Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[smfdoc]

I wonder if the rubber or plastic piece helped to slow down wear?

Well in theory, yes. In practice, I can't really say as I have only worn them once and I also am not hard on the back quarter of the heel.

 

[smfdoc]

I have some great Canadian friends, but there’s too much on the line tonight. GO BOLTS ⚡

Presenting Worthmoore shells. Thank you @vestbash for the horse tips 🍻 View attachment 1791928 View attachment 1791929 View attachment 1791930 View attachment 1791931

I REALLY like these. The medallion is terrific and the brogue line really makes a nice statement. No other brogue on the quarters or throat to distract from its main feature.

 

[smfdoc]

Florsheim, my version of Chestnut.

 

[MathMan314]

Picked up these J&M Aristocraft saddles for some shoe experimentation! They are a width too narrow, so phase 1 of the project is to try to stretch them out.

I also took a bit of acetone to the shoes and was somewhat surprised to find a much brighter red underneath the darker top coat.

 

[isshinryu101]

I have some great Canadian friends, but there’s too much on the line tonight. GO BOLTS ⚡

Presenting Worthmoore shells. Thank you @vestbash for the horse tips 🍻 View attachment 1791928 View attachment 1791929 View attachment 1791930 View attachment 1791931

They were sold as the Florsheim “discount line”, “Worthmore” because they were “worth more” that what you were paying (which was a nice discount under Florsheim regular prices”. The quality difference was very small. They are an excellent shoe.

 

[isshinryu101]

I wonder if the rubber or plastic piece helped to slow down wear?

This was the response to the “v-cleat”. But, we all know the “v-cleat” became the “suicide heel” as soon as that metal became flush to the floor. They DID slow wear, but in the end, a quality leather heel is the best solution (as we’ve learned”.

 

[sam67]

Not my listing. wow.( I like spectators)

Allen Edmonds Dress Shoes Spectator Wing Tips 9D Vintage 3959 Combo 0629 | eBay

Allen Edmonds Oxford Dress Shoes.

www.ebay.com

 

[JFWR]

let’s not get crazy now. They were nice shoes. Nice. 1988 was late in the US shoemaking game. They are nowhere near the 1960’s and earlier US shoes that were definitely “$1000 shoes”. Solid? Absolutely.

What would you say makes shoes from the 60s so much better than shoes from the 80s?

 

[smfdoc]

What would you say makes shoes from the 60s so much better than shoes from the 80s?

Well, it is theorized that shoes in the 60s we’re made from cows that listened to rock, compared to the hip-hop listening cows in the 80s. But this has not been proven scientifically.

 

[mormonopoly]

What would you say makes shoes from the 60s so much better than shoes from the 80s?

In general, shoes from the 60s were made to a much higher overall standard. They used better leather, had tighter, cleaner stitching, and just overall better finish. The same could be said about 1940s shoes compared to 1960s. That does not mean that ever shoe made in the 60s was better than every shoe made in the 80s, but it’s generally the case. The Macneils I posted are nice, but I consider them one of the lesser shoes in my collection.

 

[isshinryu101]

What would you say makes shoes from the 60s so much better than shoes from the 80s?

In the US? Materials and manufacturing. In the 1960’s, US makers started to switch to even more “mass production” for domestically made footwear. Quality became less important to the public, and lower costs more important. Profit margins benefited from that business model, but overall quality suffered greatly.

 

[sam67]

Weyenberg

 

[isshinryu101]

In general, shoes from the 60s were made to a much higher overall standard. They used better leather, had tighter, cleaner stitching, and just overall better finish. The same could be said about 1940s shoes compared to 1960s. That does not mean that ever shoe made in the 60s was better than every shoe made in the 80s, but it’s generally the case. The Macneils I posted are nice, but I consider them one of the lesser shoes in my collection.

Well said. In the forties and before that, US makers wanted to be the best in the world. In the 1960’s US makers wanted to make good shoes. In the 1980’s it was all about mass production. Goals

 

[smfdoc]

I am looking for a person to pick up my pair of boots for me from a retailer in LA. The shop in near Western and Beverly Blvd. I will be happy to pay any charge for gas and mailing. I can't do it because I am 2700 miles away. Please PM me if you are willing to assist me.

 

[hamercha]

In the US? Materials and manufacturing. In the 1960’s, US makers started to switch to even more “mass production” for domestically made footwear. Quality became less important to the public, and lower costs more important. Profit margins benefited from that business model, but overall quality suffered greatly.

Perhaps people could afford only few things, so they tended to buy few but good quality things. Therefore the product quality reflect this.