Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[friendlygoz]

Maiden voyage of my Dack’s kudu wholecuts. I’ve had these in black for a couple of years and wanted a pair in brown... badly... I’m talking grail level. @gorebug came through.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

That is a fine looking group of shoes.

Thank you. It definitely makes me happy seeing all of them. The red 93605 are still my favorite pair.

 

[rikod]

How about a collection of Shell with the variations in color? I need to try this again sometime in natural light.

From top left to right

Vintage Johnston Murphy Shell (almost #4)
NEW Alden Black Shell
1965 Florsheim 93605
NOS Allen Edmonds BLUE Shell MacNeil
NOS Florsheim 93605 (Cola Red)
Alden 975 #8
Meermin Cognac Shell
Allen Edmonds #8 Macneil
NOS Nettleton #8
NEW Alden # 8


View attachment 1537010

That is great!

 

[Steppin'Out]

Slightly outside of the realm of ‘men’s vintage shoes’.... I’m looking to buy my partner some high quality dress shoes, preferably loafers but finding it pretty difficult!

Does anyone have any recommendations on vintage women’s shoes? Looking for slightly more masculine e.g not heels etc

Brands/eras anything! Would I be better looking for really small men’s shoes?

Forgive me if this is too off topic, I can delete if so!

 

[Hotel Cali]

There was previously a question if you can strip and re-dye shell cordovan.

These AE Leeds were stripped to down to lite pink and applied with red dye to try to get Coke red. I put too many layers and it turned out like #8.

 

[rikod]

What's the consensus about using Renomat on shell? There's some thick, dark brown wax on these that I can scrape off with my fingernail.

View attachment 1536633

Never ask for the “consensus“, normally that means a bunch of idiots talking Nonsense and following what other people, also idiots, say.

that being said, I frequently go against what the “Forum accepted“ Stuff is, but in this particular case, the Saphir Renovatour is great. If it get into the little holes, just brush, I also use the end of shoe laces to get the excess out.

 

[kilowatts]

Slightly outside of the realm of ‘men’s vintage shoes’.... I’m looking to buy my partner some high quality dress shoes, preferably loafers but finding it pretty difficult!

Does anyone have any recommendations on vintage women’s shoes? Looking for slightly more masculine e.g not heels etc

Brands/eras anything! Would I be better looking for really small men’s shoes?

Forgive me if this is too off topic, I can delete if so!

Hi there:
Try Roden Grey on Water Street. They have some really good women’s shoes. Spendy though.
kilowatts

 

[Oshare]

My first LWBs and still one of my favorites -- miCanada Florsheim by John McHale for a quick run to the supermarket.

 

[FatTuesday]

What's the consensus about using Renomat on shell? There's some thick, dark brown wax on these that I can scrape off with my fingernail.

It’s totally fine. I usually go with acetone if the shell has caked on wax. That works fine too. It will take off any acrylic coating which is fine with me too. Do condition afterwards of course.

I also have used acetone to strip caked-on wax from shell many times. I've used it on new cordovan to remove the factory acrylic coating many times. Over the years, I tried many of the milder methods, but I find acetone gets it done quicker. Renomat is fine, but slower and $$$.

One trick that seems to work well is very hot water & mild soap. Wear gloves & use the hottest water you can stand to wipe / rub shoes. Once dry, I usually follow this with a wipe of acetone.

As many have already said, condition very well afterwards.

Here's a pair of shell cordovan I stripped the factory acrylic from when new.

Good luck!

 

[greekgeek]

I have something arriving today that I didn’t know existed. BLUE shell Cordovan Allen Edmonds MacNeil. I didn’t know that these were offered in the past during the AE trunk show. I found these on eBay and they are NOS.

I’m very excited. The pics in the listing are pretty dark. I hope the blue is more obvious in person.

View attachment 1535467

Wow small world... glad to see they found a good home! I intend to do quite a bit more downsizing of my shoe collection over the coming weeks/months, DM me if you see something because eBay is up to almost 13% fees ?

 

[Nobleprofessor]

Wow small world... glad to see they found a good home! I intend to do quite a bit more downsizing of my shoe collection over the coming weeks/months, DM me if you see something because eBay is up to almost 13% fees ?

you were the seller? that’s cool.

 

[Quantum17]

What if I tell you it’s all been a lie? What if I’m a fraud? You see, I was just another guy paying little attention to footwear only months ago. One cloudy morning very much like today, I was informed that my real biological father is a Canadian, an archaeologist by day and a poet by night. He was a huge legend. People didn’t know three shoes were needed or possible until he showed up. His disappearance was as sudden & mysterious as his arrival. He was never seen in Vietnam again, only left with 3 trails on the beach. However, I did get a promising lead. He happens to be very invested in vintage Canadian, especially McHale and Dacks. Ever since, I have infiltrated many vintage shoes groups, and accumulated a decent collection. Yet, still have not found the legend himself. But I digress...

Presenting my much anticipated awesomeness water bison Dacks from the North. Dated 50s to early 60s, it shows incredible construction. I feel ready for a marathon having them on. The water bison leather is only short of bulletproof. The seam was actually hand sewn on for decoration. I felt silly that I didn’t get them sooner from Jim’s. Thank you for being ever so patient with me! I always feel so welcome and fatherly loved whenever we chat. You need to tell me more about your trip to Vietnam back in mid late 80s next time we talk, @Jiqea

 

[greekgeek]

you were the seller? that’s cool.

Yep that was me , was time to let go of a few favorites as I raise some funds for another pursuit.

 

[CWOyaji]

What if I tell you it’s all been a lie? What if I’m a fraud? You see, I was just another guy paying little attention to footwear only months ago. One cloudy morning very much like today, I was informed that my real biological father is a Canadian, an archaeologist by day and a poet by night. He was a huge legend. People didn’t know three shoes were needed or possible until he showed up. His disappearance was as sudden & mysterious as his arrival. He was never seen in Vietnam again, only left with 3 trails on the beach. However, I did get a promising lead. He happens to be very invested in vintage Canadian, especially McHale and Dacks. Ever since, I have infiltrated many vintage shoes groups, and accumulated a decent collection. Yet, still have not found the legend himself. But I digress...

Presenting my much anticipated awesomeness water bison Dacks from the North. Dated 50s to early 60s, it shows incredible construction. I feel ready for a marathon having them on. The water bison leather is only short of bulletproof. The seam was actually hand sewn on for decoration. I felt silly that I didn’t get them sooner from Jim’s. Thank you for being ever so patient with me! I always feel so welcome and fatherly loved whenever we chat. You need to tell me more about your trip to Vietnam back in mid late 80s next time we talk, @Jiqea

Water buffalo in Canada? Better call the zoo and see if any went missing, though it'll be a cold case by now. Especially in January. Mrs. Oyaji and I always have fun when we visit Vietnam. These are from my eleventh trip there, in 2018. Here's a view from an upstairs balcony cafe, overlooking Dong Khoi Street and the Caravelle Hotel.

With the Opera House across the plaza.

This time we stayed at the Hotel Continental right next door. The place is a period classic; in fact Graham Greene wrote The Quiet American in a room down the hall from ours. Great breakfast buffet and the courtyard has frangipani trees with beautiful fragrant blossoms. This is the most traditional place for weddings in Saigon, with uncles belting out karaoke into the wee hours.

Saigon has a little Japantown called Le Thanh Ton Sakaba; this restaurant is called 4Ps.

They make their own cheeses and export them all over SE Asia. I had their burrata and it was just as good as in Italy.

Bringing the subject back to shoes, this gentleman has a business repairing them on the sidewalk on a boulevard that goes from the Chinatown of Saigon, called Cho Lon, to District 1 where we stayed. We had a nice chat for a few minutes, then he asked me where I was headed and hailed a cab for me without even standing up.

 

[Quantum17]

Water buffalo in Canada? Better call the zoo and see if any went missing, though it'll be a cold case by now. Especially in January. Mrs. Oyaji and I always have fun when we visit Vietnam. These are from my eleventh trip there, in 2018.
View from an upstairs cafe overlooking Dong Khoi Street, facing the Caravelle Hotel with the Opera House across the plaza.
View attachment 1537473
"Nha Hat Lon" translates as "House Sing Big" with little accent doohickies on the vowels and the right tone marks.
View attachment 1537475
This time we stayed at the Hotel Continental right next door. The place is a period classic; in fact Graham Greene wrote The Quiet American in the room down the hall from the one we stayed in this trip. A wonderful breakfast buffet is served and the courtyard has these beautiful frangipani trees with beautiful fragrant blossoms. This is the most traditional place for VN weddings in Saigon, with uncles belting out karaoke into the wee hours.
View attachment 1537477
They have a little Japan Town called Le Thanh Ton Sakaba, this restaurant is called 4Ps.
View attachment 1537483
They make their own cheeses and export them all over SE Asia
View attachment 1537481
And of course the Cu Chi Tunnels



View attachment 1537488

I double checked with my source. It turns out my real dad is an American after all, most likely a globe trotter. Hi new dad, I mean @CWOyaji

After this Covid blown over (and I’m done with school), I swear I’m going to catch up with traveling again. Proudly in my vintage shoes!!!