Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[suitforcourt]

Your collection is amazing. I deeply suspect you are a time traveler.

This is the only rational or logical reason.

 

[memoriastoica]

This is the only rational or logical reason.

I suspect that having a very narrow foot also gives him an advantage over us normal and wide-footed folks.

 

[eTrojan]

Vintage Allen Edmonds MacNeil. Circa 1968-1972. “Owl eye slug” heel.

 

[friendlygoz]

$15 USD?

Id say $30

 

[friendlygoz]

1988 AE MacNeil in shell today…

 

[Nealjpage]

Drizzly day in the PNW so it was time for the beater Imperials.

This circa 1952 Eterna-Matic was one of three projects I worked on over the 10 day winter furlough/closure at the community college I work for. My last Eterna was an abject failure with a pinged shock spring and a launched pallet fork that is probably still gaining altitude over the Pacific so I was refreshed to have this one come together with only minor problems. I sourced this dark brown leather band and this watch will take it's place among my favorites.

 

[Satoman1]

On my Mason Velvet-eez today

 

[WoolyLamb]

I just want to report that I was able to defy the principals of physics and the cleat on my florsheims. I was able to run in the airport smooth surface and not commit suicide to catch a plane (barely).

 

[smfdoc]

Drizzly day in the PNW so it was time for the beater Imperials.
View attachment 2107619


This circa 1952 Eterna-Matic was one of three projects I worked on over the 10 day winter furlough/closure at the community college I work for. My last Eterna was an abject failure with a pinged shock spring and a launched pallet fork that is probably still gaining altitude over the Pacific so I was refreshed to have this one come together with only minor problems. I sourced this dark brown leather band and this watch will take it's place among my favorites.
View attachment 2107621

Those may be your "beater" pair but I love the color and texture. Classic style.

 

[Nealjpage]

Those may be your "beater" pair but I love the color and texture. Classic style.

Thanks!

 

[eTrojan]

I am declaring this “MacNeil Week”.

Today is the black shell edition. Not particularly vintage (1998? 2008?), but since the MacNeil has been discontinued, it is no longer readily available.

 

[friendlygoz]

Aldens with a bad case of loose grain today. The natural patina in the leather is great, but if you knock it anything the scuffs are bad. I enjoy wearing them nonetheless.

 

[smfdoc]

I see we made the SF front page again and welcome to any new lurkers.

"They don't make them like that anymore." This saying is especially true when it comes to dress shoes that were made in the USA. In prior decades US had numerous dress shoe brands that included lines of excellent, classic and well built shoes. Nettleton, Hanover, Alden, Allen Edmonds, Florsheim's Royal Imperial, Johnson & Murphy bench made and crown aristocraft and others dominated the market from 1950 to 1990. Sadly, some of those names are gone and some still survive, but in a cheaper, off-shore form that are ghosts of their former quality. Their former creations, however, still survive and are part of many shoe collections.

Just because a shoe is old, does not mean that it worthy of collection. Sometimes, an old shoe is just a old shoe and it needs to hit the trashcan. Other times, that old shoe is a classic gem that still has much to offer and is highly desirable to many. This thread is designed to provide a place to share information to help forum members know which vintage shoes are desirable and which are simply old shoes. While it is fun to look at shoe Appreciation photos, it needs to also be a place for sharing methods for putting more life into a vintage style, how to maintain what you have and advice for problems.

 

[memoriastoica]

Color variation in shell cordovan. Florsheim Imperial 93605s (top) vs Florsheim Royal Imperial 97626s (bottom).

 

[friendlygoz]

AE Fifth Street today…