Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[mormonopoly]

Here's one of my favorite pairs. These are 1940s Florsheim. They're in very rough condition, but I'll never find another pair large enough for me to wear.

 

[suitforcourt]

Here's one of my favorite pairs. These are 1940s Florsheim. They're in very rough condition, but I'll never find another pair large enough for me to wear. View attachment 1838930 View attachment 1838931 View attachment 1838932 View attachment 1838933

The uppers look to be in good condition.

 

[ccpl14]

Not vintage, but I had fun just now refreshing a pair of sad-looking AE Bradley shell I scored for peanuts on Ebay, for personal.

This orange peel deposit on the outside right heel was a bit of a concern.

Turns out they came right back with only water, trees and a good scrub with VSC and a stiff bristle brush. Then a rubdown with an automotive cloth and more VSC, brushing with a horsehair brush and buffing with a cut-up silk shirt.
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Love me some norwegian split toes.
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The rough section cleaned up really well with the 3500 grit auto polishing cloth and some VSC.
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I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Seriously tho, if you ever get inspired, I would love a little more detail on your technique. I can never get my shell to look like that.

 

[mormonopoly]

The uppers look to be in good condition.

From afar the uppers aren't too bad. The interior lining is toast unfortunately.

 

[mormonopoly]

Here's another pair I've been wearing lately. These are 1980s Nettleton shell loafers.

 

[MathMan314]

Need a 10.5 C?

Thanks for the offer, but I promised my wife that I would stop acquiring shoes for the time being!

 

[CWOyaji]

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Seriously tho, if you ever get inspired, I would love a little more detail on your technique. I can never get my shell to look like that.

This is my newsletter! Here's everything I used on this pair, from left to right. Just a few steps: pulled the laces, checked for cracks. Brushed off the dust under flowing water at a utility sink, inserted trees. Brushed with VSC, rubbed the few rough spots with the auto chamois and VSC, then let them sit overnight to reshape and dry. Then brushed with the horsehair brush, buffed with the torn-up silk shirt, put the laces back in and that was it. All credit really goes to the underlying good condition of the shell, which just looked bad due to the dust and neglect.

And speaking of Aldens at weddings, here's my youngest and his gf at his cousin's wedding in Ravello yesterday. Shoes, belt, tie and overall good looks from dad, Suitsupply "Lazio" fit suit and other elements from Ebay. He is a chip off the old block.

Similar fit to my favorite style, the Neapolitan, but possibly with slightly narrower lapels from what I can tell.

 

[Nealjpage]

Sorry, I have to brag and I think you gents are just the guys to appreciate it. No, this wasn't a $5 thrift store score but a $50 find at an antique shop, found in a rotating display case. You know the kind.

Anyway, case had trays of coins and tie clips and other assorted furnishings, all priced at a premium. There were run of the mill Bulovas priced at $200, a plain-Jane stainless steel Omega at $500, and then I spot this little guy. I immediately recognized the name from my Atmos clock, and knew that JLC is a premium brand. It was the $50 price tag that threw me. I asked the clerk to see it. Now, just the other day Mrs. Nealjpage was lecturing me about my spending habits, so I was hesitant to drop coin on a replica from India, and the clerk scoffed when I asked if I could return the watch if it was a fake. I swallowed the knot in my stomach and made the purchase. When I got home I sneaked the watch to my bench, took a couple of pictures, and asked about it in some Facebook groups. It turns out to be a Jaeger-LeCoultre Mark VII Weems, a watch that was produced in very limited quantities for pilots in the early days of WWII, and worth significantly more than my initial investment. I am pleased.

 

[Oshare]

Sorry, I have to brag and I think you gents are just the guys to appreciate it. No, this wasn't a $5 thrift store score but a $50 find at an antique shop, found in a rotating display case. You know the kind.
View attachment 1839031
Anyway, case had trays of coins and tie clips and other assorted furnishings, all priced at a premium. There were run of the mill Bulovas priced at $200, a plain-Jane stainless steel Omega at $500, and then I spot this little guy. I immediately recognized the name from my Atmos clock, and knew that JLC is a premium brand. It was the $50 price tag that threw me. I asked the clerk to see it. Now, just the other day Mrs. Nealjpage was lecturing me about my spending habits, so I was hesitant to drop coin on a replica from India, and the clerk scoffed when I asked if I could return the watch if it was a fake. I swallowed the knot in my stomach and made the purchase. When I got home I sneaked the watch to my bench, took a couple of pictures, and asked about it in some Facebook groups. It turns out to be a Jaeger-LeCoultre Mark VII Weems, a watch that was produced in very limited quantities for pilots in the early days of WWII, and worth significantly more than my initial investment. I am pleased.

View attachment 1839032

Oh. I thought it was for shoes and said to myself "That must be massive if you can fit that many shoes in it!"

 

[CWOyaji]

Sorry, I have to brag and I think you gents are just the guys to appreciate it. No, this wasn't a $5 thrift store score but a $50 find at an antique shop, found in a rotating display case. You know the kind.
View attachment 1839031
Anyway, case had trays of coins and tie clips and other assorted furnishings, all priced at a premium. There were run of the mill Bulovas priced at $200, a plain-Jane stainless steel Omega at $500, and then I spot this little guy. I immediately recognized the name from my Atmos clock, and knew that JLC is a premium brand. It was the $50 price tag that threw me. I asked the clerk to see it. Now, just the other day Mrs. Nealjpage was lecturing me about my spending habits, so I was hesitant to drop coin on a replica from India, and the clerk scoffed when I asked if I could return the watch if it was a fake. I swallowed the knot in my stomach and made the purchase. When I got home I sneaked the watch to my bench, took a couple of pictures, and asked about it in some Facebook groups. It turns out to be a Jaeger-LeCoultre Mark VII Weems, a watch that was produced in very limited quantities for pilots in the early days of WWII, and worth significantly more than my initial investment. I am pleased.

View attachment 1839032

That’s way under 10% of retail so definitely would be a great post in the Thrift Brag Thread too. Congrats!

 

[ZePrez]

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Seriously tho, if you ever get inspired, I would love a little more detail on your technique. I can never get my shell to look like that.

+1

 

[smfdoc]

Mr. Postman dropped off some 97626's for me in a slightly smaller size that I found on the Bay. Really nice condition. No cracks around the throat or anywhere else. Shell and sole are in great condition for a 33 year old shoe. Original XL Florsheim shoe trees. Time for some cleanup.

 

[eTrojan]

1960’s era 93605 today.

 

[suitforcourt]

AE Broadstreet - 90th anniversary edition. Definitely vintage.

 

[Vincent George]

AE Broadstreet - 90th anniversary edition. Definitely vintage.

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I love the 90th label on the interior of this release, too.