Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[Nealjpage]

Ever get the feeling that no matter how much work you put into a pair of shoes, you're just polishing a turd?

 

[wasmisterfu]

Ever get the feeling that no matter how much work you put into a pair of shoes, you're just polishing a turd?

Yeah. I think we’ve all been there.

 

[Joe Wohkittel]

FYI: Definitely the made in USA variety. They don't seem to be "patent leather" either. At $50, I'd buy them in my size.

Vtg 60s Stacy Adams 2 Tone Patent Leather Wing Tip Dress Shoe 10 D Mod Hollywood | eBay

Unique kind of patent leather 2 tone colors. Pre owned, quite mint and nice overall though. See pics, and see the other pair I have on.

www.ebay.com

 

[Guccinski L.V.]

I thought this was interesting. A spade sole. Looks pretty stout. Anyone wear them? I don't know much about Cole Haan history.
View attachment 1414855

$600 Bench Made Cole Haan Vintage Werner Oxford Walnut Brown Wing Tip Size 11D | eBay

<p>Cole Haan Vintage Werner Oxford Walnut Brown Wingtip Brogue Benchmade Size 11D. Condition is Pre-owned.</p><br><p>These are Some of the finest shoes Cole Haan ever produced and are handmade in Italy.</p><br><p>#18B</p>

www.ebay.com

Made approx 12-15 years ago as a limited run. I was eyeing them at the time, but decided against.

 

[happypebble]

Yeah. I think we’ve all been there.

Hey, I have the lace up version of this! Florsheim Decaturs, from +/-2011. They are kind of turd-esque, but actually make OK work shoes. My pair was $5 plus shipping, so I can trash them at work and it doesn't matter.

 

[happypebble]

Does anyone know off hand when the Charles Chester shoe company went under? I'm trying to date my pair.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Hey, I have the lace up version of this! Florsheim Decaturs, from +/-2011. They are kind of turd-esque, but actually make OK work shoes. My pair was $5 plus shipping, so I can trash them at work and it doesn't matter.

In my case, I didn’t purchase those for myself, which meant I kinda had to wear them, if ya know what I mean. For quite a while, they were my “around the house” shoes. I found them to be pretty awful, as they lacked the defined heel lift that I need for a shoe to be comfortable. I couldn’t wear them for a walk, for example. They got worse as all the PU foam stuff collapsed. Finally the interiors just self destructed, and I could throw them out without fear of “but I bought those for you”.

Through it all, I kept taking care of the uppers, trying to make them look as decent as a pair of hideously ugly, mid-2000’s business-casual comfort loafery-things can look. Literally polishing a turd.

 

[wasmisterfu]

I’m buying the box, entering in the shoe box restoration challenge, a competition that I just made up, and declaring myself the winner.

A well conceived plan, sir. Might I ask, does the award for first place happen to be a pair of shoes?

 

[happypebble]

In my case, I didn’t purchase those for myself, which meant I kinda had to wear them, if ya know what I mean. For quite a while, they were my “around the house” shoes. I found them to be pretty awful, as they lacked the defined heel lift that I need for a shoe to be comfortable. I couldn’t wear them for a walk, for example. They got worse as all the PU foam stuff collapsed. Finally the interiors just self destructed, and I could throw them out without fear of “but I bought those for you”.

Through it all, I kept taking care of the uppers, trying to make them look as decent as a pair of hideously ugly, mid-2000’s business-casual comfort loafery-things can look. Literally polishing a turd.

Hilarious. Well, now I know what I can look forward to with my pair. the previous owner must not have liked them as they were all but unworn when I got them. I'll watch for them to spectacularly fall apart. Comfortech!

 

[Guccinski L.V.]

Does anyone know off hand when the Charles Chester shoe company went under? I'm trying to date my pair.

A lot of guys are dating their shoes in this thread.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Hilarious. Well, now I know what I can look forward to with my pair. the previous owner must not have liked them as they were all but unworn when I got them. I'll watch for them to spectacularly fall apart. Comfortech!

I (really) hate to ask this... but you mentioned yours were a lace-up version. I’m having trouble visualizing what they could possibly look like: can you post a picture, so that my OCD addled brain can put this question to rest?

Just be sure to spoiler it, that way @smfdoc doesn’t kick me off the thread for instigating posts of awful non-vintage shoes (something I’m probably on probation for already).

 

[wasmisterfu]

A lot of guys are dating their shoes in this thread.

 

[davidVC]

That is correct. Post 1958 this arrangement was noted on all McHale boxes.

View attachment 1414848

Thank you. Excellent research. I didn't not know that.

 

[davidVC]

Made approx 12-15 years ago as a limited run. I was eyeing them at the time, but decided against.

Yeah, that model was called the Trafton. It was Cole Haan's signature model for a year. The styling was over the top. The reviews were not good as I remember. Uncomfortable and like @mormonopoly mentions, creased heavily due to plastic-like upper.

Classic shoes for men has a few listed:

*COLE-HAAN “Fiddle Sole” “Trafton” Full Brogue Oxford:46D

Cole-Haan Limited Edition Spade Sole Full Wing-Tip Oxford Brogue, the Trafton, a line of shoes of extraordinary quality and beauty from an unnamed Italian maker.

classicshoesformen.com

 

[Nealjpage]

A lot of guys are dating their shoes in this thread.

There's gotta be a similar meme for shoe heads, but 30 seconds of Googling didn't produce results and I gave up.