Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[Nobleprofessor]

I bought a pair of vintage Alden 963 (Suede NST) and they had some marks/stains. But, they were fairly cheap (especially for Alden) and I really like the NST style.

I was hoping I could address the stains.

I forgot that my son bought me a Saphir suede cleaning/maintenance kit. I decided to get it out and try it. After less than 10 minutes of work, I think it was a success. I’m going to go over them in detail, but they are definitely improved.

here is the before picture (from the listing):

And here they are now:

I really like suede shoes but sometimes they can look like crap pretty quickly. I’m happy with these and I’m thrilled to have something to clean and maintain my others.

I also learned that Alden isn’t making the 963 anymore. So, I’m glad I got them now!

 

[sam67]

I never use anything liquid on the buck/suede. I just brush it. Most white buck shoes I’ve handled from that era have been covered in some sort of white polish/paint that seems to have been en Vogue at the time. I have never tried removing it because I do not know how I would without damaging the suede.

Thanks. I wondered about that too.

 

[kilowatts]

I never use anything liquid on the buck/suede. I just brush it. Most white buck shoes I’ve handled from that era have been covered in some sort of white polish/paint that seems to have been en Vogue at the time. I have never tried removing it because I do not know how I would without damaging the suede.

Hi guys:
I have a pair of tan NuBuck suede and leather boat shoes which were showing dirt. I cleaned them with dish soap and water with a bristle nail brush. Dried with trees, brushed with a suede brush and, thanks to David, finished with fine sandpaper. They looked like new again. I was quite surprised.
kilowatts

 

[smfdoc]

I bought a pair of vintage Alden 963 (Suede NST) and they had some marks/stains. But, they were fairly cheap (especially for Alden) and I really like the NST style.

I was hoping I could address the stains.

I forgot that my son bought me a Saphir suede cleaning/maintenance kit. I decided to get it out and try it. After less than 10 minutes of work, I think it was a success. I’m going to go over them in detail, but they are definitely improved.

here is the before picture (from the listing):

View attachment 1561830
And here they are now:

View attachment 1561831 View attachment 1561832

I really like suede shoes but sometimes they can look like crap pretty quickly. I’m happy with these and I’m thrilled to have something to clean and maintain my others.

I also learned that Alden isn’t making the 963 anymore. So, I’m glad I got them now!

They look terrific now. Well done.

 

[friendlygoz]

Speaking of cleaning...

Recently I posted the 93606s that @suitforcourt gifted to me last year. He described them as beat up project shoes, and I spent a few months slowly moisturizing and brushing them before finally unveiling them a couple weeks ago.

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The comments about the scratchiness in the rolls were nagging at me and I believed they could be better, so I decided to go to town on them and see what I could do.

First I went over them with Lexol cleaner & conditioner, but that didn't really do anything. Next I pulled out the Renomat and went over them thoroughly, but it's pretty hard to gauge when I am removing polish vs. removing shell coloring so I was careful not to rub too hard.

I also found that there was some nice contrast stitching on the welt which had been covered with dark polish, so I went over the welts with some colorsafe bleach applied with cotton swabs (shout out to @CWOyaji for that tip) and then scrubbed them with saddle soap and an electric toothbrush.

At that point, I figured "What the heck" and so I went over the whole shoe with saddle soap. I also took some 4000 grit sandpaper to the rolls in the vamp. I also had some 100 grit paper, so I used it on the sole edges.

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I wondered if I had gone too far...

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But applying a couple rounds of Bick 4 and then going over them with burgundy Saphir Cordovan creme, they started to look much better.

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Lastly I went over them with some clear Collonil 1909 for a bit of shine.

How the light hits them either hides or exposes the weird mottling of the shell. In early morning direct sunlight, they are probably at their worst. Yes, that weird coloration is on the shell itself. I need to see if I can do any better with the Renomat next time.

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From the shade side, they look a bit better.

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After-market V-cleats.

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And wearing them for a bit, the rolls quickly gave up a lot of crystalline grittiness, but these brushed off easily when I got to the office, and they are already looking much better.

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Later on I'll see what I can do about the weird color mottling. But for now I'm much happier with them as part of my rotation.

There is so much I love about these. They look awesome. I'm a fan of the overlying marks/marbling/"(im)perfections" in the shell. I love that you were willing to tinker w/ them. As you may have surmised from my posts, tinkering is a big part of the enjoyment I derive from vintage shoe collecting. I'm almost disappointed if I get a pair that just needs a wipe and a little conditioning (OK, I'm not THAT disappointed, but you get the idea). I love the white stitching and that you were able to recover it. The edges look fantastic. Sometimes the black dressing is so saturated into the edges that it's impossible to get off. But these look very clean. The laces are a nice touch. Try some neutral wax polish. A light coat will really make them pop. Great work and thanks for sharing the process. It's making me want to tinker with some of my shell...

 

[Quantum17]

Those look a bit rough right now, but they are quality shoes and should clean up nicely with a good amount of elbow grease.

BTW, Alden writes their width sizing -opposite- of most other makers... so if it says 9.5 B/D, then that means the width is D and the heel cup is B... very normal.

? I don’t think this one is Alden, however. Size is marked B/AA. I’m not sure Alden did vcleat and sole nails in the past either. I’m actually curious who made them if anyone know ?

 

[Nobleprofessor]

I’m trying to figure out the age of these. Unfortunately, the heel has been replaced during a total restoration. I think the date code is JA. That would mean 1960, 1970, or 1980. (I know they are not 1990). Vcleat says that if the numbering looks old and is black, it is likely 1960’s. Is there another way to date these?

I really don’t need another pair of 93605. But, I’m trying to convince myself not to buy them and the date seems relevant.

 

[eTrojan]

I never use anything liquid on the buck/suede. I just brush it. Most white buck shoes I’ve handled from that era have been covered in some sort of white polish/paint that seems to have been en Vogue at the time. I have never tried removing it because I do not know how I would without damaging the suede.

I used several rounds of Fiebing's saddle soap to get all the white shoe polish out of the buck on my late-1950s AE Empires. It worked pretty well, and once they dried, a suede brush brought the nap back to life.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

I would probably max out at about $200 today. But if it were a unicorn or grail shoe, I would probably go quite a bit higher.

Looking through my past purchases, I was a bit shocked to see that I once paid $560 for a pair of used John Lobb monkstraps which I still wear from time to time. I also paid a bit over $300 for a pair of vintage Church's captoes that, to my dismay, I then had to sink another $160 into for re-crafting. These episodes were before I discovered vintage miUSA and miCanada brands and my view on quality shoes and their value has changed significantly.

More recently, the most I paid was about $320 for this pair of white Florsheim LWBs last year. I really had second thoughts all the way up to bidding at the last second (I was the only bidder)... but this was a unicorn that I figured I would never see again.

View attachment 1561612

WOW! Are those original? Or did someone dye/modify them. I’m not really a white dress shoe fan. BUT, those are pretty awesome. I love the dark edge with the white stitching. Really incredible. AND, I have NEVER seen a pair of these. There are lots of white Florsheim. But, a white LWB?

 

[The Sandman]

The available size image for these shoes is all too familiar. The empty row for EEE sizes, an all too familiar site in most catalogs, just mocks me. "Not for you smfdoc; not for you."

They probably couldn’t find alligator skins big enough for those clodhoppers.

 

[sam67]

I don't mean to hammer this topic to death but here are a few things I came across re white buck. Any experience out there? Thanks, again.

Fiebing's White Buck Bag Shoe Cleaner

Fiebing's White Buck Bag. Use this white powder bag to restore color to white buck shoes.

www.shoecaresupplies.com

Lincoln White Buck and Suede Dressing

Lincoln White Buck and Suede Dressing restores whiteness to all-white suede and like materials. Lincoln White Buck and Suede Dressing is used for white suede only. Lincoln White Buck and Suede Dressing come with a dauber. Lincoln White Buck and Suede Dressing is made in the USA. Lincoln White...

shoeshineexpress.com

 

[KotaB]

Vintage NOS Hartt 9D - RCMP | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage NOS Hartt 9D - RCMP at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[JFWR]

The available size image for these shoes is all too familiar. The empty row for EEE sizes, an all too familiar site in most catalogs, just mocks me. "Not for you smfdoc; not for you."

How your post felt to me:

 

[Oshare]

WOW! Are those original? Or did someone dye/modify them. I’m not really a white dress shoe fan. BUT, those are pretty awesome. I love the dark edge with the white stitching. Really incredible. AND, I have NEVER seen a pair of these. There are lots of white Florsheim. But, a white LWB?

Yes, I believe they are original. They were hardly worn and may have been special orders for a wedding. @Joe Wohkittel who has a really impressive collection, commented that he has only seen a couple of white Florsheim LWBs over the years -- one with and one without the contrast stitching.

Here are a few more photos of them just because

 

[Nobleprofessor]

Yes, I believe they are original. They were hardly worn and may have been special orders for a wedding. @Joe Wohkittel who has a really impressive collection, commented that he has only seen a couple of white Florsheim LWBs over the years -- one with and one without the contrast stitching.

Here are a few more photos of them just because

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oh man. I’m so jealous! Those are incredible. And so rare!