Show us your SHOES !!!

[Huertecilla]

Aye, very nice boots! You can't beat a pair of brogues - every fella and indeed, lady, should have at least one pair be they boots or shoes.

I wish I could disagree as I personally do not like them one jota, but there is no way you can get around wearing a pair in a social setting every so often. I have a pair of black shoes which I bought isn 1980 or so and just bought a pair of boots. Both handmade and the eighties pair illustrates that they will last me a lifetime easily.

 

[Tomasso]

Is that a law of nature?........still the EXACT same size they have been for 40 years.

Well, I think that it's common enough that bespoke shoe makers routinely remeasure their client's feet before beginning a new commission even though they have their previous last on file.

 

[Huertecilla]

Well, I think that it's common enough that bespoke shoe makers routinely remeasure their client's feet before beginning a new commission even though they have their previous last on file.

Weight/condition affect size of the feet too so I can well imagine the need to measure the actual size, so thát is not evidence of feet increasing in size with age.

From what I gather, feet size CAN increment a bit due to the arch collapsing or the toes splaying but I doubt that shoe size and age are correlated for the bulk of the population.
Interesting to see if it is.

 

[Dinerman]

You should start a thread with hard facts and figures instead of this speculation.

 

[Huertecilla]

You should start a thread with hard facts and figures instead of this speculation.

Good suggestion.
Hence my question.

It was stated as fact that feet grow with age.
So I asked whether that is a law of nature.

From what I understand, the epiphysele (sp?) plates will "close" when you stop producing growth hormones and thereafer your bones won't get any longer and thus feet won't get longer either.

 

[The Shooman]

Is that a law of nature?

I am nearing 60, have done a LOT of running, walk a LOT, run a hobby eco/farm, love going out with a date as local guide to see cities etc. so it is not that my feet are not (ab)used.
They are still the EXACT same size they have been for 40 years. Ditto my calves. The only variable I experience is the size indicated by the manufacturer. That is not allways as standard as standard sizes suggest.

A very usefull size too as they are on the small end of normal so my size usually ends up on sale.
Just wednesday I bought a nice pair of 'dress boots' and this afternoon I plan to buy the another pair which I should have bought too.
The variable is illustrated by them. One pair is marked size 39.5 and the other 41...

Many people's feet do get bigger as they get older according to my shoemaker, but not everyone's do. I have my theories why some feet get bigger, but it is not entirely agreed upon by top industry people.

One thing....since l have lost a couple of stone in weight, my feet are not as big length wise, width wise or instep wise. Some of my tighter shoes now fit really well, and some of my other shoes now need a thicker sock.

 

[Tomasso]

I have only anecdotal evidence of the foot growth/aging syndrome, having experienced it myself and knowing countless others who have experienced it as well. Over the years I've also heard it from many in shoe related fields such as shoe salesmen, shoemakers, shoe manufacturers, orthotics makers, podiatrists and orthopedic physicians. In the course of competing in road races and triathlons for over twenty years I have attended numerous seminars where a major topic was foot care and the issue of foot growth was always addressed. I have never delved into the subject extensively in search of data, studies and the like so I can't provide the scientific proof that some seem to require.

There are however many articles which can be found online that address the issue. Here's one from the Los Angeles Times.

 

[Two Types]

I found this online, regarding Terence Stamp:
"A regimen of Pilates also keeps him fit, although it changed the shape of his feet so much that he had to part with most of his beloved pairs of handmade George Cleverley shoes." I recall reading somewhere that he had to get rid of more than thirty pairs.

 

[Rudie]

But his feet probably became smaller due to stronger muscles lifting the arch.

 

[Tomasso]

But his feet probably became smaller

If so then the shoes could have been reworked to fit.

 

[Rudie]

Well, if he had a contracted foot or hammer toes before Pilates wouldn't be useful in relaxing the foot muscles and the plantar fascia to elongate the feet. On the other hand, it could very well help to train underused foot muscles, resulting in more muscle tone and shorter feet.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I think when it comes to anything regarding a human body, that age, medical health issues, diet, all play a role in what size a shoe, clothing, even hats, that a person can wear. There may not be any one "set in stone" direction anyone one person would have a size issue change just merely due to age or medical or diet, but the possibility of such surely must exist. I normally wear a size 6 1/2 shoe, but as I have aged, my feet actually are closer now to wearing a size 6 shoe, medium width.

My Husband, Daniel, for years and years of his adult life, wore a shoe size of a 10D or at times he would have needed a 10 1/2D. Now his size is more accurately between a 10 1/2D and 11D. Hat size, has increased over just the past 2 years, he was able to wear a 7 3/8 long oval but now hat size is 7 1/2 long oval.

My 91 year old Mother always wore a size 6M shoe, but now a size 7E.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Some interesting shoe care information, I will post this in the other shoe thread as well.

My last purchase of a pair of vintage mason shoes was a fantastic find. BUT when they came home here, the suede leather part (white) was hard as a rock. Further inspection made me realize that maybe ten to twenty years ago, some one that did not know anything about the shoes, used some white liquid shoe polish on them. OH NO! not that! Yes THAT! It was not on the shoe thick and many layers just one good coat and over the year that stuff was rock hard.

Now to the fix! I had already soaked those bad boys in some Cadillac Boot & Shoe Care, some of the best conditioner we know of (the insides got drowned in that conditioner for days). That helped the back side of the suede. You can do this and it will NOT give your suede any issues at all. You CANNOT use it on the front, outside surface of the suede.
Next, after a consultation with our shoe man, the Cobbler we tried everything that was possible (like shoe care spot remover) and nothing was working. OH NO...the stuff will not come off, what now?

I went home and told Daniel the cobbler was not able to get the old, rock hard liquid polish off. So Daniel mumbles to me, STRIPPER! (No not for ME to strip, but to get shoe finish stripper)! Back to the cobblers and one bottle of stripper it is! A light rub of the stripper on a small spot near the lace area and WOW it was like heaven. The old hard polish is gone. The white beautiful suede felt just like a babies rear end. Soft and smooth. So now, I get to clean the entire white suede with this stripper. When I am finished, I will just take a slightly damped to wet clean wash cloth and wipe the suede with it to help off set all that harsh chemical of the stripper. Next up, something new....Saphir suede shampoo and conditioner to get the rest of the residual chemicals off the suede. The suede looks so nice, I cannot figure out what anyone even used some white liquid polish on it? There is NO marks or dirt on the white.

Shoe laces. I found a fee pairs of 36 inch vintage white, flat, dress shoe laces. the laces are as old as Abe Lincoln. They work perfection on the shoes.

Soles and heels. There is nothing worse than having even a shoe as "not worn" very much at all, and seeing the heels or soles looking like CrXp, so I asked the cobbler what to do? Daniel does some things but he is limited in doing much to any shoes right now. The heels on these shoes had a tid bit on the edge of the heels, I did not like what was there. NO edge wear is our motto! The cobbler took and hit the heels on a belt sander, did some other things with the nails and reset them deeper, these came out looking new, new, new. He would do the same on the soles, except you have the sewing of the soles on the shoes, and you don't want to belt sand that down at all. I have some conditioner soaking them and then will smooth them and seal them with a few monster coats of wax polish. Then to buff them all out. Daniel will do the buffing if I give him a buff rag, he can handle that. It takes TIME for all this, but wait until you see how these shoes will look.

So if you have any issues with some "garbage" on your suede and you want to clean it up, this shoe finish stripper will work, just use it lightly and do not rub it on the suede hard or "ruff". Let this chemical do all the work. I was gentle as ever and it took that lousy white polish off with ease. Meltonian and Fiebings both make the same stripper product. Small rags and avoid the smooth colored leather. I held the shoe "upside down" to prevent any of this stripper from getting on the brown leather of the shoe. Not easy to do all this but really worth it. The shoes will get some "snap shots" this weekend, in the vintage spectator thread.

 

[The Shooman]

Grampa KISS handmade shoos - hand welted with wood pegged soles

 

[1mach1]

Very nice! :eusa_clap

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Those look real nice.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_246277__zps66798110.jpg.html] [/URL][URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_246262__zps0cbdb424.jpg.html] [/URL][URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_246265__zpsed0ea2a2.jpg.html] [/URL][URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_246275__zps5da959b6.jpg.html] [/URL]

The heels had to be worker on, edge wear just does not work for Daniel's shoes. And look how nice they turned out, the "V" cleat is recessed so it will not rip up hard flooring, (the "V" cleat was added as it was not an original part of the heels).

 

[LoveMyHats2]

[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_246263__zps86e47618.jpg.html] [/URL]

Notice how nice the suede is now.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_246356__zps30cddce3.jpg.html] [/URL]

Yes these are some Mason brand from the 1940's. other shoe companies had shoes made that look exactly like these do. The inside of these have a cushion the entire length of the shoe, still there you can feel it. Real nice.

 

[Claudio]

View attachment 9142 View attachment 9142 View attachment 9143 View attachment 9143

Hi Folks

I don't believe these two pairs of spectators to be golden era however they are well made and I like their look... Plus they were cheap...

Can the shoe experts please assist with dating these spectators for me?

Thank you and best regards.

CCJ

HI CCJ,

lovely finds these ones. I believe them to be late 60's (67/68) as the heels are still low (mid 70s' it was all very high or higher heels and soles). Also the rounded copper eyelettes, wider toe and they go with the ganster theme that was popular during that time period due to the 1967 Bonnie and Glyde film. Also The Beatles MAgical Mistery Tour Paul wears something similar to these if I remember correctly (1967). I would thus date them 67/68 rather than 70's IMO.

Hope this helps

Claudio