Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[Nealjpage]

If their your size, and the 65 last works for you, I’d definitely buy those. Photos are super clear, but I see no seconds mark, and the interiors look clear with minimal wear.

How does the 65 last compare to the 25 (Fairfax) last? I wear an 8.5 D in the Fairfax.

 

[jpm1]

For reference, the 4 last that the Polo (I pictured above) was built on was the 674 “Ethan” last. Based my pair of Ritz pumps, the later 234 was, IMHO, quite a bit more tapered in the toe. The 234 was a more elegant last than the 674. But the 674 is not bad looking “in person” but photographs poorly; it is, nevertheless, one of those “seventies” lasts, but a more restrained one, which is why it survived into the early 90’s.

AE had a number of really, really square-toed lasts in the 70’s, like the “London” 6, “Belgium” 5 and “Windsor” 9. The resulting pilgrim shoes they built on those lasts are some of the most questionably styled shoes they ever churned out. We’re talking some real disco era disasters:

I believe most of those lasts were lost in the Belgium, WI factory fire in 1984. I love looking at the catalogs from the 70s. They made some very cool stuff back then.

 

[jpm1]

How does the 65 last compare to the 25 (Fairfax) last? I wear an 8.5 D in the Fairfax.

Fairfax is also on the 65 last.

 

[GoldenHarvestMedal]

July of 1997 it appears. Tail end of MiUSA for Florsheim.

Thank you.

Is that valuable at some point?

 

[wasmisterfu]

How does the 65 last compare to the 25 (Fairfax) last? I wear an 8.5 D in the Fairfax.

The Fairfax I know of (a great looking brouged wholecut made in the 2000’s) was built on the 65 last. I don’t know anything about a 25 last.

 

[jpm1]

1968 Imperial split toe vcleat

 

[jpm1]

Thank you.

Is that valuable at some point?

They are a solid shoe though less desirable than older models among collectors.

 

[Hotel Cali]

Vintage violation but vintage homage:

Allen Edmonds white McNeil with JR soles. Looks like calf with JR soles with Horween Cordovan stamp. Or could it really be unicorn white shell.

@Oshare for inspiration

@wasmisterfu @jpm1 @smfdoc for comments. Looks like AE allowed for their JR soles on custom non-shell shoes back then.

 

[madhat]

Vintage violation but vintage homage:

Allen Edmonds white McNeil with JR soles. Looks like calf with JR soles with Horween Cordovan stamp. Or could it really be unicorn white shell.

@Oshare for inspiration

@wasmisterfu @jpm1 @smfdoc for comments. Looks like AE allowed for their JR soles on custom non-shell shoes back then.

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What's the model info on the inside? A lot of MTOs started with a 0.

Also a brief period last year...

 

[Hotel Cali]

Golden era NIB NOS Chester in the 73 last for a low starting bid $64. I will guess this auction won't go over $100.

Anyone here size 10D?

Allen Edmonds #1903 Chester Wingtip Oxford In Black Calf 10 D Made In The USA | eBay

WE DO NOT KNOW THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND IF THEY WERE SMOKERS OR HAD PETS. and we will work with you to resolve the issue.

www.ebay.com

 

[jpm1]

Vintage violation but vintage homage:

Allen Edmonds white McNeil with JR soles. Looks like calf with JR soles with Horween Cordovan stamp. Or could it really be unicorn white shell.

@Oshare for inspiration

@wasmisterfu @jpm1 @smfdoc for comments. Looks like AE allowed for their JR soles on custom non-shell shoes back then.

View attachment 1417360

View attachment 1417372

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These are likely fairly recent. 2012/13 era. It was about that time that AE added the Horween stamp to the JR soles.

 

[wasmisterfu]

I believe most of those lasts were lost in the Belgium, WI factory fire in 1984. I love looking at the catalogs from the 70s. They made some very cool stuff back then.

It’s just my opinion, but I think this is kind of a company fostered myth (AE folks love to say things got burned up in the factory fire). Lasts (made by last makers) have to be replaced from time to time due to wear and tear. This is why it didn’t take long for AE to restart production: they just had new copies of the production lasts created. Before recrafting came in during the mid 80’s, AE most likely discarded old discontinued lasts (the MacGregor 0 last, after 1978, disappeared from use completely, for example).

Anyway, my contention is that they didn’t really lose old lasts in the fire, because they weren’t keeping lasts they weren’t using. I recall reading that Stollenwerk was already looking at building a second new facility, even before the fire, because of capacity problems (they had space and production capacity issues at the Belgium plant). Plus they never really brought back old lasts before the fire, which occurred before recrafting was introduced. IMHO, they only started storing old lasts once recrafting became a thing. However, it just sounds romantic to say “we lost the old lasts in a fire”, versus “yeah, we weren’t going to use them again, so we chucked them out”.

Just my opinion, though based on at least some modicum of research.

 

[jpm1]

It’s just my opinion, but I think this is kind of a company fostered myth (AE folks love to say things got burned up in the factory fire). Lasts (made by last makers) have to be replaced from time to time due to wear and tear. This is why it didn’t take long for AE to restart production: they just had new copies of the production lasts created. Before recrafting came in during the mid 80’s, AE most likely discarded old discontinued lasts (the MacGregor 0 last, after 1978, disappeared from use completely, for example).

Anyway, my contention is that they didn’t really lose old lasts in the fire, because they weren’t keeping lasts they weren’t using. I recall reading that Stollenwerk was already looking at building a second new facility, even before the fire, because of capacity problems (they had space and production capacity issues at the Belgium plant). Plus they never really brought back old lasts before the fire, which occurred before recrafting was introduced. IMHO, they only started storing old lasts once recrafting became a thing. However, it just sounds romantic to say “we lost the old lasts in a fire”, versus “yeah, we weren’t going to use them again, so we chucked them out”.

Just my opinion, though based on at least some modicum of research.

Entirely possible for sure.

 

[Hotel Cali]

Vintage?

NOS Alan McAfee for low starting bid of $32 with no watchers.

Any one size 10 1/2? Not sure if that's UK or US sizing.

Alan McAfee Handcrafted Men’s Burgandy Leather Wingtip Dress Shoes Sz 10 1/2 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Alan McAfee Handcrafted Men’s Burgandy Leather Wingtip Dress Shoes Sz 10 1/2 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[wasmisterfu]

These are likely fairly recent. 2012/13 era. It was about that time that AE added the Horween stamp to the JR soles.

Yeah, I agree on when they were made. However, they are freaking great and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy them. Probably the closest you’ll get to those next-level Florsheim white Kenmoor unicorns we were ogling a few days ago.