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stook1

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I've had a very satisfying run of vintage pickups lately, which I am way overdue to report on. But I wanted to mention three specifically that I thought would be interesting. Unfortunately, I am going to use some listing pics for these since it's dark out, I feel like posting about this right now, and I really cant give shoe work my all at the present time since I am still rehabbing my arm and it's not possible for me to do any brushing. Lots of excuses, I know.

First, in the course of the last month, I snagged two pairs of wingtip balmorals. The below Aldens (for brooks bros), which are not-quite-vintage but not new (honestly not sure how old these are - perhaps one of you has some idea). They are on the m75 last, which is not a very well known Alden last. It's similar to the plaza last but with a little more room at the ball and instep. These shoes have minimal wear so it's a bit disappointing that the eyelet paint has started chipping in a few spots - not quite sure what I am going to do about that yet. This seems to be a common issue, although it has not been a problem on my color 8 boots that I bought new. The boots have seen quite a bit more wear than these wingtips so perhaps it is a function of age more than wear. Not sure. One unique thing about these shoes is that there isnt a seam on the rear of the heel -- don't see that everyday.

1606950603201.png

1606951605887.png


The second pair that I bought I just received today. These are J&M Crown Aristocraft. Brown instead of color 8 shell. They are a half size bigger than the Alden's but I don't find them to fit that big, which is unexpected. I took a gamble on these and, to be honest with you, I impulse bought them because they were a really good deal (I'm a sucker for a good deal, what can I say). I briefly had another pair of these at one point but the size was illegible and the fit seemed a bit off to me. These seem to be better based upon a momentary fitment without laces. They weren't especially dry but I gave them a treatment of neatsfoot oil and will put them through my normal cleanup routine.

1606950882902.png

So a couple of quick comments on these two shoes. First, they are a LOT more similar than I realized when I bought them. In fact, I may end up reselling one of them down the line once I decide which pair I prefer. Even the last shape seems relatively similar - both are a soft square more or less like the alden plaza last. The construction on both pairs is, quite honestly, very good. I have not measured/counted but I am reasonably sure the stitch density is higher on the J&Ms. The J&M shoes, I'd honestly say, rival my Florsheims in terms of construction. It's possible that the pinking on my florsheims is a little cleaner but I'd have to say it's close. It's a matter of taste but the J&M medallion is not quite as nice as either the florsheim or the aldens pictured above. I'd say the lining is a bit nicer on both my florsheims and aldens, which isn't to say that there is any issue with the J&Ms.

Finally, I wanted to report that I have somehow managed to cycle through 4 pairs of 93602s in the last 6 months. I actually thought I was done after finding my last pair. They represented a significant upgrade from my previous pair and, truth be told, the really are a great pair. However, it kills me every time one of you guys posts a pair with that really gorgeous contrasty grain. Well'p, I finally snagged a pair of 97625s with just the look I have been after! I should have these soon.

1606952272669.png
 

CWOyaji

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I've bought and sold a few pairs of those Alden A764s but never found them in my size. Then I got a pair of the same J&M shell shortwings that are in my size (24-4949 - Dark Cherry - Bellwood II Crown Aristocraft Wingtips) for $85 with trees and bags and I stopped looking. They are a really great shoe, congratulations.
1606954260930.png
 

stook1

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I've bought and sold a few pairs of those Alden A764s but never found them in my size. Then I got a pair of the same J&M shell shortwings that are in my size (24-4949 - Dark Cherry - Bellwood II Crown Aristocraft Wingtips) for $85 with trees and bags and I stopped looking. They are a really great shoe, congratulations. View attachment 1509089

Hah, that's funny. They are pretty darn nice shoes, right? I need to tinker with both pairs some more but it surprised me how similar they are. At the moment, I think I have a slight preference for the J&Ms but it's really going to come down to fit and whether I have room/need for both pairs.
 

hamercha

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stook1

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mormonopoly

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Almost every single post of your shoes are one of a kind.How do you get in to collecting unique shoes ? Any tips on finding them?
Thank you! It really comes down to time spent learning what to look for and looking for it. With unique vintage shoes, the seller generally isn’t going to label it all properly for you on eBay, so you really have to learn how to identify them, which is just done by spending hours looking at shoes. Then you have to spend more time checking listings constantly. It also helps to be flexible on size. I’m willing to wear pretty much anything in the 11-13 range for the right shoe.
 

Oshare

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I hope these are shell.

View attachment 1509180

View attachment 1509182

View attachment 1509183

I couldn't see the model number in the listing photos but they look like it. When I said "I hope," well, it's because I pulled the trigger impulsively.

View attachment 1509184

Hm. I'm not so sure they are shell.

These don't have the typical shell puffiness around the lace holes, and the toe caps don't really look like shell to me.

I would guess that they are a coated cow/calf leather, but would be happy to be proven wrong.
 

smfdoc

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Nobleprofessor

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This post is about new non-vintage shoes. However, I think this group shares my interest and curiousity about Meermin. So, I will spoiler this for those not wanting to hear about new shoes.

received my MTO Meermin Cognac Shell Cordovan LWB from the MTO event this summer. These are my first Meermin. I am very impressed in general. My first impression is that the conventional wisdom about Meermin is accurate. For the price, you can’t find a better shoe. The normal line is about $200. This custom Shell Cordovan pair was $385 with shipping. That is practically unheard of for well made Goodyear welted shoes. The quality of the materials looks great. My one complaint is probably related to the fact that I don’t know enough the different lasts.

I had to guess about the size. I usually wear 10.5-11 (US size) and I sometimes need a narrow width or at least a narrow last. Therefore I ordered a UK 9.5 in medium width (which is E for UK Size). They are definitely not too wide. In fact, the width is perfect for me. That might mean they would be too narrow for some. The one issue related to this particular last is the instep might be a little shallow for me. When I put they on, they feel pretty tight in my instep. I do have a high arch/instep. This results in a crease/fold at the bottom of instep at the start of toe box. You can see it in the pictures. I am planning to use a full volume shoe tree that might stretch it just a tiny bit. I only wore them around my house for a few minutes. I like them. Other than the instep fold/crease, I am very impressed. The materials look great, feel great and I haven’t noticed any QC issues — yet.

I do think I will try the $195 line if I can figure out which last accommodates a higher instep. I decided to break out my black watch plaid Bills Khakis for the occasion. It is that time of year!

2AA78B7E-1421-4AC6-91CB-56B9F8867AAB.jpeg
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Quick Summary: I will likely order more Meermin. For the money, they are probably hard to beat. Although, my first love will always be high quality vintage shoes.
 

sam67

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This post is about new non-vintage shoes. However, I think this group shares my interest and curiousity about Meermin. So, I will spoiler this for those not wanting to hear about new shoes.

received my MTO Meermin Cognac Shell Cordovan LWB from the MTO event this summer. These are my first Meermin. I am very impressed in general. My first impression is that the conventional wisdom about Meermin is accurate. For the price, you can’t find a better shoe. The normal line is about $200. This custom Shell Cordovan pair was $385 with shipping. That is practically unheard of for well made Goodyear welted shoes. The quality of the materials looks great. My one complaint is probably related to the fact that I don’t know enough the different lasts.

I had to guess about the size. I usually wear 10.5-11 (US size) and I sometimes need a narrow width or at least a narrow last. Therefore I ordered a UK 9.5 in medium width (which is E for UK Size). They are definitely not too wide. In fact, the width is perfect for me. That might mean they would be too narrow for some. The one issue related to this particular last is the instep might be a little shallow for me. When I put they on, they feel pretty tight in my instep. I do have a high arch/instep. This results in a crease/fold at the bottom of instep at the start of toe box. You can see it in the pictures. I am planning to use a full volume shoe tree that might stretch it just a tiny bit. I only wore them around my house for a few minutes. I like them. Other than the instep fold/crease, I am very impressed. The materials look great, feel great and I haven’t noticed any QC issues — yet.

I do think I will try the $195 line if I can figure out which last accommodates a higher instep. I decided to break out my black watch plaid Bills Khakis for the occasion. It is that time of year!

View attachment 1509424 View attachment 1509425 View attachment 1509426

Quick Summary: I will likely order more Meermin. For the money, they are probably hard to beat. Although, my first love will always be high quality vintage shoes.
I like the pants. ;)
 

stook1

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You will be pleased to know that the Fairgate was sold in a shell version and I am sure those are shell. My very first pair of shell shoes was the Fairgate. Great pickup.

These remind me a lot of the Alden 2160. I happen to like the Fairgate. They are really hard to find though in shell. I've seen only a few pairs come up for sale in anything approximating my size over the last couple years.
 

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