Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[Thrift Couture]

I know some of you really like exotics, so I'll leave this here.

I can't stop looking at them...

 

[smfdoc]

Not to beat a dead horse on the Florsheim project. But I could not resist @anchorman12 instagram picture of his pair in the wild. To me, this is shoe Appreciation at its best. I love seeing the final product of his vision. Jeans, socks and shoes are just terrific. Check out his other photos on Instagram at longwingsandsmokerings.

 

[mreams99]

I know some of you really like exotics, so I'll leave this here.

Those look like shark to me.

 

[smfdoc]

Those look like shark to me.

I agree. Terrible pictures but they look like this Florsheim shark LWB.

 

[suitforcourt]

Those look like shark to me.

+1 on shark

 

[davidVC]

I will let @davidVC comment on this. But I have found the acrylic will tend to come off with time and start flaking. I would think this would indicate it can be stripped off. I would think renomat would remove it.

I found the following comments on Reddit.

"
I initially thought based on the style forum thread I posted above that the renomat would be sufficient to remove the acrylic finish. Boy was I wrong. It took some of the shine off, but it was spotty, and some of the areas of gloss seemed to be applied more thickly than others. I went through about 6 rounds of renomat before I said screw it and stepped up to acetone. I gave the shoes a couple day break with a light coating of lexol before using the acetone just to give them a rest. Not sure if that was needed or not, but it gave me piece of mind.

I want to caution anyone thinking about doing something like this to first test anything on an inconspicuous spot to see what it will do to the leather before going over the entire shoe.

I first went over both shoes with a 70% acetone solution and this began to remove a lot more finish and color, but some areas were still not coming off no matter how much rubbing I did. I moved to the 100% acetone and this seemed to do the trick. This stuff is extremely strong, so I recommend doing this outside and using caution to not rub too hard or pour too much acetone on your cloth. With 100% acetone it was much easier to begin rubbing the dye out of the shell and you can see this in some of the final pictures. Not to worry, a coating of lexol followed by a brushing, saphir cordovan cream, and a buffing seemed to bring them back to form."

In my experience, acetone will remove acrylic finish better than Renomat. Renomat is great for removing waxes.

I have used acetone with success. There are a lot of warnings about it but like most things on the internet, not all comments are based on experience. More like opinions. With acetone or Renomat, don't use too much pressure. You don't want to remove the stain. Let the chemicals work for you. Use acetone when other methods don't work. Angelus sells a leather deglazer that I believe is cut acetone.

Sometimes I read that NOS 80s Florsheim 93602 look like plastic or are corrected grain. In reality its this finish they applied to make the shoes look glossy. Like @smfdoc says, it sort of flakes off.

 

[right_hook]

In my experience, acetone will remove acrylic finish better than Renomat. Renomat is great for removing waxes.

I have used acetone with success. There are a lot of warnings about it but like most things on the internet, not all comments are based on experience. More like opinions. With acetone or Renomat, don't use too much pressure. You don't want to remove the stain. Let the chemicals work for you. Use acetone when other methods don't work. Angelus sells a leather deglazer that I believe is cut acetone.

Sometimes I read that NOS 80s Florsheim 93602 look like plastic or are corrected grain. In reality its this finish they applied to make the shoes look glossy. Like @smfdoc says, it sort of flakes off.

I'm fully agree with you. It seems that most of the warnings about it based more on people's opininons and precautions. Maybe even prejudice. Of course, I don't use acetone for my everyday shoecare. But it's my go to product when I need to strip the leather finish for re-dye project.

From my thrifting experience, white spirit is a best choice when you need to remove old waxes and clean old gunk from calf leather shoes. It's noticeably "softer" and less harsh product than acetone. It's less punishing as well - it's almost imposible to strip off the color with it. Due to its oily texture you need less product. If you see that white spirit isn't strong enough to clean all the gunk then it's time to use acetone.

All you need to know - gentle pressure is your key to success.

 

[right_hook]

+1 on shark

Same here. I have vintage Church's sharkskin loafers - the leather looks the same.

 

[suitforcourt]

This is amazing. Our group would be in ecstasy in this store:


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ar-perfect-condition-albeit-little-dusty.html

 

[JohnAAG]

Morning all!
As some of you know, I've managed to pick up more than a few pairs of shoes over the last year. I think I finally have things worked out so that I'm able to sell some of them! This is something I wanted to do in the past but, due to my location, has been next to impossible.
However, I'm planning a trip to the U.S. at the end of this month/beginning of February and should be able to bring abut 8 to 10 pairs, depending on the models and weight.

I've put together a PDF doc of what I have available. There are about 50 shoes on the list from AE, Florsheim, Alden, Ferragamo, Hanover, and some fun odds and ends. And yes, there are a few shells on there!

If you're interested in seeing the list, please PM me here. I will PM you back with my email address and we can take it from there.

Just a few quick notes:

• First, if handling things this way violates any SF rules, please let me know and I will find another way. Honestly, I just don't have time to create 50 listings in the Buy/Sell section.
• Second, I try to be as honest as possible about the condition of the shoes; some are in excellent condition and some are definitely projects and in need of love. The photos I've included on the list are the shoes in their "natural" state; no shoe trees or touch ups so you can see exactly what they look like. And I'm more than happy to provide further details/pics of any pair anyone may be interested in.
• Third, I am not looking to collect emails for a mailing list or anything like that; again, it's just easier for me to coordinate things this way.

I like to think I have a pretty solid reputation here on SF and I absolutely do not want to do anything to screw that up. Destroying credibility just to sell a pair of shoes simply isn't worth it as far as I'm concerned.

I'll do my best to get back to everyone that PMs me over the next couple of days!

All the best!
John

 

[Nick V.]

No, I do not believe the cork was changed. It was exposed and in good shape. The welt was not changed. The stitching was removed and the old welt used. The middle sole was reused and a new outersole was created.

Hmmmm......Something doesn't sound right to me. Cosmetically the job is fantastic.
WADR maybe you can check and see what they actually did.

 

[smfdoc]

Hmmmm......Something doesn't sound right to me. Cosmetically the job is fantastic.
WADR maybe you can check and see what they actually did.

I will check. My comments were my own non-professional conclusions based on some photos, and not based on any representation from Bedos. I am far more competent in interpreting x-rays.

 

[Milksteakboiledhard]

Despite morning mists, latent ice, and a probably sun-less day my determination to wear the 1971 Florsheim PTBs was unwavered. Walking across the hallway to go to the say goodbye to my wife this morning was met with questions "is there a horse galloping" and sounds that would be similar to a rabid sloth. I guess I should be more aware of my gait with the v-cleat and many nails on the outsoles - especially one hardwood. After reminding her of the uniqueness of today's footwear choice, I got a "those are nice" (though it was probably accompanied by an internal eye roll). Here they are in all their glory.

If the sun presents itself, I will take some follow up shots outside.

edit: I think I'll add a request for a more neutral carpet color to management as the burgundy isn't the most friendly backdrop.

 

[smfdoc]

Hmmmm......Something doesn't sound right to me. Cosmetically the job is fantastic.
WADR maybe you can check and see what they actually did.

I did check and the cork was not replaced. It was in excellent condition. I was told it would have been replaced had it been required. The original welt was used. It could be replaced but would add to the cost. I'm certainly not knowledgeable on the ins-and-outs of shoe repair, but the job was done in the way it was represented to me before work began and I am very happy with the results.

 

[Nick V.]

I did check and the cork was not replaced. It was in excellent condition. I was told it would have been replaced had it been required. The original welt was used. It could be replaced but would add to the cost. I'm certainly not knowledgeable on the ins-and-outs of shoe repair, but the job was done in the way it was represented to me before work began and I am very happy with the results.

Thanks for that. And, I'm glad that you are happy with the results. After-all that's the important thing.
The confusing part to me is how anyone could see the condition of the foot-bed without removing the mid-sole? That's the only way to expose the foot-bed. Once the mid-sole is removed how would one line up the holes in the mid-sole with the holes in the welt? If they are not lined up the mid-sole will get damaged having a double row of holes caused by the out-sole stitcher. As I mentioned the job cosmetically is beautiful but, I'm confused.