smfdoc
Stylish Dinosaur
- Joined
- May 25, 2015
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Thrift store score! US Made Johston & Murphy wingtip Oxfords. I love Oxfords, and I love broguing. Before yesterday, I didn't own any black wingtip Oxfords, and I've been thinking I'd like to have a pair. I just seem to gravitate to semi-brogues and full brogues more than plain cap toe shoes. These are basically NOS, and had even less sole wear when I got them, as the photo you see was taken after wearing them around the house for a few hours. I called J&M customer service today and was surprised to get some good information: According to the phone operator, J&M began outsourcing their shoe manufacturing in 1998, and the last USA made shoes were 2002, which coincides with what David says on vcleat.com. Apparently there was one US J&M factory in Tennessee until 2006, but they only made luggage and wallets. He also told me this model # 24-93210 was called the "Austin Blackwing". vcleat's 1992 catalog shows all of their model numbers as XX-XXXX - the set of numbers after the dash is 4 digits, where as these are 5 digits after the dash. They are corrected grain, so these will be good nice-looking snowy Ohio weather day shoes. A YouTube video of them and the suit I found with them will be coming out soon.
All I did was wipe them down, polish the uppers with Pure Polish Products black wax polish, mirror shine the toe caps with Pure Polish Products High Shine Wax, re-dyed the sole edges, and polished the egdes of the heels. I'm guessing they were made between the mid 1990's to 2002.
Johnston & Murphy 1992 Catalog | vcleat
It's always a happy day when we get a new pair, especially when its a thrift store score. Great pick up.