arthur Beren Circa 2004 (most likely). Arthur Beren was a long time Alden dealer in San Francisco until closing a few years ago.

They are a Plaza last makeup in a beautiful medium brown scotch grain with the Ram medallion. They were originally made with a white/semi-transparent Commando Sole that Alden offered briefly at one time. It was a very hard rubber compared to the smoke commando soles used today. It was also prone to crack based on my pair. Bill LaRossa in S. Weymouth, Massachusetts resoled these last year with a double leather sole.

The first picture was taken this morning. I deep cleaned these for several hours to remove all the years of gunk that had built up on them. The cleaning revealed a very beautiful shade of brown that was masked by years of grime and darker polish.

As I learned when I got into antique pocket watches and hobbiest watch making/repair, the only official designation (by US Customs classification) is “antique”, which is set at 100 years or older. “Vintage” (and the related term “collectible”) isn’t really a hard set term, in the same sense, though it’s generally accepted that an item needs to be roughly around the quarter century mark.

So I’m gonna say no, they’re not vintage yet. However, they’re so nice, that we won’t enter an official “Vintage Violation” in your permanent record.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Thanks for this input. Between concerns about the legality and ethics of this potential purchased, and that “they don’t seem wearable,” It would seem wise to pass. They are cool though.

 

[jpm1]

As I learned when I got into antique pocket watches and hobbiest watch making/repair, the only official designation (by US Customs classification) is “antique”, which is set at 100 years or older. “Vintage” (and the related term “collectible”) isn’t really a hard set term, in the same sense, though it’s generally accepted that an item needs to be roughly around the quarter century mark.

So I’m gonna say no, they’re not vintage yet. However, they’re so nice, that we won’t enter an official “Vintage Violation” in your permanent record.

? I knew anything from this millennium was a stretch! I have stuff that dates back to 1957. Need to start photographing them.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Hi David:

I thought the trainer was always at fault and anyway, it was only a cold medication!

kilowatts

Rumor has it that the bottom shelf of his shoeshine box had a mobile IV transfusion kit.

 

[davidVC]

View attachment 1395209 View attachment 1395210
Is 16 years old enough to be considered vintage? Alden x Arthur Beren Circa 2004 (most likely). Arthur Beren was a long time Alden dealer in San Francisco until closing a few years ago.

They are a Plaza last makeup in a beautiful medium brown scotch grain with the Ram medallion. They were originally made with a white/semi-transparent Commando Sole that Alden offered briefly at one time. It was a very hard rubber compared to the smoke commando soles used today. It was also prone to crack based on my pair. Bill LaRossa in S. Weymouth, Massachusetts resoled these last year with a double leather sole.

The first picture was taken this morning. I deep cleaned these for several hours to remove all the years of gunk that had built up on them. The cleaning revealed a very beautiful shade of brown that was masked by years of grime and darker polish.

Those are beauts. I like the scotch grain upper. You don't see that medallion style too often.