Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[radio3]

Could you tell us more about the shoes - brand, leather type, condition, etc.? (And pictures would be great. They may or may not help, we just want to see them. )

There are lots of products, and not all leathers absorb them the same way.

I’d be happy to send a pic later but don’t have good lighting right now. The shoes I’m most scared to put the Renovateur on are a pair of TLB Mallorca tan monks. But I also feel it turned some handy medium brown Yankos I have into dark brown shoes that overlap with other I already had. Maybe they’ll lighten up again, but I don’t like it. Would prefer to using a less deep conditioner for regular use. Also would like to start using a cleaner as well, which I haven’t been.

 

[davidVC]

Preston at the Elegant Oxford does amazing work. Love his Instagram and videos. Great guy too. He has had a number of posts helping young guys get their first dress shoes.

 

[davidVC]

I posted here about these shoes a few years but I was looking at them again this weekend. They are short wing bluchers made for Lefcourt by (i believe) Crockett and Jones. Probably in the 1960s.

What's unusual about them is the triple sole. Obviously.

But look at the stitching in the third photo. The guy started some of the lines well but then needed to get somewhere. Fast.

 

[suitforcourt]

I’m having problems with Saphir Renovateur darkening some of my shoes too much. Could anyone recommend their favorite leather cleaner and leather conditioner? I’m in Europe and don’t seem to be able to find Lexol or Venetian Shoe Cream. I guess they are American and get talked about a lot on web sites because so many are American.

Any other suggestions besides those 3? I’m surprised there aren’t some famous British products, for one.

This thread really likes: Bickmore 4 and Collonil 1909. Bick 4 doesn't darken and is cheaper in North America. Collonil 1909 has a great neutral colour paste, so I assume the conditioner is also decent.

Others also use Black and Rock Leather Honey.

For a German product, I also use Renapur. It is reserved for heavier winter boots and doesn't seem to darken anything.

For cleaner, do you mean something to strip and remove? I use Saphir Renomat. Others use acetone. But these are extreme. If just light dirt or mud, or salt stains, I take a damp cloth and some warm water, and clean the leather. Then condition.

 

[cetrio]

I posted here about these shoes a few years but I was looking at them again this weekend. They are short wing bluchers made for Lefcourt by (i believe) Crockett and Jones. Probably in the 1960s.

What's unusual about them is the triple sole. Obviously.

But look at the stitching in the third photo. The guy started some of the lines well but then needed to get somewhere. Fast.

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They look very nice !

Here are vintage Church's Burwood on which I did a rosewood patina

 

[smfdoc]

I posted here about these shoes a few years but I was looking at them again this weekend. They are short wing bluchers made for Lefcourt by (i believe) Crockett and Jones. Probably in the 1960s.

What's unusual about them is the triple sole. Obviously.

But look at the stitching in the third photo. The guy started some of the lines well but then needed to get somewhere. Fast.

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In sewing terms that is known as skipping a stitch. It is usually caused by threading the machine incorrectly, a bent needle or a bobbin issue.

 

[meister]

Looking forward to the arrival of these 1950s 'Lee Kee' Hong Kong handmade beauties. Notice the pegged sole!

 

[suitforcourt]

Looking forward to the arrival of these 1950s 'Lee Kee' Hong Kong handmade beauties. Notice the pegged sole!

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I hope to find a pair for my wide flippers. Let us know how the quality compares to Florsheim or Hanover of the day!

 

[AEShoeMan]

Vintage shell MacNeils today. Have a good one fellas!

 

[mormonopoly]

Looking forward to the arrival of these 1950s 'Lee Kee' Hong Kong handmade beauties. Notice the pegged sole!

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Beautiful. Coincidentally, I just bought a very similar pair of Lee Kee.

 

[Raimar]

At the barbershop with Bostonians

 

[friendlygoz]

AE shark Nassaus. Where they lose points for the square toe they gain points for being made of sharkskin. Enjoy the day.

 

[eTrojan]

1979 AE MacNeil. I love the color on these.

 

[actionjbone]

What the Hell are these things made of?

Actual question.



These are some of the last U.S.-made Dexters. I got them from a Dexter outlet store when they still had outlet stores.

I knew they were overpolished and was pretty sure they were CG. So I sat down to strip off the old polish, and maybe the finish. But, as you can see on the left side, once I stripped the shoe down, the finish wouldn't come off.

Did Dexter make fully synthetic dress shoes at the end? Have I been walking in plastic shoes all these years, and somehow I never noticed? That's the only explanation I can think of.

It would explain why they were so good in the rain...

 

[happypebble]

Those Dexters look good. They make me think that Alden or Allen Edmonds should make shoes of Corfam.