Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[friendlygoz]

The weak yen is soooo painful for those of us working in Japan.
But definitely a great time to visit if you're coming from the US or Europe.

Super8Shoes is a must. Here's a post on vcleat from when @davidVC came to visit.

Super 8 Shoes | vcleat

vcleat.com

There's also a pair of shops near each other called Whistler and Chart in Koenji. (one shop displays the left shoe, the other has the right shoe of the same pair)
They have a LOT more stuff than Super8, and it could be worth a look. But whereas Gucci, the owner of Super8 loves shoes, runs a cobbler shop, and is very knowledgeable... the Whistler/Chart shops are just troves of vintage Americana stuff. Most of it is dusty, beat up, kind of overpriced IMO, and the staff aren't really so knowledgeable about each items. Still, some interesting pairs can be found there.

View attachment 2153277 View attachment 2153279

Their location:

chart · 4 Chome-30-8 Koenjiminami, Suginami City, Tokyo 166-0003, Japan

★★★★☆ · Used clothing store

maps.app.goo.gl

Family trip is in the works for June 2025. Shoe and watch shopping will be on the itinerary. I’ll let you know our plans as they develop.

 

[friendlygoz]

Another pair of Stratford spot in the wild for $20, this time is my right size!! the pair i have is one size too big.
On the way shipping to me. Kinda lucky day.

Congrats. That’s a grail pair for me. I had a pair in my normal 9D size, but they were way too tight. I’ll live vicariously through you.

 

[memoriastoica]

Congrats. That’s a grail pair for me. I had a pair in my normal 9D size, but they were way too tight. I’ll live vicariously through you.

Also a grail pair for me, although the 31890 is close enough and much less expensive/rare.

 

[wolfdale]

Fellow vintage shoes fans,

Whats the most amount of wear acceptable to you when youre shopping for shoes?

And do you think cork soles can adapt still to a 2nd owner?

Pic is my aldens 99162 thrifted in tokyo (see posts above) on the shinkansen to kyoto. They fit very well and are comfortable right off the bat. They are well worn judging from the insole, though. I slapped a topy and toe brass plate

 

[sam67]

Fellow vintage shoes fans,

Whats the most amount of wear acceptable to you when youre shopping for shoes?

And do you think cork soles can adapt still to a 2nd owner?

Pic is my aldens 99162 thrifted in tokyo (see posts above) on the shinkansen to kyoto. They fit very well and are comfortable right off the bat. They are well worn judging from the insole, though. I slapped a topy and toe brass plate

View attachment 2155355

I think the cork is only going to adapt to a second owner if there has been next to no wear. I should have gone into every vintage shoe with the expectation to resole it. That would have helped me keep the number down to select few that were 'new'. But I learned that over time and error instead and now have a few 'museum' pieces that I'll probably try to flip or give away.

 

[sam67]

I looked few catalogs and Boulevard does not have the Cashmere grain leather version. So it's either MacGregor or Lloyd.

What year? I recently saw a Lloyd in a thrift shop. But I could only find a short wingtip in the 1950s. Later decades it was a split toe, I believe.

 

[Satoman1]

What year? I recently saw a Lloyd in a thrift shop. But I could only find a short wingtip in the 1950s. Later decades it was a split toe, I believe.

I can't find Lloyd in the Catalog, but i found some ebay sale of Lloyd with late 70s-early 80s footbed print style, so i guess they're still in product til late 70s.

Here's Boulevard and MacGregor in 1978 catalog.

 

[sam67]

1956-57

 

[smfdoc]

Happy Monday forum pals. French Shriners.

 

[smfdoc]

Fellow vintage shoes fans,

Whats the most amount of wear acceptable to you when you're shopping for shoes?

And do you think cork soles can adapt still to a 2nd owner?

For the first question of acceptable wear, I personally think it is dependent on the rarity of the shoe in that size. For a 10D Florsheim LWB, I would not want excessive wear as they were relatively common and a little patience will usually be rewarded with a better pair showing up on Ebay. But some shoes are just unicorns and I would be far less picky. I literally looked 7 years for a pair of Florsheim shell PTBs until a pair showed up. They did not make them in EEE unless it was a custom order. So passing and waiting for the next pair was simply not an option.

As for the cork, I agree with others who feel not much change in shape can be expected with the second owner.

 

[wolfdale]

I think the cork is only going to adapt to a second owner if there has been next to no wear. I should have gone into every vintage shoe with the expectation to resole it. That would have helped me keep the number down to select few that were 'new'. But I learned that over time and error instead and now have a few 'museum' pieces that I'll probably try to flip or give away.

Does resoling mean you have to break them in again somewhat? With the midsole being replaced as well, and only the cork footbed being kept? Im very new to shoes.

For the first question of acceptable wear, I personally think it is dependent on the rarity of the shoe in that size. For a 10D Florsheim LWB, I would not want excessive wear as they were relatively common and a little patience will usually be rewarded with a better pair showing up on Ebay. But some shoes are just unicorns and I would be far less picky. I literally looked 7 years for a pair of Florsheim shell PTBs until a pair showed up. They did not make them in EEE unless it was a custom order. So passing and waiting for the next pair was simply not an option.

View attachment 2155439

As for the cork, I agree with others who feel not much change in shape can be expected with the second owner.

Amazing shoes! Congrats

 

[sam67]

Does resoling mean you have to break them in again somewhat? With the midsole being replaced as well, and only the cork footbed being kept? Im very new to shoes.



Amazing shoes! Congrats

Wyatt and Dad can resole, recork and re-insole a GYW shoe. It's like having a new pair if the uppers are in good shape.

 

[wolfdale]

Wyatt and Dad can resole, recork and re-insole a GYW shoe. It's like having a new pair if the uppers are in good shape.

How much you reckon that would cost? I really like the uppers in these Aldens, would it be madness to spend $ to recraft them?

 

[Satoman1]

How much you reckon that would cost? I really like the uppers in these Aldens, would it be madness to spend $ to recraft them?

Combined with the price you buy them, they will be quite close to a new pair. I think the Alden pair is fine even before you add the vibram and toe-tap, the stitching in the front isn't completely gone yet, with the sole guard and toe-tap you've got at least a few years left in it.

Btw i just saw your post on Reddit.

 

[actionjbone]

Fellow vintage shoes fans,

Whats the most amount of wear acceptable to you when youre shopping for shoes?

And do you think cork soles can adapt still to a 2nd owner?

Pic is my aldens 99162 thrifted in tokyo (see posts above) on the shinkansen to kyoto. They fit very well and are comfortable right off the bat. They are well worn judging from the insole, though. I slapped a topy and toe brass plate

View attachment 2155355

For me, there isn't really a specific amount. If more has to do with the overall condition of the shoe.

If there are actual holes or rips in the leather, I absolutely won't buy them.

If there are small gouges, deep scuffs through the finish, or sometimes small cracks, and if the shoes are cheap enough, I may buy them so that I can practice my restoration techniques. For example, I've got a pair of Aristocraft loafers that had a deep toast scuff that went all the way through the finish. I gently sanded the area, stripped the finish from both pairs, and re-dyed them. Now they look great, and I can't even remember which shoe had the bad toe.

I'm not usually bothered by shoes broken in by someone else. If the cork is too compressed, I might add a thin insole. But if it's a good quality pair I want to keep, I'll pay to have them resoled and recorked.