Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[FeloniusMonk]

Playing with laces! AE had all of their colored laces on closeout, so I picked up a selection. Olive green today.

 

[suitforcourt]

Vintage Violation!

But, this involves Florsheim Kenmore.

I found a great deal on the new Florsheim Kenmoor. I know they are a far cry from our vintage versions. But, I sort of like the look of the pebble grain versions in Black and Brown. The burgundy color version looks good, but I’m afraid it’s going to be plasticky CG that creases so badly.

what do you all think? It’s not like I need a pair. But, this would be a pair of new Florsheim I wouldn’t be afraid to wear like my NOS versions.


View attachment 1384586

I have this pair in black. I bought them back in the day when I didn't know difference between the vintage ones and current models.

I e-thrifted my pair and got a cobbler to rebuild.

L’Atelier de l’Égide - Laurent Halimi - shoe cobbler/cordwainer in Montreal Quebec

Hi everyone, Background: I've been looking for a cobbler/cordwainer who can do the Joh Rendenbach soles (http://www.lederfabrik-rendenbach.de/1/benefits-of-jr-leather/) After extensive searching and asking around on Styleforum, I came to two conclusions: 1. No one in Toronto (maybe even...

www.styleforum.net

I leave this pair in the office in case I didn't wear dress shoes and need to run to court unexpectedly.

They are very comfortable but the CG creases like crazy. Once they are beat, I will donate them.

I would never buy the current Florsheim again.

 

[right_hook]

I have a great fear of dying during this pandemic. Well, it’s not the dying that concerns me, it’s more that she’ll try to sell my vintage shoes for what I told her I paid for them.

Sorry, but I have more than enough spare time and I can not resist

 

[suitforcourt]

Sorry, but I have more than enough spare time and I can not resist
View attachment 1384630

Other than my good looks, I think my shoe collection would be my most valuable asset in a divorce.

 

[suitforcourt]

Rainy day, so took out these CG Florsheim. I barely feel the Vibram Eton soles.

 

[nikolau]

Vintage Violation!

But, this involves Florsheim Kenmore.

I found a great deal on the new Florsheim Kenmoor. I know they are a far cry from our vintage versions. But, I sort of like the look of the pebble grain versions in Black and Brown. The burgundy color version looks good, but I’m afraid it’s going to be plasticky CG that creases so badly.

what do you all think? It’s not like I need a pair. But, this would be a pair of new Florsheim I wouldn’t be afraid to wear like my NOS versions.


View attachment 1384586

Where’d you find the deal? I’d buy these in pebble grain TBH.

 

[Jiqea]

I had one last pair of Hartt's arrive today. NOS factory rejects, likely due to a faint dark spot on the toe-cap of the left shoe. These Oxfords were called the Brentwood, and were made from at least the early 40's right through to the 90's. This pair dates to between 1958 and 1968, based on the insole logo. The understated elegance of a well-made six-eye Oxford cannot be denied!. This pair is an 8 D with a lovely pair of 8 M Hartt trees. With eight pairs of Hartt's in the past two weeks I may need to change my avatar to an Aztec priest.

 

[happypebble]

Vintage Violation!

But, this involves Florsheim Kenmore.

I found a great deal on the new Florsheim Kenmoor. I know they are a far cry from our vintage versions. But, I sort of like the look of the pebble grain versions in Black and Brown. The burgundy color version looks good, but I’m afraid it’s going to be plasticky CG that creases so badly.

what do you all think? It’s not like I need a pair. But, this would be a pair of new Florsheim I wouldn’t be afraid to wear like my NOS versions.


View attachment 1384586

I have Kenmoor II in burgundy. They might not quite have the impressive heft of a vintage pair, but they're still very nice shoes; I can't fault them. Better than 95 percent of current shoes.

 

[nikolau]

I have Kenmoor II in burgundy. They might not quite have the impressive heft of a vintage pair, but they're still very nice shoes; I can't fault them. Better than 95 percent of current shoes.

This raises an interesting question: some folks celebrate the old Bostonian or Church’s “bookbinder”, but I don’t understand why an old PU coating is any better than a new PU coating. There’s certainly room in a wardrobe for a low maintenance pair of shoes (say for travel or wet weather) that are somewhat rugged.

This brings me to the topic of the “modern” made in India Florsheim LWB. They can be had cheap, they’re ruggedly built, the pebble grain isn’t PU coated, and the CG version is PU coated... but even a PU coated shoe can last 5+ years in a standard rotation and longer if worn intermittently (hot mess shortly thereafter). Is a worthwhile thing to have?

I, for one, am considering getting a pair just to wear on flights and so on (where I would be struck with tremendous grief if someone stepped on the toe cap of an otherwise superior vintage shoe). I likely wouldn’t spend the $$$ to ever re-sole them, but they might still last a good long while. The pebble grain, in particular, looks like an attractive option for a pair of beaters. What do you think?

Edit: I honestly have no idea how long PU coated corrected grain lasts, but considering people get pairs 40+ years old that look presentable, I imagine they might be good for a few hundred wears (more than the sole). Please correct me if I’m off here.

 

[Nealjpage]

Playing with laces! AE had all of their colored laces on closeout, so I picked up a selection. Olive green today.

View attachment 1384619

I bought a bunch, too. Good deal.

 

[wasmisterfu]

I have a great fear of dying during this pandemic. Well, it’s not the dying that concerns me, it’s more that she’ll try to sell my vintage shoes for what I told her I paid for them.

This is a reasonable concern. That’s why I have a directive that all my shoes must be buried with me.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Okay vintage shoe weirdos, you want vintage? You want weird? Well I’ve finally done it: I’ve acquired a pair of vintage Corfam shoes.

Nunn-Bush made these derby’s in the late 60’s; they’re nicely executed, have been worn, by my estimation, one single time. Goodyear welted, with a very clean (invisible) channeled welt topstich, leather linings, leather insoles and soles, they were not cheap or low-quality shoes, when new.

And man, they are weird. Not because of styling, but because Corfam is super strange stuff. DavidVC has an epic writeup on his experience with Corfam: https://vcleat.com/vintage-corfam-shoes/

Unlike his pair, mine are black, yet Corfam is no less odd looking in black. It has an strange sheen to it, unlike any leather I’ve seen (even the cheapest CG). It’s very synthetic looking, but not “cheap plastic”, more like, well... expensive plastic. It also feels weird; soft and flexible, but without any give. And it smells weird; a plastic smell that I’ve smelt before, but I can’t recall where.

The creasing, after one wear, is also just weird looking. Yet all I had to do to clean them up was wipe’em down with a damp paper towel, just like the advertising said. Even so, it’s easy to see why Corfam failed miserably: it’s so damn weird.

Even though I can wear them, I probably never will. They’re too weird, plus the styling is not my thang. However, they’re a strange and interesting shoe history artifact, and I think that makes them a worthy addition to my “collection”.

 

[Jiqea]

I received a pair of interesting John McHale Custom shoes today and got started on their restoration. This long-wing style was produced by McHale as their top of the line Florsheim offering, and I have also seen the design as a private label offering for the British Boot Shop of Calgary. . However this pair is labelled as a John McHale Custom shoe, and differs from the other versions in that it has the contrasting welting and a deeper autumnal colour.

The shoes were very dry, and some sort of black polish had been smeared over the welting. I have it mostly cleaned up but I will give it another go tomorrow. I suspect the shoes are from the late 60's or 70's, although I can only say with certainty that they post date 1959. Size 8.5D.

Here is a before picture and two after shots.

 

[wasmisterfu]

This raises an interesting question: some folks celebrate the old Bostonian or Church’s “bookbinder”, but I don’t understand why an old PU coating is any better than a new PU coating. There’s certainly room in a wardrobe for a low maintenance pair of shoes (say for travel or wet weather) that are somewhat rugged.

This brings me to the topic of the “modern” made in India Florsheim LWB. They can be had cheap, they’re ruggedly built, the pebble grain isn’t PU coated, and the CG version is PU coated... but even a PU coated shoe can last 5+ years in a standard rotation and longer if worn intermittently (hot mess shortly thereafter). Is a worthwhile thing to have?

I, for one, am considering getting a pair just to wear on flights and so on (where I would be struck with tremendous grief if someone stepped on the toe cap of an otherwise superior vintage shoe). I likely wouldn’t spend the $$$ to ever re-sole them, but they might still last a good long while. The pebble grain, in particular, looks like an attractive option for a pair of beaters. What do you think?

Edit: I honestly have no idea how long PU coated corrected grain lasts, but considering people get pairs 40+ years old that look presentable, I imagine they might be good for a few hundred wears (more than the sole). Please correct me if I’m off here.

1. Actual “book binder” leather is truly awful “bonded leather” stuff. I don’t know why some of the British makers adopted the term for PC/CG, but actual binder is bad stuff (on books, furniture and especially shoes).

2. Old-school quality “Polished Cobbler” (not really correct grain):

Modern era CG:

The underlying leather quality is simply different (most notably the bend is much finer on the old stuff). The miIndia Florsheim’s are actually CG (under close inspection, you can clearly see, under the PU coat, leather scarring and tick bites). The finish is thicker and the leather much stiffer.

In short, don’t assume the modern stuff will last, or look good, anywhere near as long as stuff from 30+ years ago.

Finally, other than for rainy days and beater use, I don’t recommend any PU leather. My own experiments and interest in the history of weird stuff aside, you really shouldn’t buy the stuff, unless it’s under the 50 dollar mark. All PU coated leather ends up in a deplorable state that eventually needs major work to fix, and that effort is only worth it on the good quality stuff from back in the day, not the scarred up garbage used today.

 

[wasmisterfu]

I received a pair of interesting John McHale Custom shoes today and got started on their restoration. This long-wing style was produced by McHale as their top of the line Florsheim offering, and I have also seen the design as a private label offering for the British Boot Shop of Calgary. . However this pair is labelled as a John McHale Custom shoe, and differs from the other versions in that it has the contrasting welting and a deeper autumnal colour.

The shoes were very dry, and some sort of black polish had been smeared over the welting. I have it mostly cleaned up but I will give it another go tomorrow. I suspect the shoes are from the late 60's or 70's, although I can only say with certainty that they post date 1959. Size 8.5D.

Here is a before picture and two after shots.

View attachment 1384886 View attachment 1384887 View attachment 1384888

Outstanding!