Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[smfdoc]

Well I tied my own record for how much I would pay for a vintage shoe at $400CDN (about 320USD), but these 1952-1958 S,E. Dacks "Cambridge" U-wings are my preferred size (10.5D) and I will never see another pair, so what the hell. Life is short.

The advert is from 1953, although that pair has grommets while mine has blind eyelets.

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We need some pictures when you get them all cleaned up!

 

[Hotel Cali]

Well I tied my own record for how much I would pay for a vintage shoe at $400CDN (about 320USD), but these 1952-1958 S,E. Dacks "Cambridge" U-wings are my preferred size (10.5D) and I will never see another pair, so what the hell. Life is short.

The advert is from 1953, although that pair has grommets while mine has blind eyelets.

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It may be that only you and the seller are aware of how rare and special this model is.

The seller priced all the other shoes below $100 CAN and this one at $400 CAN.

Did you try to get any concession from the seller? Do you have any other rare vintage Dacks competitors in the same size that you needed to thwart?

Enjoy and post photos of your restore.

 

[Jiqea]

It may be that only you and the seller are aware of how rare and special this model is.

The seller priced all the other shoes below $100 CAN and this one at $400 CAN.

Did you try to get any concession from the seller? Do you have any other rare vintage Dacks competitors in the same size that you needed to thwart?

Enjoy and post photos of your restore.

I pondered all the variables and decided I had just best grab the damn things. I reached out with an offer and waited an hour but did not hear back. With almost any other shoe I would have waited out the auction and tried to snipe them, but I have lost nice shoes before when they suddenly became "unavailable" because someone else made a backdoor deal. I will sleep better knowing they are on their way here, as if I had lost them I would have been seriously miserable. My biggest collecting goal is to have all of my regular rotation shoes be Canadian and from the 50's. That might be impossible, but these shoes help the cause. I will post some better photos after I clean them up. I think they are really going to pop. They have nice bones.

 

[JFWR]

I pondered all the variables and decided I had just best grab the damn things. I reached out with an offer and waited an hour but did not hear back. With almost any other shoe I would have waited out the auction and tried to snipe them, but I have lost nice shoes before when they suddenly became "unavailable" because someone else made a backdoor deal. I will sleep better knowing they are on their way here, as if I had lost them I would have been seriously miserable. My biggest collecting goal is to have all of my regular rotation shoes be Canadian and from the 50's. That might be impossible, but these shoes help the cause. I will post some better photos after I clean them up. I think they are really going to pop. They have nice bones.

Respect for the life goals here. It's gonna be difficult, but good for you.

 

[Raimar]

Iron Age Bostonians. I believe second wear for these NOS.

 

[Bertrand]

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.

very beautiful pair of shoes! Do you have any photos just after sanding?

 

[stook1]

I pondered all the variables and decided I had just best grab the damn things. I reached out with an offer and waited an hour but did not hear back. With almost any other shoe I would have waited out the auction and tried to snipe them, but I have lost nice shoes before when they suddenly became "unavailable" because someone else made a backdoor deal. I will sleep better knowing they are on their way here, as if I had lost them I would have been seriously miserable. My biggest collecting goal is to have all of my regular rotation shoes be Canadian and from the 50's. That might be impossible, but these shoes help the cause. I will post some better photos after I clean them up. I think they are really going to pop. They have nice bones.

Those are going to be a KILLER pair once they're under your care. I think it was worth grabbing them the way that you did. Did you ever get the 2nd pair?

 

[Jiqea]

Those are going to be a KILLER pair once they're under your care. I think it was worth grabbing them the way that you did. Did you ever get the 2nd pair?

Second pair? Don't tell me there is a second pair or I will be eating bread and water for a month.

 

[stook1]

So... ummmm. If one of you guys are gonna drop some crazy coin on a pair of old shoes (like more than $100, for example). This would be a good pair to snag. These are not mine but I'd strongly encourage any 9E to watch this auction.

Florsheim Imperial 93605 Shell Cordovan Long Wing Dress Shoes Sz 9E NWOT | eBay

<p>Florsheim Imperial #93605 Shell Cordovan long wing brogue dress shoes. They are in near mint condition, having been tried on but not walked around in. They are a size 9E; see all pics for measurements of the sole. Unfortunately I do not have the original box.</p>

www.ebay.com

 

[stook1]

Second pair? Don't tell me there is a second pair or I will be eating bread and water for a month.

hahah. not exactly the same pair but the ones from uhhhhh, what's that guys name.... Claude, I think. The guy that I was trying to deal with that we had discussed.

 

[Nealjpage]

Not my size and not my listing. Seems like a good deal.

Alden for Brooks Brothers Brown Leather Bluchers, Shoes - Barrie last - 9d | eBay

This model was released in both calfskin and shell cordovan leathers - this one is in brown calfskin. Made in USA.

www.ebay.com

 

[Jiqea]

hahah. not exactly the same pair but the ones from uhhhhh, what's that guys name.... Claude, I think. The guy that I was trying to deal with that we had discussed.

Oh, I bought those but they were a disappointment. They need new soles. Dacks water bison whole-cuts, 8.5D. Uppers and liners are fine. 1960's. Not my size and I don't want to invest in the recraft. If anyone wants them, PM me for pics, and you can have them for the cost of shipping,.

 

[Bertrand]

Well I tied my own record for how much I would pay for a vintage shoe at $400CDN (about 320USD), but these 1952-1958 S,E. Dacks "Cambridge" U-wings are my preferred size (10.5D) and I will never see another pair, so what the hell. Life is short.

The advert is from 1953, although that pair has grommets while mine has blind eyelets.

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Did the leather been dry up a bit becoz of it's age? If so, how did you 'rejuvenate' the shoes?

 

[stook1]

Oh, I bought those but they were a disappointment. They need new soles. Dacks water bison whole-cuts, 8.5D. Uppers and liners are fine. 1960's. Not my size and I don't want to invest in the recraft. If anyone wants them, PM me for pics, and you can have them for the cost of shipping,.

Wait. Wholecuts? They were U-wings.

 

[Jiqea]

Wait. Wholecuts? They were U-wings.

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I got that pair and they are lovely. The fellow had a second pair that I bought on spec. They are whole-cuts.