Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[suitforcourt]

I've been plodding away at my recently acquired Golden Harvest Imperials. They've been cleaned well and conditioned with Bick 4 so now it's time for a color polish. Any recommendations on brands and colors?

@smfdoc recently did a great job. He will have some suggestions.

 

[smfdoc]

I've been plodding away at my recently acquired Golden Harvest Imperials. They've been cleaned well and conditioned with Bick 4 so now it's time for a color polish. Any recommendations on brands and colors?

@smfdoc recently did a great job. He will have some suggestions.

Unfortunately, I do not have a polish suggestion other than a neutral. My recent experience was limited to dye as opposed to polish. I did see a Collonil cream in gold, link, but I have no idea if it would work well with what you have. I shall look forward to hearing other recommendations. You should also post a picture of the shoes in question as they are now as that may help.

Update: I did a search for yellow shoe polish and found a brand that has "banana" color that might work too. Link No promises as I have never used this brand, but I just may consider it for mine. BTW, this brand is a division of Fiebing's who made the dye I used for my pair.

 

[smfdoc]

Florsheim imperial watchband today. Made from kindly donated shoes from @eTrojan. He not only donated them, he delivered them to my old office. Oh, I just had a thought. If I find another pair in a thrift store, I could strip them, dye them to golden harvest, then make them into a watch band to wear with my shoes. That should keep me out of trouble for a week or so.

 

[Oshare]

I've been plodding away at my recently acquired Golden Harvest Imperials. They've been cleaned well and conditioned with Bick 4 so now it's time for a color polish. Any recommendations on brands and colors?

I bought a jar of yellow cream polish made by Boot Black, and used light coats of it a couple of times... but I found that yellow was, well, too yellow for my Golden Harvests. These days I just use neutral on them.

 

[friendlygoz]

Florsheim imperial watchband today. Made from kindly donated shoes from @eTrojan. He not only donated them, he delivered them to my old office. Oh, I just had a thought. If I find another pair in a thrift store, I could strip them, dye them to golden harvest, then make them into a watch band to wear with my shoes. That should keep me out of trouble for a week or so.

View attachment 1597720
View attachment 1597721

I love it. We must have been on the same wavelength today because I’m wearing my inherited Missoni Sport (Swiss quartz) watch on the shell strap you made me from the cracked AE shell chukkas I sent you.

 

[Nealjpage]

Unfortunately, I do not have a polish suggestion other than a neutral. My recent experience was limited to dye as opposed to polish. I did see a Collonil cream in gold, link, but I have no idea if it would work well with what you have. I shall look forward to hearing other recommendations. You should also post a picture of the shoes in question as they are now as that may help.

Update: I did a search for yellow shoe polish and found a brand that has "banana" color that might work too. Link No promises as I have never used this brand, but I just may consider it for mine. BTW, this brand is a division of Fiebing's who made the dye I used for my pair.

Pictures, you say? Glad to oblige.

Date code KH, so probably 1977 vintage.

 

[smfdoc]

Pictures, you say? Glad to oblige.

View attachment 1598106

View attachment 1598107

Date code KH, so probably 1977 vintage.

If they were mine, and I wanted to polish them, I think I would roll the dice, spend the $7 and get that Banana colored polish at the second link.

 

[sam67]

Mine are this 'white corn' color. I just use saphir neutral. I have enough walnut/pumpkin colored
shoes.

 

[CWOyaji]

Shell Dundees with trees & bags? Booyah!

 

[friendlygoz]

I've been plodding away at my recently acquired Golden Harvest Imperials. They've been cleaned well and conditioned with Bick 4 so now it's time for a color polish. Any recommendations on brands and colors?

If you are looking for cream polish, light brown or Saphir "cinnamon" would be fine. I find that vintage Florsheim Kenmoors don't absorb cream polish well. If you are looking at wax polish, neutral or brown should be fine. EDIT: I think I win the "late to the party" award for the day. I see you got this figured out. They look great.

 

[Quantum17]

I was quite excited to pick up a pair of NOS (with box) Hanover saddle shell which arrived earlier today. I love the color, and it would make my first saddle shell. I was so disappointed to find a tear on the left shoe. It’s just incredibly heartbreaking. I still can’t believe it ? Here are some photos before I mail them back. Oh it hurts. So close!

 

[friendlygoz]

I was quite excited to pick up a pair of NOS (with box) Hanover saddle shell which arrived earlier today. I love the color, and it would make my first saddle shell. I was so disappointed to find a tear on the left shoe. It’s just incredibly heartbreaking. I still can’t believe it ? Here are some photos before I mail them back. Oh it hurts. So close!
View attachment 1598168 View attachment 1598169 View attachment 1598170

Dang. That's heartbreaking. If you can return them, do it. My guess is that they are other cracks waiting to emerge. I've been there before, brother. It hurts.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

This has been a black Shell week for me. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s just because I don’t wear it that often. I might as well finish out the workweek with another pair.

Vintage Florsheim Black Shell Cordovan PTB.

 

[JFWR]

Shell Dundees with trees & bags? Booyah! View attachment 1598157

Awww yeah. Are those navy? I have a pair of navy shell dundees that I wore just last night.

 

[CWOyaji]

They're model 3611 in black.