Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[suitforcourt]

1 of 2 pairs of 93605. A third pair was sent to shoe heaven and upcycled by @smfdoc . A fourth pair will be sold to fund other purchases.

This pair got new cat paw heels, grommets, and sole protectors.

 

[smfdoc]

Here you go. Made in the USA Stafford LWB 9D. It is amazing now to compare this shoe to anything sold at JCPenney now. In fact, I could argue these shoes are higher quality and better made than almost any department store shoes sold currently— with the possible exception of a few brands sold at higher end department stores like AE.

Real GY Welt, pretty tight well done stitching, thick leather soles, etc. They are heavy!

Nice color too! I didn’t polish these because I didn’t want to change the color. I only used some Bick 4 to condition them.

No idea what these are worth. Probably not as much as they should be. If anyone wants them, make me an offer. I’m reasonable.

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Not sure who made them, but it is a good looking shoe. Well constructed.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

Not sure who made them, but it is a good looking shoe. Well constructed.

I agree. If I found these in my size I would definitely wear them!

 

[suitforcourt]

3 new additions. But the treasured pair was a gamble on the size. Didn't pay off. The blue Florsheim from the 40s is likely a 9.5C or 10B/C.

AE Cumberland boots are heavy, well lined, and leather is extremely thick. Very impressive.

The Florsheim Duckie Browns really blow me away. The stitching work is actually well done.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

3 new additions. But the treasured pair was a gamble on the size. Didn't pay off. The blue Florsheim from the 40s is likely a 9.5C or 10B/C.

AE Cumberland boots are heavy, well lined, and leather is extremely thick. Very impressive.

The Florsheim Duckie Browns really blow me away. The stitching work is actually well done.

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Those Duckies are really nice! They are such a mystery to me. Every time I see a used pair, they look like they are falling apart. But, these do look well made.

I Just got the last pair from the bulk lot of Florsheim. I have been waiting for these!

NOS 93602. I almost felt bad even trying them on. They are from 1982 and they are spectacular.

 

[Nealjpage]

Those Duckies are really nice! They are such a mystery to me. Every time I see a used pair, they look like they are falling apart. But, these do look well made.

I Just got the last pair from the bulk lot of Florsheim. I have been waiting for these!

NOS 93602. I almost felt bad even trying them on. They are from 1982 and they are spectacular.
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Note that the welt stitching is dark brown, not a contrasting color.

 

[smfdoc]

Those Duckies are really nice! They are such a mystery to me. Every time I see a used pair, they look like they are falling apart. But, these do look well made.

I Just got the last pair from the bulk lot of Florsheim. I have been waiting for these!

NOS 93602. I almost felt bad even trying them on. They are from 1982 and they are spectacular.
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Congrats on the pairs. You were so fortunate to find a big stash of shoes that actually fit!!

 

[Nobleprofessor]

Note that the welt stitching is dark brown, not a contrasting color.

Are you saying they are dirty? Or that this may signify a change in style? I didn’t think to brush the stitching to see if it was dusty.

 

[Nealjpage]

Are you saying they are dirty? Or that this may signify a change in style? I didn’t think to brush the stitching to see if it was dusty.

That it's a change in style, or that Florsheim always intended for the welt and the stitching to be the same color, and we've been incorrectly scrubbing off factory finish for all these years.

 

[Jiqea]

I received my 1920's/30's boots today that I purchased from an estate sale in Calgary last week; size 7.5D. They arrived in complete NOS condition, not even laced. The original laces had been passed through the first two eyelets and then fastened with a loose overhand loop put in place roughly 90 years ago. The laces have crimped metal aglets, pre-dating plastic. I believe the uppers may be kid and overall the leather is in fine supple condition with no cracks. I have hit them with two rounds of Bicks, and will continue to moisturiser every other day for a few weeks.

The boots were made expressly for J.D. Anderson, which was a high end woolen goods store in Banff, Alberta. I found a brief newspaper clipping indicating that they opened in 1911 and were known for carrying a selection of quality footwear. There are no markings suggesting who actually built the boots, although the fleur-de-lys on the Triumph heels might suggest a Quebec manufacturer.

Overall I am very pleased.

 

[Hotel Cali]

I think these may be elephant skin if someone might be interested in that. Made in South Africa.

Vintage Men's Leather Wing Tip Golf Shoes Size 10 1/2 Steel Cleats Chapman Bros | eBay

Chapman Brothers, steel cleats. Size 10 1/2, made in South Africa. Grey textured leather with leather soles. Shoes are in very good condition with Champ hardened steel cleats. Cleats have light discoloration from age.

www.ebay.com

 

[JFWR]

I think these may be elephant skin if someone might be interested in that. Made in South Africa.

View attachment 1463520

Vintage Men's Leather Wing Tip Golf Shoes Size 10 1/2 Steel Cleats Chapman Bros | eBay

Chapman Brothers, steel cleats. Size 10 1/2, made in South Africa. Grey textured leather with leather soles. Shoes are in very good condition with Champ hardened steel cleats. Cleats have light discoloration from age.

www.ebay.com

They made shoes out of elephant skin?

Listen, I know I literally have shoes made out of baby cows and horse ass membrane, but I'm not gonna lie: killing an elephant for shoes makes me feel intensely sad.

Plus, there might be some serious legal problems with selling these. You should be careful, given the strictness of trading in endangered animal material.

Like, let me be clear here: I am not saying you're bad for having this, as what's done is done, but let's also maybe not encourage it to continue. Elephants really need to not be killed.

 

[Hotel Cali]

They made shoes out of elephant skin?

Listen, I know I literally have shoes made out of baby cows and horse ass membrane, but I'm not gonna lie: killing an elephant for shoes makes me feel intensely sad.

Plus, there might be some serious legal problems with selling these. You should be careful, given the strictness of trading in endangered animal material.

Like, let me be clear here: I am not saying you're bad for having this, as what's done is done, but let's also maybe not encourage it to continue. Elephants really need to not be killed.

Listen, they are not my shoes.

They might not even be elephant. They might even be hippo . Vintage shoes are made from everything. Google it.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

I

They made shoes out of elephant skin?

Listen, I know I literally have shoes made out of baby cows and horse ass membrane, but I'm not gonna lie: killing an elephant for shoes makes me feel intensely sad.

Plus, there might be some serious legal problems with selling these. You should be careful, given the strictness of trading in endangered animal material.

Like, let me be clear here: I am not saying you're bad for having this, as what's done is done, but let's also maybe not encourage it to continue. Elephants really need to not be killed.

Elephant boots and shoes have been around for a long time. I had some elephant boots 25 years ago.

Here are some:

Rios of Mercedes Men's Elephant Safari Cowboy Boots - Granite and Blac

Elephant Cowboy Boots Black Waxy Calfskin Uppers with Elephant Pull Straps Chain Stitching and Cord Pattern Narrow Sqaure Toe and 1 3/8" Heel Cushioned Insoles Handmade in Mercedes, Texas Safari style goes western with these unique genuine elephant and calfskin boots, and no pair is exactly...

www.pintoranch.com

Apparently Elephant skin footwear is legal in very specific circumstances.

 

[kilowatts]

I’m holding out for panda!
Kilowatts