Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[Numbernine]

Non shoe vintage post. I found this little 1953 beauty today at a grab it now price. Runs like a top. This is me doing my happy dance. Edit. I honest to Gosh did not see the embedded video that posted moments before my post.

Spoiler: From 1953

View attachment 1210850

Very nice sweet machine would you believe I have two of those in the attic one is my wife's from her 10th birthday and the other was my mil's. I have a '48 15-91(pretty sure whats in that vid) set up permanently.Trouble free and strong it'll sew almost anything that fits under the foot

 

[stook1]

Amazing! So you guys are into shoes AND sewing machines? I must have found my new home. My current machine was inherited from my Mom who did art quilting among other fine arts --- hard to describe, not like a normal quilt. It's a digital husqvarna from a number of years ago and it's the coolest machine I have ever used. She used to describe herself as a pitiful seamstress but an imaginative artist. Didn't stop her from winning a ton of awards. Truth is she had sewing chops too.

I'm not artistic and I'm a mediocre, at best, tailor out of a combination of laziness and lack of time during regular hours. Ok, let's be honest amongst friends. I am not a good tailor at all. I am slow, sloppy, and follow the mantra of never measuring more than once, which is why my trousers today could use about another half inch on the hem.

The machine you guys have was the machine that I grew up seeing my Mom use. Not sure of the vintage but I can check next time I visit my Dad. How do you date them? Guessing they are tagged somewhere.

Very nice sweet machine would you believe I have two of those in the attic one is my wife's from her 10th birthday and the other was my mil's. I have a '48 15-91(pretty sure whats in that vid) set up permanently.Trouble free and strong it'll sew almost anything that fits under the foot

 

[stook1]

Who said anything about problems. These are solution opportunities. Someone had to take one for the team and get those cordovan lwbs into tip top shape and out of Idaho. Don't get me started on air cooled porsches. I'm still bitter about the 1992 C2 that I passed on because the guy wouldn't come off his mark at 22k. This was a while ago. Not one of my better moves.

I just said I thought they were a good value. I’m not enabling. I’m really not an enabler. You don’t have a problem, I don’t have a problem, we’re both fine. We’re all fine and this is a perfectly healthy hobby. After all, it’s not like we’re collecting air-cooled Porsche’s or anything.

 

[CWOyaji]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: vintage shoes are cheaper than air-cooled Porsches. And they provide almost the same satisfaction. Also, compared to, say, a luxury home, you don't need to steer the conversation to real estate to show off a cool pair of shoes. They're right there, on your feet.

 

[aero25]

Looking at saddle shoes. Pretty sure these are 12B, based on the 2120 size code. Any thoughts from the brain trust on who the maker is? Seller thinks Nettleton based on stitching, but I'm not so sure.

Shell Cordovan Saddle Shoes Size 12 Nettleton | eBay

My best guess is that these are Nettleton based on the stitching. Mystery Shell Cordovan Saddle Shoes. The soles and heels have been replaced and are in excellent shape. A few minor scuffs that should polish out with one significant scratch on the outside of the right shoe.

rover.ebay.com

 

[CWOyaji]

Here are a pair of Nettleton saddles to compare them with. These were made for Lazarus, a bygone department store chain in the Midwest.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Looking at saddle shoes. Pretty sure these are 12B, based on the 2120 size code. Any thoughts from the brain trust on who the maker is? Seller thinks Nettleton based on stitching, but I'm not so sure.

Shell Cordovan Saddle Shoes Size 12 Nettleton | eBay

My best guess is that these are Nettleton based on the stitching. Mystery Shell Cordovan Saddle Shoes. The soles and heels have been replaced and are in excellent shape. A few minor scuffs that should polish out with one significant scratch on the outside of the right shoe.

rover.ebay.com

View attachment 1210927

Well, the saddle brogue pattern is one I only associate with Alden and the last certainly looks right. But the interior stamping doesn’t look Alden’ish to me.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Here are a pair of Nettleton saddles to compare them with. These were made for Lazarus, a bygone department store chain in the Midwest.
View attachment 1210942

Yeah, see that Saddle pattern doesn’t match.

Whereas these Alden’s do:

That said, I don’t think they are Alden’s.

 

[smfdoc]

Amazing! So you guys are into shoes AND sewing machines? I must have found my new home. My current machine was inherited from my Mom who did art quilting among other fine arts --- hard to describe, not like a normal quilt. It's a digital husqvarna from a number of years ago and it's the coolest machine I have ever used. She used to describe herself as a pitiful seamstress but an imaginative artist. Didn't stop her from winning a ton of awards. Truth is she had sewing chops too.

I'm not artistic and I'm a mediocre, at best, tailor out of a combination of laziness and lack of time during regular hours. Ok, let's be honest amongst friends. I am not a good tailor at all. I am slow, sloppy, and follow the mantra of never measuring more than once, which is why my trousers today could use about another half inch on the hem.

The machine you guys have was the machine that I grew up seeing my Mom use. Not sure of the vintage but I can check next time I visit my Dad. How do you date them? Guessing they are tagged somewhere.

Nearly everything is on the internet. Just search the brand name, style number and the words serial number. You will likely find something that lists serial numbers for a reference on the age.

 

[suitforcourt]

Looking at saddle shoes. Pretty sure these are 12B, based on the 2120 size code. Any thoughts from the brain trust on who the maker is? Seller thinks Nettleton based on stitching, but I'm not so sure.

Shell Cordovan Saddle Shoes Size 12 Nettleton | eBay

My best guess is that these are Nettleton based on the stitching. Mystery Shell Cordovan Saddle Shoes. The soles and heels have been replaced and are in excellent shape. A few minor scuffs that should polish out with one significant scratch on the outside of the right shoe.

rover.ebay.com

View attachment 1210927

I don't have a guess. Did Nettleton use the numbering system to list sizes? I have only seen a few US brands do that. Mostly a British and Canadian system.

I double checked my one pair of Nettleton and they are indeed listed as 9 EEE (number and letter).

This might be the new thing I learned today.

Cleaning my daughter's wet diaper is no longer a learning experience and more just a routine.

 

[suitforcourt]

Nearly everything is on the internet. Just search the brand name, style number and the words serial number. You will likely find something that lists serial numbers for a reference on the age.

Question: Are most members here able to use a sewing machine? I assume thread and needle by default?

I took a course (4 hours) on the basics of shoe making. The instructor also has a 6 week course that allows students to make a pair of shoes (Oxford, Chelsea boots etc).

She recommended that I learn to use a thread and needle first, and then a sewing machine. It took me over 2 hours to assemble a bloody Napoleon charcoal BBQ yesterday. Listed as a 20 minute job, for one person. My wife had to help me in the end.

Sadly, making a pair of shoes is likely out of my league. I may take the course on sewing just to give my ego a tad of a boost.

 

[wasmisterfu]

I don't have a guess. Did Nettleton use the numbering system to list sizes? I have only seen a few US brands do that. Mostly a British and Canadian system.

I double checked my one pair of Nettleton and they are indeed listed as 9 EEE (number and letter).

This might be the new thing I learned today.

Cleaning my daughter's wet diaper is no longer a learning experience and more just a routine.

Oh REALLY? Diapering is no longer a learning experience? I’ve got a 3yo and 5yo, and just when it seemed routine, some new horror would present itself. Phrases would be uttered like “code brown, full containment failure!” and “help, it’s in my hair” and “why is our bed wet?” and “oh god that’s not pee” and “I’m just going to throw out the sofa”. And then came potty training...

 

[wasmisterfu]

Question: Are most members here able to use a sewing machine? I assume thread and needle by default?

I took a course (4 hours) on the basics of shoe making. The instructor also has a 6 week course that allows students to make a pair of shoes (Oxford, Chelsea boots etc).

She recommended that I learn to use a thread and needle first, and then a sewing machine. It took me over 2 hours to assemble a bloody Napoleon charcoal BBQ yesterday. Listed as a 20 minute job, for one person. My wife had to help me in the end.

Sadly, making a pair of shoes is likely out of my league. I may take the course on sewing just to give my ego a tad of a boost.

I’m pretty good at hand stitching (I even learned how to cut, form and sew a button hole). But I don’t know how to use one of those fancy sewing machines. I have, however operated a rapid outsole stitcher... once... on a pair of test shoes. The result was not good.

 

[Oshare]

Question: Are most members here able to use a sewing machine? I assume thread and needle by default?

I took a course (4 hours) on the basics of shoe making. The instructor also has a 6 week course that allows students to make a pair of shoes (Oxford, Chelsea boots etc).

She recommended that I learn to use a thread and needle first, and then a sewing machine. It took me over 2 hours to assemble a bloody Napoleon charcoal BBQ yesterday. Listed as a 20 minute job, for one person. My wife had to help me in the end.

Sadly, making a pair of shoes is likely out of my league. I may take the course on sewing just to give my ego a tad of a boost.

I can use a sewing machine, but I wouldn’t say I’m into it... just done out of necessity at times.

I can also knit (thanks to YouTube), which my wife got the biggest kick out of when she came home one day and saw me knitting a custom ski cap because I couldn’t find one I liked.

 

[Oshare]

Today I took delivery of a pair of made in Canada Florsheim Imperial PTBs that I think are made of water bison leather. I was the only bidder and snagged this on Yahoo Japan's auction site for about $36... quite a deal for Japan's vintage shoes market.

There are some light scuffs, but nothing a little colored cream polish shouldn't be able to take care of.

Made in Canada maple leaf.

For some odd reason, the size number has been scratched out. In the auction listing, the seller gave the outsole dimensions and an approximate sizing, which seemed to match my other pairs of vintage Florsheims, so I took a chance and bid. I guess the ambiguity may have discouraged other bidders?

Turns out they are a 3E width and probably size 10 or 9-1/2. Either way, they fit my somewhat wide feet, and at 3E they have a bit of room to spare. I'm hoping the extra width is not a problem.