Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[MJMcRibb]

Great deal on these Fifth Aves from the AE glory days.

Shoes

Shop kim_martinson's closet or find the perfect look from millions of stylists. Fast shipping and buyer protection. Never worn 10.5 D

poshmark.com

 

[wasmisterfu]

I see it this way.

Ethically, all leather is wrong, and I would err on the side of PETA, in that all sentient beings are equal. I obviously don't subscribe to their values and beliefs. But bear with me.

Where a legality arises out of the slaughter of an animal is a different issue. So in this case, if it's illegal to sell sea turtle leather, we should not buy a pair. Even if it was made a long time ago. Perhaps even at a time when it was legal to use them.

So I would not buy them. And that's from a legal position only, as opposed to the ethical point. That said, I will never pass judgement on someone who does purchase sea turtle shoes.

I live vicariously through most of you anyways.

Ummm... counselor, are we not blurring the lines between ethics and morals?

For example, I’d never advocate that people trade in materials made from endangered species, as that would be ethically wrong.

However, set-aside legality, and I’d be out there slaughtering blue whales and panda bears for my shoes and pimp coat, because I have the morals of a Panamanian dictator.

Put another way, my ethics are beyond reproach, but my morals are beyond belief.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Great deal on these Fifth Aves from the AE glory days.

Shoes

Shop kim_martinson's closet or find the perfect look from millions of stylists. Fast shipping and buyer protection. Never worn 10.5 D

poshmark.com

Yup, I have a pair of 5th ave’s, just like those, made 2-3 years prior. Highly recommended:

(But if you get that pair on Poshmark, just make sure you hydrate them well before wearing, because those haven’t seen any conditioner since leaving Port Washington, 30 years ago.)


Edit: Man, apples autocorrect has become hyper-aggressive in recent releases; Dear Apple, your context algorithms suck, so stop changing tense and attempting to fix my contractions, you bunch of numbnutz.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Johnston and Murphy Crown Aristocrafts, I think there like a size 7 1/2, how much do you fellas think a repair in the tear would run? View attachment 1395397 View attachment 1395398

I’m confused... which pair are we talking about?

 

[Nealjpage]

Sure:

Thanks. That was a dramatic change. Mixture was leather cleaner, neatsfoot oil, and dish soap for those who don't want to watch the video.

 

[ccpl14]

Looking for some advice from the experts here.

I’m trying To clean up this pair of 92606, which, admittedly, have seen better days.

I originally thought that a saddle soap cleaning and polish would do the trick - but that just made them look worse somehow. So I proceeded to strip them using increasingly more powerful stuff (alcohol > Reno’Mat > deglazer). Each step seemed to increasingly highlight the dinginess in the creases and make it stand out more.

No matter what I do, it just seems to pop out more. I’ve now added 2 coats of light brown Fiebings pro-dye, and its not a whole lot better.

is this leather just shot? Should I try to dye a much darker color?

Not sure how to proceed, so open to any suggestions.

Thanks

 

[wasmisterfu]

Thanks. That was a dramatic change. Mixture was leather cleaner, neatsfoot oil, and dish soap for those who don't want to watch the video.

I knew the formula was something like that. When I need to do that, I’ll rewatch the video. That said, I think the same principle should apply to your insoles, though I make no warranties, implied or otherwise. Your insoles might implode, catch fire or suddenly form an inseparable symbiotic relationship with the bottom of your feet.

That said, keep us posted, as you are involved in critically important shoe science.

 

[stook1]

Looking for some advice from the experts here.

I’m trying To clean up this pair of 92606, which, admittedly, have seen better days.

I originally thought that a saddle soap cleaning and polish would do the trick - but that just made them look worse somehow. So I proceeded to strip them using increasingly more powerful stuff (alcohol > Reno’Mat > deglazer). Each step seemed to increasingly highlight the dinginess in the creases and make it stand out more.

View attachment 1395459

No matter what I do, it just seems to pop out more. I’ve now added 2 coats of light brown Fiebings pro-dye, and its not a whole lot better.

is this leather just shot? Should I try to dye a much darker color?

Not sure how to proceed, so open to any suggestions.

Thanks

Do you have a pic from prior to the dye but after the deglazer?

 

[ccpl14]

Do you have a pic from prior to the dye but after the deglazer?

That’s it in the post, I think. In any case, that’s pre-dye and it wasn’t much different before/after deglazer.

 

[stook1]

That’s it in the post, I think

Oh I see. I would use acetone and a toothbrush to get into the creases. I give credit to @Shoonoob for the toothbrush idea. I have way less experience than he does but I found it to be very effective. You also might consider trying to open up the creases a bit with a larger shoe tree.

 

[ccpl14]

Hm. Worth a shot. Thanks.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Looking for some advice from the experts here.

I’m trying To clean up this pair of 92606, which, admittedly, have seen better days.

I originally thought that a saddle soap cleaning and polish would do the trick - but that just made them look worse somehow. So I proceeded to strip them using increasingly more powerful stuff (alcohol > Reno’Mat > deglazer). Each step seemed to increasingly highlight the dinginess in the creases and make it stand out more.

View attachment 1395459

No matter what I do, it just seems to pop out more. I’ve now added 2 coats of light brown Fiebings pro-dye, and its not a whole lot better.

is this leather just shot? Should I try to dye a much darker color?

Not sure how to proceed, so open to any suggestions.

Thanks

Sir, it’s time to get serious:

You need to fully strip those all the way down. The leather looks like it may have a PU coat, so you’ll probably be at it for hours.

You can read my saga of CG stripping here:
The saga...
TL;DR version...

No half measures; full commitment is required.

 

[eTrojan]

Edit: Man, apples autocorrect has become hyper-aggressive in recent releases; Dear Apple, your context algorithms suck, so stop changing tense and attempting to fix my contractions, you bunch of numbnutz.

Every day I use my iPhone I’m reminded that Steve Jobs is dead. IOS has become an abomination; he wouldn’t have tolerated it.

 

[suitforcourt]

Looking for some advice from the experts here.

I’m trying To clean up this pair of 92606, which, admittedly, have seen better days.

I originally thought that a saddle soap cleaning and polish would do the trick - but that just made them look worse somehow. So I proceeded to strip them using increasingly more powerful stuff (alcohol > Reno’Mat > deglazer). Each step seemed to increasingly highlight the dinginess in the creases and make it stand out more.

View attachment 1395459

No matter what I do, it just seems to pop out more. I’ve now added 2 coats of light brown Fiebings pro-dye, and its not a whole lot better.

is this leather just shot? Should I try to dye a much darker color?

Not sure how to proceed, so open to any suggestions.

Thanks

Oh I see. I would use acetone and a toothbrush to get into the creases. I give credit to @Shoonoob for the toothbrush idea. I have way less experience than he does but I found it to be very effective. You also might consider trying to open up the creases a bit with a larger shoe tree.

Toothbrush is a great idea. On a pair of winter boots, I used an old brush that used to scrub my bathroom sinks and tub. The bristle was tough and artificial. When I brushed against my skin, it would cause abrasions.

So I used it to clean my winter boots. Worked like a charm. Give this a try.

 

[davidVC]

On @davidVC's watch list. What vintage are these?

View attachment 1394865

Vintage Freeman Shoes Brown Leather White Suede Men's Wingtips Dress Shoes 9? | eBay

<p>The size is not clearly marked, these fit me and I typically wear a size 9/9.5 dress shoe. Vintage Freeman Shoes Brown Leather White Suede Men's Wingtips Dress Shoes 9. Condition is Pre-owned. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail.</p>

www.ebay.com

I looked at my catalogs but didn't find an exact match for this model. The box logo and slogan match the ones used in a 1951 and 1954 catalog I have.