Hagwood
Call Me a Cab
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Show us your SHOES !!!
- Thread starter Veronica Parra
- Start date
GHT
I'll Lock Up
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- New Forest
When I saw this shoe I thought: "Diamonds on the soles of her shoes." Truly amazing.
Cindy, hope you are well, I have a question. These shoes are part leather, part canvas, the canvas has got somewhat dusty, I have got them cleaner simply by brushing with a clothes brush. Is it safe to get the rest of the dust out by using and old (dry) toothbrush?
The shoes were expensive, they were also a one off run, I wouldn't dream of using any sort of cleaner, the clothes brush is soft bristled and has done no harm at all, but the toothbrush isn't so soft. Any thoughts?
I am currently working on a pair of Opera Slippers. They are vintage and for some reason the leather on both shoes, side areas have the surface of the leather finish is fractured...so it is making it hard to get a really nice shine so far. I've already applied at least a dozen or more layers of conditioner, shoe cream and then wax polish, and still can see the pits of the surface fracture. I have some very vintage shoe pencils...yep...shoe pencils...they are like a crayon in a way, you have to melt the tip with a match and then apply to the leather. Shoe makers in the old factories back in the 1930's, would do this to hide slight scuff marks, I may have to try to use one and see if I can get the fractures to fill in...drats...time is mounting up on how long I've already worked on these as it is.
NO toothbrush! it will damage the surface of the canvas....saw it all up...do you have a "bunny bag"????? If you lightly wash the canvas and let it dry real dry, you can use your bunny bag on it to dab white back onto the canvas just like you would ivory/white suede!
Short Balding Guy
I'll Lock Up
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Thanks Cindy. These vintage shoes are lookers. Certainly the 2 hues, but I love the sculptural quality (curves and lines) of the shoes. The stitch work is dynamite. For those who appreciate the artisan qualities in shoes, these have a lot of appeal.
Take the color out and the sculptural design is what really floats my boat in footware. Here is a black pair that is scrumptious.
They are a pair of vintage Churches sold at Bullocks in Ca.
You showcased some pics of recent bespoke shoes that are bold in appearance. I understand that the last shoe is a very narrow and was made for a contest and not a client. Regardless it is terrific.
Eric -
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Short Balding Guy
I'll Lock Up
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The tongues and shafts of this footware took a LOT of craftsmanship. Crazy to think that the wearer might be the only one to know about this feature.
The Shooman
Practically Family
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Hi LuvMyMan,
these are not just regular banana colour shoes, no way. The colour of these is not the true colour. The shoes l recently bought are the spectular `lattanzi tans' that are rare as hen's teeth. I have searched 16 years for the special "Lattanzi tans" and i've never seen shoes with that special colour until now. The special tan colour in these shoes is INCREDIBLE, and no photo does them justice. I could rave on all day about these Lattanzi because i've never seen or worn anything like them. The craftsmanship, the colour and the shoe wearing experience is unequalled in my shoe wearing career.
I use `boot black' mustard artist palette for these. It's just the right polish for these. No orange and not too much bright yellow. Instead it is like a brownish yellow.
Already the natural patina of the Lattanzi is starting to become beautiful. LuvMyMan...every time l pull it out l cannot believe my eyes. It's a beauty!!! You have really got to see it to believe it. I've never worn shoes twice a week, but l have been wearing these twice a week, that is how good they are. They blow everything out of the water in every way.
I've got a great pair of Santoni norvegese coming soon. You wait until you see `em...they are AMAZING.
The Shooman
Practically Family
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Here are some of the Lattanzi tans. Mine are different again, they are more like a light coffee tan colour. It has a very ltalian flavour.
Lattanzi tans
Lattanzi tans
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I will try to get a really good picture of the polish I have that is the Banana color...if you think it would work for you, I can get some more and send ya a freebie! I had a never been worn pair of all white footjoys, they started out being Golf shoes...I peeled off the existing soles and metal stays hidden behind the soles and in the heels, removed the thin cork layer, replaced the cork, and then made heels and soles. I wanted to do something along the use of dye work and to have some "patina" so after prepping the leather for the dye, I mixed a batch of dye with some "clear" to water down the actual color, Gold, to apply on the leather. it was really thin, which is what I wanted as it is like a "wash" when using a dye that you want to have that effect of patina. I have some pale gold shoe cream polish from Saphir, but it is really dark. I sent an email to one of the shoe makers that are shown by shoegazing.com about 3 weeks ago, and a picture of my shoe work. The response was to try this banana color, so I have it and it was exactly what I was looking for. I'll post a picture of the shoes and the polish. Like I say, if you think if can work for you I can buy some more and ship it to you.
Real shoes are always such a nice feel to own and wear. Daniel LOVED wearing some of the higher end shoes regardless if they were vintage or modern custom handmades. Vass were comfy as are some of the Barker Black, and all his higher end vintage. I was super lucky to find so many pairs of true vintage for him that had never been worn...no easy ordeal and picked up several pairs of spade soles that were never worn. I still look at what is online....some good deals are out there.
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In 7th grade I had an ex Scottish army Sargeant for a teacher. As punishment for any transgression, perceived or actual, us boys were made to shine his shoes. They had to be to his absolute satisfaction or one risked having the punishment upped to a strapping with the good ol' razor strop. We even had to shine the under arch of his dress boots.
Too amazing for words!
I raise you these. The highest quality rtw l have ever owned. The highly elusive Silvano Lattanzi. I feel like a really lucky guy owning these. Highly prized shoes and something l have been after for 16 years.
Another project, I was talked into restoring these spectators. I am not doing this anymore for other people, but for a friend I said yes, as they wanted a nice pair of vintage shoes to wear now with a Fedora, and they are new wearing hats as well.
So we found these on eBay, and I am doing the restoration on them.
So we found these on eBay, and I am doing the restoration on them.
Notice how dirty these are. They are also suffering from being dry far too long. Leather is at a cracking point and very brittle including the white suede. Cadillac applied inside the entire upper leather all around from heel to toe, but avoiding the inner footbed. Reason why I avoiding the footbed on these, the cork layer is still fairly flat not yet formed to have shaped itself to the foot/toe imprint. The cork being old might turn to mush, so I am leaving it alone. These shoes were not cared for, but not worn much either. Not really any wear factor on the back heel edge. I am going to guess these are early 1960's, they are very heavy and made by Stetson. The soles have a spade sole influenced shape. The right toe has a scuff that was bad, I used some conditioner to bring the leather back to life on the outside, just like the insides, but avoid any conditioner on the top of the suede. I'm able to use a shoe repair crayon from Star Shoe Company, chemical division, International Shoe Co. That is for the scuff.
You have to heat the repair crayon with an open flame, it goes on scuff after you clean it with nail polish remover and then rubbing alcohol. You then simply mush it on the scuff and let it sit, There is a chemical in the crayon type materiasl that helps it bond to the leather, then I can apply polish over it to seal it in.
The white suede area got a shampoo with Saphir suede cleaner, then I use the suede brush when it is all dry, and lastly apply some white from a "Bunny Bag" and now you cannot see the dark stains and all the filth in the shoe is gone!
I should mention all shoes like these get a spray of disenfectant before being worked on, sprayed all inside of the shoes.
You have to heat the repair crayon with an open flame, it goes on scuff after you clean it with nail polish remover and then rubbing alcohol. You then simply mush it on the scuff and let it sit, There is a chemical in the crayon type materiasl that helps it bond to the leather, then I can apply polish over it to seal it in.
The white suede area got a shampoo with Saphir suede cleaner, then I use the suede brush when it is all dry, and lastly apply some white from a "Bunny Bag" and now you cannot see the dark stains and all the filth in the shoe is gone!
I should mention all shoes like these get a spray of disenfectant before being worked on, sprayed all inside of the shoes.
Here is how nice these are looking at this point, I still have to do some work on the bottoms, I am sealing the soles they will look like glass yet be supple enough to walk on the finish I give them and of course, the polish of all the black leather and cleaning of the edge of the soles and outside of the welt area...
For all the time put into these, I would in a total cost would have to charge about $250.00 as so far I already have two days on just cleaning and conditioning, one day on the white suede getting cleaned with the shampoo, then another day getting the "Bunny Bag" application, you have to use the suede brush and apply more "Bunny Bag" several times to work it all in evenly. Later I remove excess conditioner and start applications of black shoe cream on top of delicate cream to give the final polish wax something nice and smooth to sit on for the final wax polish for that mirror finish, but that comes after I do the soles.
Short Balding Guy
I'll Lock Up
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Cindy; You rock. Amazing restoration to the spectators to allow them to be gently worn again.
Do you do anything special to remove the excess conditioner?
I am curious to what you do to seal the soles. When you have a moment would you ellaborate please?
I have put off the finishing touches for a pair of neglected suede spectators. The suede was dry and I applied conditioner to the inside and outside in order to rescue the leather. I am now contemplating how to remove excess and restore the suede. Cindy your post is timely.
Thinking of shoes this afternoon, Eric -
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