Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[M635Guy]

Wore the Golden Harvest pair

 

[suitforcourt]

What do you think? About time for me to take the LB Sheppard LWBs home to clean up and wear? The shipping manifest says 5/7. These have been in my office for almost 4 months.

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Today's decidedly non-vintage shoes are the Alden 964 — burgundy calfskin NST. A little scuff on the right toe that I need to clean up. But these have been languishing in the closet for a few months. Adding them and their black counterparts back into the rotation.

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Why have they been dormant for so long?

 

[suitforcourt]

I wonder why this never made it to mass market? We use so many other skins/leathers already.

 

[M635Guy]

I wonder why this never made it to mass market? We use so many other skins/leathers already.

I have to think several things:
- the market for leather is already in trouble. Declining demand for natural leathers (from vegan movement, popularity of mesh sneakers, etc.) has put downward pressure on the price of leather. Tanneries are at risk.
- Cost of tanning has to be high. Lots of small "hides", delicate starting point, must be effectively de-scaled, etc.
- Cost of making them into something like shoes is probably high - several pieces will need to be joined to make a shoe unless there are larger fish that give you a shell-sized article to work with. The joining of those pieces probably (??) adds complexity and cost to a final product. I guess stamping pieces of a pattern
- Narrow demand. The visual personality of the final product is probably going to limit how it can be used. It's cool, but announces itself in ways "regular" leathers don't.

FWIW, I think it would be awesome on a pair of @Epaulet sport-trainers or GATS (they've done stingray models that are really stunning). The purses and other items they show at the end of the video are great also. I can't help but think the first market I'd go after with that product is Japan - lots of traditional Japanese fabric designs mimic that pattern and endure in the culture.

 

[suitforcourt]

I have to think several things:
- the market for leather is already in trouble. Declining demand for natural leathers (from vegan movement, popularity of mesh sneakers, etc.) has put downward pressure on the price of leather. Tanneries are at risk.
- Cost of tanning has to be high. Lots of small "hides", delicate starting point, must be effectively de-scaled, etc.
- Cost of making them into something like shoes is probably high - several pieces will need to be joined to make a shoe unless there are larger fish that give you a shell-sized article to work with. The joining of those pieces probably (??) adds complexity and cost to a final product. I guess stamping pieces of a pattern
- Narrow demand. The visual personality of the final product is probably going to limit how it can be used. It's cool, but announces itself in ways "regular" leathers don't.

FWIW, I think it would be awesome on a pair of @Epaulet sport-trainers or GATS (they've done stingray models that are really stunning). The purses and other items they show at the end of the video are great also. I can't help but think the first market I'd go after with that product is Japan - lots of traditional Japanese fabric designs mimic that pattern and endure in the culture.

All valid points. I just figured with so much fish processed on ships, the skins would be readily and already available.

I've also seen videos of pineapple skin shoes. I'm always open to trying new things, and wonder how the vegan/non-leather movement will pan out.

Maybe our world will eventually transform to the Star Trek TNG level, where we ban use of all sentient beings for any purpose. I guess "beyond meat" is just the beginning.

Our thread better hoarde all of the leather, especially shell shoes. We'll have to conduct underground meetings to share our mutual interests.

 

[happypebble]

Maybe our world will eventually transform to the Star Trek TNG level, where we ban use of all sentient beings for any purpose. I guess "beyond meat" is just the beginning.

Our thread better hoarde all of the leather, especially shell shoes. We'll have to conduct underground meetings to share our mutual interests.
[/QUOTE]

Yeeeeeaaaahhhh....I'm not ready to take things to that Gene Roddenberry next level. Grab as many leather shoes as you can before some vegan tries to guilt trip you out of them. Smile when you look inside that Hanover and it says "ALL LEATHER SHOE"

 

[instigateur]

Wingtip Wednesday!

Florsheims

 

[actionjbone]

All valid points. I just figured with so much fish processed on ships, the skins would be readily and already available.

I've also seen videos of pineapple skin shoes. I'm always open to trying new things, and wonder how the vegan/non-leather movement will pan out.

Maybe our world will eventually transform to the Star Trek TNG level, where we ban use of all sentient beings for any purpose. I guess "beyond meat" is just the beginning.

Our thread better hoarde all of the leather, especially shell shoes. We'll have to conduct underground meetings to share our mutual interests.

Actually, we'll be able to clone just the skin in a lab, and it'll cost less than processing animals.

Want shell? Make as much as you want, super cheap.

 

[suitforcourt]

Actually, we'll be able to clone just the skin in a lab, and it'll cost less than processing animals.

Want shell? Make as much as you want, super cheap.

The cloning approach is compelling. Cloned shell for shoes... that will really increase the value of our current holdings.

 

[smfdoc]

Maybe our world will eventually transform to the Star Trek TNG level, where we ban use of all sentient beings for any purpose. I guess "beyond meat" is just the beginning.

Our thread better hoarde all of the leather, especially shell shoes. We'll have to conduct underground meetings to share our mutual interests.

Yeeeeeaaaahhhh....I'm not ready to take things to that Gene Roddenberry next level. Grab as many leather shoes as you can before some vegan tries to guilt trip you out of them. Smile when you look inside that Hanover and it says "ALL LEATHER SHOE"
[/QUOTE]

I do not give in to the guilt trip. I live in California, so I have come to expect a certain level of crazy. One day I was checking out in a grocery store with a bag a pork rinds in my hand. Suddenly I hear this lady behind me say, "Oh my GOD! Are those what I think they are?" This was said with a look of disgust on her face as if she had just walked through a pile of snot and feces on the floor. I smiled and said, "Yes, they are what you think. They not only have all of the salt and grease of potato chips, they have the added advantage of killing an animal to get them." She switched to a different checkout line.

 

[eTrojan]

Why have they been dormant for so long?

Because they're going to require more cleanup than I have time to manage right now.

On a similar note, found a pair of challenge-worthy shoes last night listed for $25 OBO. I offered $15. They declined and raised the price to $38. Who the **** does that?

 

[tcbinnc]

I would not do well in CA.

 

[stook1]

Yeeeeeaaaahhhh....I'm not ready to take things to that Gene Roddenberry next level. Grab as many leather shoes as you can before some vegan tries to guilt trip you out of them. Smile when you look inside that Hanover and it says "ALL LEATHER SHOE"

I do not give in to the guilt trip. I live in California, so I have come to expect a certain level of crazy. One day I was checking out in a grocery store with a bag a pork rinds in my hand. Suddenly I hear this lady behind me say, "Oh my GOD! Are those what I think they are?" This was said with a look of disgust on her face as if she had just walked through a pile of snot and feces on the floor. I smiled and said, "Yes, they are what you think. They not only have all of the salt and grease of potato chips, they have the added advantage of killing an animal to get them." She switched to a different checkout line.
[/QUOTE]

Funny story. Pork rinds are nothing compared to head cheese.

In my neck if the woods nobody likes talking to each other at the check out line. Ain't nobody got time for that...

 

[wasmisterfu]

As I was walking out the door my wife asked if these were new, "Nope, these are older than both of us". Needless to say, I found that funnier than she did.

92604 (ca. Nov '75/'85)
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Note: you avoided a spousal customs trick question.

 

[actionjbone]

Funny story. Pork rinds are nothing compared to head cheese.

Delicious, delicious headcheese.