Show us your SHOES !!!

[Isshinryu101]

Issh...you got my shoes! Can't wait to see your pics. Your are like a blood hound when it comes to great shoes. Tell me, do you feel like a thief at that price, or just the most saavy shopper on the bay?? Glad you got them.

Shoot, my friend. If you factor in the number of pairs of shoes I've bought that were just a touch too small for me to wear, my cost of each pair I keep is probably more than it would be to buy some brand new C&J.

That's the peril (and fun) of hunting for vintage shoes online.

I'll post my wide array of FABULOUS 8C shoes that are just a BIT too small & hurt my heart to look at.

 

[Isshinryu101]

Cole Haan Werner.

I had read that these were a reproduction of a 1930's - 1940'S style Cole Haan had SOLD. What a FABULOUS Spade Sole design, In fact, the soles on these rival ANY I've ever seen. Talk about "Lickable"!

The finishing on the uppers is also done extremely nicely. In short, I love just about everything about these... EXCEPT...

That FREAKING TERRIBLE CORRECTED GRAIN LEATHER!!!!

I can't believe they used this garbage. It looks like the stuff I saw on a pair of AE Concords (I think that's the model). Look at those creases, and these aren't even really worn. Try-on creasing like that??? Unexcusable!

Anyway...

 

[cookie]

Cookie hate CG....just thought you should know that.

 

[Isshinryu101]

Cookie hate CG....just thought you should know that.

Yes, my friend! I believe I have the same innate dislike of cheap shoe leather (probably thru osmosis).

 

[flyfishark]

Cookie hate CG....just thought you should know that.

Cookie...is that why I can't sell these Cheaney-made Cole Haans?

 

[Isshinryu101]

Cookie...is that why I can't sell these Cheaney-made Cole Haans?

you can't sell them because no one knows what they are. Much nicer than modern Cole Haans, but NO ONE KNOWS!

 

[Tomasso]

Corrected grain with a channelled sole; how odd......

 

[flyfishark]

you can't sell them because no one knows what they are. Much nicer than modern Cole Haans, but NO ONE KNOWS!

We've decided to donate the shoes we can't sell (those that don't fit well--and that sure as hell doesn't include Lidforts) to the church thrift shop. We'll take the legitimate donation deduction, and some people of limited means are going to be wearing some damned fine shoes. We'd rather give them away than sell great shoes for nothing. Marc's comment on the frustration of educating people on vintage shoes really struck a chord with us.

 

[flyfishark]

Corrected grain with a channelled sole; how odd......

Please correct (honestly, no pun intended) me if I'm wrong, but wasn't corrected grain viewed at one time as a "high dress" treatment for shoes?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Marc's comment on the frustration of educating people on vintage shoes really struck a chord with us.

... on vintage shoes, vintage suits, vintage dress shirts, vintage overcoats ... the frustration goes in multiple directions.

 

[Tomasso]

wasn't corrected grain viewed at one time as a "high dress" treatment for shoes?

Only if you are referring to patent leather.

 

[flyfishark]

Only if you are referring to patent leather.

as soon as I hit "Post Quick Reply" I knew you'd nail me on that one....I'm sure I meant the US Patent Office for Corrected Grain.

 

[Isshinryu101]

Please correct (honestly, no pun intended) me if I'm wrong, but wasn't corrected grain viewed at one time as a "high dress" treatment for shoes?

Cookie told me about the "corrected grain renaissance".

 

[LoveMyHats2]

there is a lack of love for shoes, i think. Much more excitement over other vintage items on FL.

Well, that may be true to some degree, but I have always been a shoe fanatic, just have a very hard time finding my size in a good vintage shoe, 10 1/2 D.

However it is noted that how a shoe is made does make a very big difference in how the shoe will last, can it be resoled, how comfortable will it be, ands how it looks. There are some "vintage" shoes all over eBay and other sources that are beyond hope. Some sellers will list anything using the "vintage" on the listing when it is only a few years old, just a torn up and abused pair of shoes that need to be tossed.

If I find vintage that needs a sole or heel or complete rebuild, I have a great shoe repairman here in town. He can order any type of sole, heel, insole, and will do things the right way. He is an older man that is third generation shoe repair. He also is very informative about leather and care and products, repairs leather coats, chaps, purses, anything. Lewey's Shoe Repair. I just had him do a pair of wingtips for me, I will post some pictures of his work. I just had him do a basic "addition" to the sole of a pair that were not really super worn out, but were in need. The pictures will show what I mean. His charges are very reasonable. He has a normal turn around of 7 days.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Just yesterday in another thread I was complaining about me not having any suitable oxfords. Today by accident I came along a shoe store - and there they were. Of course I had to buy them. They are not vintage at all, but I find them vintage - inspired. They are dark grey, blackish Halfbrogue cap - toe oxfords. (I think on a photo I saw Louis Armstrong wearing a pair similar to these, but not sure...)

The leather sole already looks damaged, but I wanted to wear them when I walked home from the shoe store. In fact, they are brand new...

Are those shoes a brand name of "LLoyd"? I have several pairs of those shoes (well I should say that brand name). Lloyd makes a very nice looking shoe, but some of the shoes made have a "waffle" support and do not have a solid leather sole, which makes the replacement of the sole, not possible. You can tell the Lloyd shoes that are going to be this way by simply pressing dead center with your finger on the sole. If it pushes in easy, there is only an actual very thin layer of leather glued to a waffle under it. They will "appear" like they are regular welt shoes, but are not. I have no idea why Lloyd shoes are like that, but I have three pairs that are, and one pair that is "o.k."!

 

[Isshinryu101]

Lower manufacturing costs = higher profit... or at least that's how the theory goes. Obviously this "shortcut" saves a coupla bucks. Sad thing is that many makers who do these types of things do so thinking that the consumer either doesn't know, or doesn't care.

Those that do know sometimes switch brands.

Are those shoes a brand name of "LLoyd"? I have several pairs of those shoes (well I should say that brand name). Lloyd makes a very nice looking shoe, but some of the shoes made have a "waffle" support and do not have a solid leather sole, which makes the replacement of the sole, not possible. You can tell the Lloyd shoes that are going to be this way by simply pressing dead center with your finger on the sole. If it pushes in easy, there is only an actual very thin layer of leather glued to a waffle under it. They will "appear" like they are regular welt shoes, but are not. I have no idea why Lloyd shoes are like that, but I have three pairs that are, and one pair that is "o.k."!

 

[SteveAS]

Somebody gave away some Edwin Clapps on ebay. Sadly, they'd sold by the time I found this listing. :eusa_doh:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Somebody gave away some Edwin Clapps on ebay. Sadly, they'd sold by the time I found this listing. :eusa_doh:

And they're DEAD STOCK!
And the leather is real or embossed OSTRICH!
And Edwin Clapp was one of the greatest American shoe manufacturers in the golden era!


Hope a Fedora Lounger got 'em.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
For more than a year, I've been looking for the perfect black 'countryside' shoe to wear with my vintage grey tweed suits, dark grey flannels, etc. Not a suede shoe: it doesn't mix well with rain and mud. Not 'gunboat' longwings: can't stand those clunky bricks. Not a blucher shoe: they don't grab me. Not wingtips: too ubiquitous. Not plain-toe or one-piece: too dull. Not split-toe or moccasin: too relaxed. (No wonder my wife can't shop for me!)


What I wanted was a black version of the shoe once worn by British soldiers: classic cap-toe oxfords of stiff, seriously gritty pebble grain cowhide, and with a chunky double leather sole.


Last August, I finally found it. "Swedish label 'Our Legacy' has teamed up with fellow Swedish retailer 'Tres Bien Shop' on this beautiful and exclusive Cap Toe Black Grain shoe. Adhering to the classic oxford shape, the shoe features a grain leather with a storm welted double leather sole for a textured, yet still basic shoe." $425.

 

[SteveAS]

Very nice looking shoes, Marc.