Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[Hotel Cali]

I think it’s a matter of personal style. Only you know whether they work for you and your fashion sensibility.

I like the style. I am not asking for internet approval or validation for me to like them.

I am asking if the others like them or hate them or somewhere in between.

It's ok for you to hate them. I approve of that. JK

 

[WSB17]

Must be raining shoes. Aristocraft wingtip (Fits me, yes!) and footjoy classic loafer. No one would leave a good J&M behind , right ? And about 4 other name brands that were just too beat up.


I do have a question about that. How can you tell a crown Aristocraft from an aristocraft if the label is barely visible? Or the quality of the Aristocraft?
This a Crown, which I didn’t see in the store lighting.
View attachment 1486053

Very nice
This is the "Conley" wingtip, one of my favorite J&M models.
It was one of the last Crown Aristocraft models to still be available in the stores as late as 2018.
Yours has the 80's/90s logo, so is definitely older.

From the 2017 catalog:

You can tell the Crown Aristocraft by the slight beveled waist on the outsole, it's not very prominent, just a nice touch of elegance.
Also, the wheeling/fudging on the welt should be very clear, tough I've seen "Aristocraft" models with similar wheeling/fudging as well.

Here's some shots of my Crown Aristocraft "Georgetown", this is the last 2015-2016 production batch.

Spoiler: More

 

[sam67]

Very nice
This is the "Conley" wingtip, one of my favorite J&M models.
It was one of the last Crown Aristocraft models to still be available in the stores as late as 2018.
Yours has the 80's/90s logo, so is definitely older.

From the 2017 catalog:
View attachment 1486669

You can tell the Crown Aristocraft by the slight beveled waist on the outsole, it's not very prominent, just a nice touch of elegance.
Also, the wheeling/fudging on the welt should be very clear, tough I've seen "Aristocraft" models with similar wheeling/fudging as well.

Here's some shots of my Crown Aristocraft "Georgetown", this is the last 2015-2016 production batch.
View attachment 1486670

View attachment 1486671
View attachment 1486673

Spoiler: More

View attachment 1486672
View attachment 1486674
View attachment 1486675

Thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

 

[Joe Wohkittel]

Very nice
This is the "Conley" wingtip, one of my favorite J&M models.
It was one of the last Crown Aristocraft models to still be available in the stores as late as 2018.
Yours has the 80's/90s logo, so is definitely older.

From the 2017 catalog:
View attachment 1486669

You can tell the Crown Aristocraft by the slight beveled waist on the outsole, it's not very prominent, just a nice touch of elegance.
Also, the wheeling/fudging on the welt should be very clear, tough I've seen "Aristocraft" models with similar wheeling/fudging as well.

Here's some shots of my Crown Aristocraft "Georgetown", this is the last 2015-2016 production batch.
View attachment 1486670

View attachment 1486671
View attachment 1486673

Spoiler: More

View attachment 1486672
View attachment 1486674
View attachment 1486675

I was happy to pick up a couple pairs of Crowns at the very end of the run. In fact, I've been happy with almost all the US made J&M shoes I've had over the years, as long as they are not cement construction. Before most US production ended in the early 2000s, the Optima line used corrected grain but had quality oak leather soles and wore well. Above that Trampoline tended to be full grain. However, the construction wasn't the greatest on them, and they were held together with a lot of glue. Never had that problem with US made Aristocrafts or Crown Aristocrafts, but at the end of the run, some Crowns ended up on eBay that seem to have been assembled with whatever materials were leftover.
The "crown" designator came into being in the 80s (I believe). Older Aristocrafts have a Roman numeral at the end that seems to have increased over a period of years, but I don't know the timespan.

When I started selling shoes in the late 90s, J&M still sent around a gentleman for trunk shows who took custom measurements, which set them apart from other US makers. They had more sales contests that Cole Haan and AE, with opportunities to win a trip to the factory in Nashville and have your own custom pair made. All three had ways to try and make sure we wore their shoes (AE let us buy a certain number of pairs a year at wholesale), but J&M's contests were always the best.

 

[happypebble]

I suppose, but maybe in small doses it might be ok.

So what did people use on shoes in the days before Bick 4 and Lexol?

 

[sam67]

Update: what have I gotten myself into? What have I done?

A buddy and I tried to strip some CG with acetone and xylene. It didn't go well. Never got the acrylic stuff completely out of the leather so it bleeds a bit if you put Bick 4 on it.
I read on SF not to do it. Did I listen? No. Regret it ? Yes.
(if you're reading this and considering it. DON'T. ) I think it was smfdoc who told me just get the shoe you want. Don't try to change something into the shoe you want.
Ok, I'm done.

 

[jpm1]

I was happy to pick up a couple pairs of Crowns at the very end of the run. In fact, I've been happy with almost all the US made J&M shoes I've had over the years, as log as they are not cement construction. Before most US production ended in the early 2000s, the Optima line used corrected grain but had quality oak leather soles and wore well. Above that Trampoline tended to be full grain. However, the construction wasn't the greatest on them, and they were held together with a lot of glue. Never had that problem with US made Aristocrafts or Crown Aristocrafts, but at the end of the run, some Crowns ended up on eBay that seem to have been assembled with whatever materials were leftover.
The "crown" designator came into being in the 80s (I believe). Older Aristocrafts have a Roman numeral at then end that seem to have increased over a period of years, but I don't know the timespan.

When I started selling shoes in the late 90s, J&M still sent around a gentleman for trunk shows who took custom measurements, which set them apart from other US makers. They had more sales contests that Cole Haan and AE, with opportunities to win a trip to the factory in Nashville and have your own custom pair. All three had ways to try and make sure we wore thier shoes (AE let us buy a certain number of pairs a year at wholesale), but J&Ms contests were always the best.

By the end, The Aldrich II were being made in Mexico I’m pretty sure.

 

[jpm1]

Vintage Florsheim Royal Imperial “Stratford” from 1969 in black Coventry Calfskin. Model 96609.

 

[kilowatts]

Hi Guys:

So the packages arrived!! A leather handbag for Mrs. Watts, a vintage Holland Bros. canvas and leather Safari bag, a pair of USAF sunglasses, some Bickmore products and a pair of AE LWB MacNeils along with the mystery boots.

All fine and exactly as expected. The MacNeils have an odd style number though it's 29323. Anyone know if that's correct? Please let me know.

The mystery boots are actually quite a nice surprise., They're a pair by PW Minor in black with a cotton drill lining and an orthotic insole in size 11EE. Very good quality leather with a single leather sole. The previous owner only walked around the block in them so they're as near NOS as makes no difference. Sadly a little wide for me so if anyone wants them please let me know, otherwise off to Marius. Here's the pics:

Don't really know why I have 2 copies of each pic! Unintentional!

kilowatts

 

[kilowatts]

PS:
Here's the safari bag:

kilowatts

 

[Nobleprofessor]

PS:
Here's the safari bag:

View attachment 1486822 View attachment 1486823

kilowatts

That’s a great looking bag! Those are hard to find and the green battenkill and leather is the best combo.

 

[hamercha]

I was happy to pick up a couple pairs of Crowns at the very end of the run. In fact, I've been happy with almost all the US made J&M shoes I've had over the years, as log as they are not cement construction. Before most US production ended in the early 2000s, the Optima line used corrected grain but had quality oak leather soles and wore well. Above that Trampoline tended to be full grain. However, the construction wasn't the greatest on them, and they were held together with a lot of glue. Never had that problem with US made Aristocrafts or Crown Aristocrafts, but at the end of the run, some Crowns ended up on eBay that seem to have been assembled with whatever materials were leftover.
The "crown" designator came into being in the 80s (I believe). Older Aristocrafts have a Roman numeral at then end that seem to have increased over a period of years, but I don't know the timespan.

When I started selling shoes in the late 90s, J&M still sent around a gentleman for trunk shows who took custom measurements, which set them apart from other US makers. They had more sales contests that Cole Haan and AE, with opportunities to win a trip to the factory in Nashville and have your own custom pair. All three had ways to try and make sure we wore thier shoes (AE let us buy a certain number of pairs a year at wholesale), but J&Ms contests were always the best.

"AE let us buy a certain number of pairs a year at wholesale"
If my memory serves me right, almost all manufacturers - I worked in a store at that time as welll - allowed salesman to buy some pairs per year at wholesale. Did you meant that AE allowed, but Cole Haan and J&M did not?

 

[sam67]

Spotted last night. Pretty sure AE never made women's shoes.

View attachment 1462116

Actually they did make a few women's shoes. I've seen them, I think in '86-87 catalog.

 

[hamercha]

Actually they did make a few women's shoes. I've seen them, I think in '86-87 catalog.

AE did make women's shoes. They might have stopped women's shoes in early 90's.

 

[eTrojan]

I like the style. I am not asking for internet approval or validation for me to like them.

I am asking if the others like them or hate them or somewhere in between.

It's ok for you to hate them. I approve of that. JK

These specific boots are a little too '70s disco for me. But there are some zip half-boots that I've looked at that would work for me. Most of them give me flashbacks to polishing my dad's shoes/boots for $0.25/shoe as a child, so there's a mixed emotion attached to them.