Anyone else can't bring themselves to wear vintage/used shoes ?....

[tonyb]

One thing I draw the line at; used underwear, won't go there.

Yeah, that's the line for me as well. Although I'd gladly consider deadstock vintage skivvies, if I could find them. But then, they by definition wouldn't be used.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I see used Skivvies at the Goodwill and St. Vinnies and just get disgusted, no used socks for me either.

 

[tonyb]

I see used Skivvies at the Goodwill and St. Vinnies and just get disgusted, no used socks for me either.

Could be there are still thrift-store regionalisms. I just don't see secondhand men's undergarments out here. I do, however, see ladies' underthings. Alas, it's tough to find any that fit.

 

[John in Covina]

You have to ask if doing the laundry will be enough for some types of clothes.

When it comes to the used clothing and anything cloth/fabric offered second hand:
I always think of the great game: "Name That Stain!"

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Could be, every thrift store I've been in around here sells used underwear. My theory on used clothes is what kind of clothes would I borrow from my friends? If I would borrow it from a friend, I'd buy it at a thrift store. Sorry you're having a tough time finding ladies' undergarments that fit lol

Could be there are still thrift-store regionalisms. I just don't see secondhand men's undergarments out here. I do, however, see ladies' underthings. Alas, it's tough to find any that fit.

 

[WineGuy]

Funny, I always get skittish going into a public pool or even a friends pool that has a lot of people in it...I don't care how much chlorine there is, as far as I'm concerned it's human soup! I have no problems with 2nd hand shoes, my entire collection of shoes(save a recently purchased pair of Alden jump boots) are 2nd hand Italian gems...Bruno Magli, Ferregamo, Bally, Fratelli Rosetti and Churches. Each pair retailed new for an average of $500 or more and I paid between $10 to $90 depending on the condition. I give a blast of Lysol and I'm good to go.

 

[John in Covina]

Funny, I always get skittish going into a public pool or even a friends pool that has a lot of people in it...I don't care how much chlorine there is, as far as I'm concerned it's human soup!

That just reminded me of going to the public pool at Jones Beach in the 1970's. There were so many people going in and out of the water that it has a suntan oil slick on the top that you could feel when swimming it actually cut down on the chop in the water! The whole place smelled of suntan oil and vaguely of coconut.

 

[JimWagner]

I do have a couple of used hats that were described as either never worn or lightly used that I've been ok with. Other than that I will not wear any used clothing. I couldn't even bring myself to keep/wear any clothing items that belonged to my own father.

 

[tonyb]

That's interesting, Wagner. I think I'd get a case of the willies if I learned that the person who had originally owned my favorite vintage suit, say, had gone into cardiac arrest and died while wearing it. But that would be a wholly emotional response, provided the suit itself was none the worse for his having croaked in it.

I happen to have three vintage sports coats once owned by my departed brother. The jackets were given to me by his widow. I wear them every now and then, and I'm confident that he would have approved of his wife handing them off to me, seeing how I've always been more into old clothes and such than he ever was.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

You were just swimming behind me, that was Brylcreem lol

That just reminded me of going to the public pool at Jones Beach in the 1970's. There were so many people going in and out of the water that it has a suntan oil slick on the top that you could feel when swimming it actually cut down on the chop in the water! The whole place smelled of suntan oil and vaguely of coconut.

 

[randooch]

Could be there are still thrift-store regionalisms. I just don't see secondhand men's undergarments out here. I do, however, see ladies' underthings. Alas, it's tough to find any that fit.

You could moonlight as a comedian!

 

[Pompidou]

I don't own any used clothes of any sort, but if I were going to, I'd draw the line at hats and jackets. My hat gets passed around quite a bit whenever I'm at a social gathering like a bar or party, so I've gotten used to it. When someone I'm with is cold I usually lend my coat, so I'm used to that too. There was a time I planned on some vintage hats, but then I got a handmade hat and lost that interest.

 

[motorpsycho67]

When it comes to dress shoes, all I wear is vintage wingtips. They just don't make 'em like they used to. I've got 3 pair of vintage Florsheim longwings, one pair being deadstock which I haven't even worn yet (not my size, hoping to trade them). Also a pair of Dexter gunboats and some Allen Edmonds MacNeils that I bought used for $25 (they don't fit either). I've been wearing vintage shoes (and clothes) for 25 years and have never had a problem.

I'd have to draw the line at used undergarments though....... that's just....... *shudder*.... Not enough soap in the world

 

[Talbot]

If the shoes are a size too big for you, I have found that the inserts that cobblers sell for athletic shoes work nicely. I'm a 9 1/2, but can wear a 10 or 10 1/2 comfortably with these inserts.

The inserts go for around $10 here.

 

[pineconer]

if i didn't wear used shoes, well, i don't know what i'd be wearing! naturally sneakers are always new, but i wouldn't have two pairs of loakes if i hadn't got em for a song at charity shops. they say if you want to know if a man is well dressed, look at his shoes - and i'd be a helluva lot less well dressed if i didn't scour charity/thrift shops for the sorta clothes i enjoy wearing - the price jump is massive between old old stuff and new old-styled stuff, that second hand garments are a necessity if you're on a budget and want to look the way you want to look! the in between modern stuff is either crap, or still out of range. still, i find the thrill of the hunt one of the most enjoyable parts of building my wardrobe - once you've got the clothes-horse bug, the prospect of finding some old gem in a backwater charity shop is a real draw, and finding something you didn't expect to or had only dreamed about is a lot more exciting than going into a regular shop, or pointing and clicking online!

 

[pineconer]

oh, and amen on the underwear front - you couldn't pay me to step in to someone elses boxers or socks!

 

[flyfishark]

When it comes to dress shoes, all I wear is vintage wingtips. They just don't make 'em like they used to. I've got 3 pair of vintage Florsheim longwings, one pair being deadstock which I haven't even worn yet (not my size, hoping to trade them). Also a pair of Dexter gunboats and some Allen Edmonds MacNeils that I bought used for $25 (they don't fit either). I've been wearing vintage shoes (and clothes) for 25 years and have never had a problem.

I'd have to draw the line at used undergarments though....... that's just....... *shudder*.... Not enough soap in the world

I'll skip the underwear, wait...I mean I won't comment on used underwear. As to shoes, I have a full house of vintage American shoes...Nettleton, Florsheim, Hanover, Bostonian, Edwin Clapp (this shoe kind, not the underwear kind), and I simply prefer those to shoes that I can purchase today. I've put my feet where others dare to tread, and thus far my feet are still the same color, shape, and no uglier than before I wore them.

 

[cookie]

I have like about 60 pairs of shoes...call me Imelda ...I just don't care..!

Seriously... how else do you find top quality shoes with the design aesthetic that vintage lovers like?

Okay downsides... the shoes have to be inspected for wear ...like footbed imprint or creasing etc ...that indicate unsuitability. But as I have commented here, the remarkable thing about vintage shoes is their LACK of wear. Hence they end up on eBay in remarkably unworn condition.

A sanitizing spray (often done by Customs) and they are good to go. The more shoes you have the less wear they and the longer they last. That's easy when the vintage price is 10% of the original price.

Would you not enjoy the pleasure of wearing a sensational pair of spade shoes from the 1940s that are in perfect shape and that no one else will have?

Would you like wearing a pair of Edward Green UK shoes for USD375 which cost USD1300 new?