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Show us your SHOES !!!

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
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5,196
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Michigan
My Wife found the Winstanleys, they came with the original box, a Winstanley logo polish/shoe package rag, and a shoe horn that came with the shoes back in the day. These shoes have a woven thatched cotton finish, and are so very well made! Not sure about what happened to the Winstanley shoe company, but from what I could find from a google search, they went out of business in about 1966, located in Dublin, and made some very different and nice shoes.....hard to find something this nice and I sure love how they look....
 

Tommy

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284
Location
Pennsylvania USA
Not sure if these qualify as balmoral boots, dress or work. the soles are oil resistant, and I believe the "Velvet eez" patent mark makes them Masons. Had to get them though since they look great and fit.




 

LoveMyHats2

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Michigan
Those Winstanleys are lovely! Never heard of the brand.[huh]

Here's what looks to be the same pair in black on ebay.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mens-black-...eland-by-Winstanley-in-size-12-/221225239412?

You are so very correct, if I wore that size, I would grab them up rather quickly. As little as I can find out about the Winstanley shoe maker, there are some that have stated they are about as good a shoe as any top of the line shoe made. Here is a quote from someone posting on the askandyaboutclothes.com website:
I purchased a pair of Winstanley shoes from Paul Stuart about 25 years ago. I have never seen any better craftsmanship in a shoe or boot. And I include EG in that comparison. Very delicate, very precise. (Must be the leprechauns.) Marvelous materials. I enquired about them from some Irish émigrés perhaps 10 years ago and was told they had dropped the Win from their name. When I googled it recently, there was something about them folding and licensing their name to Wolverine in the U.S. Very sad. Very common.

That post was on July, 2008.

From my "hands on" inspection of the Winstanleys that I have, they are amazing well made and have an appearance and feel of very high quality. The stitching is superb and the feel and heft of the shoe lets me know they are made from high quality material. The overall "style" is very appealing to the eye as well. I wish a few more pair would surface some place, I'd desire ownership without hesitation, if they were of course, my size! From what I can investigate, the shoes I have (as the ones listed on eBay perhaps are as well) are from before 1966 as a date. How much earlier I have no way of knowing?
 
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LoveMyHats2

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Not sure if these qualify as balmoral boots, dress or work. the soles are oil resistant, and I believe the "Velvet eez" patent mark makes them Masons. Had to get them though since they look great and fit.





Those are really nice, and in their day, Mason made some amazing shoes and boots. They still do. Not all of what they offer are still being made here in the USA, however, if you are viewing their catalog when you see an American Flag symbol, those pairs of shoes or boots are indeed made here in the USA, and if you do not see that Flag symbol, they could then be made in Mexico or China, or some other Country. The inside of the shoe or boot also will denote their place of origin as far as where they have been made. I happen to like Mason shoes, they are for the most part some rather heavy made shoes or boots and would last some time if taken care of properly.

Also as nice as those are condition wise, if you do not already have some, shoe trees in those rascals! lol!
 
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LoveMyHats2

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what the heck are they made of, canvas?

It says naturally thatched cotton on the box, when looking up close it appears to look like a tweed coat! It is not a thin material, they have a lot of "heft" to the shoes which when looking at them you'd think they would be really light-to middle weight, but they actually have some very decent weight to them.
 
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cookie

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5,927
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Sydney Australia
It says naturally thatched cotton on the box, when looking up close it appears to look like a tweed coat! It is not a thin material, they have a lot of "heft" to the shoes which when looking at them you'd think they would be really light-to middle weight, but they actually have some very decent weight to them.

Thatched cotton is Irish for canvas...or is it thatched cottage?:eusa_doh:
 

Isshinryu101

One Too Many
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1,328
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New Jersey
It says naturally thatched cotton on the box, when looking up close it appears to look like a tweed coat! It is not a thin material, they have a lot of "heft" to the shoes which when looking at them you'd think they would be really light-to middle weight, but they actually have some very decent weight to them.

I have seen a pair of 1920's boots made like this. Interesting.
 

LoveMyHats2

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Michigan
Why would that be pray?....:eusa_doh:

It is a clear vision of finding what anyone else could, but of finding those shoes...first! lol! My Wife has her radar on for vintage shoes, online, or at estate sales, or resale shops. She normally finds them, buys them, but I get to wear them!

I have two pairs new now, well new for me.......soaking them at the moment in my cadillac leather conditioner.
 

Isshinryu101

One Too Many
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1,328
Location
New Jersey
Just added a new section to my website. Vintage Budapester style shoes. As a gunboat lover, I really enjoy the thick soles and high toebox. Pretty darn tough.

http://www.vintageshoesaddict.com/mens_shoes/gunboat_shoes.htm

If anyone is interested, scroll down until you hit the part that says, "Budapester Shoes- A Classic Gunboat Style".
I included 2 pairs of bespokes for comparison to modern Vass and Dinkelacker.
 

LoveMyHats2

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"Thar be a torpedo in the water thar Captain".....(gunboat lingo)....yeah I like my gunny shoes, too!

Your webbie is looking good!
 

LoveMyHats2

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5,196
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Michigan
So...no pictures yet, but Isshy or Cookie, one of the pair of vintage my Wife just nailed for me is welt stitched white all around the entire shoe...sole and heel.....each shoe perhaps weighs about 3 1/2 pounds each, the heels are close to 2 inches in height and they are gunboats but a two tone black leather and grey suede dress shoe, sort of remind me of what the pictures of those two toned shoes President Truman has on in one of the pictures of his shoes....the side welts are about as wide as a Semi Truck that is hauling a load of Black Angus Steer to the slaughter house, and....these bad boys were made for a place in Houston Texas called, Morgan Hayes......by Cole Haan! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee HHHaaaaaw lol! Aside from Hob Nailed boots, I do not think I have owned a heavier built shoe or boot! These are lined with that nice light grey soft as all get out "glove leather" and there is not a mark on the uppers, hardly any wear of any kind, no "imprint" from being worn down in the toe box, and even as I have been soaking them with conditioner, they are not potato chip dry like some shoes that are as old as these.....Cole Haan "Imperial Grade" and have a Spade influenced sole...dang I tell you my Wife is batting a hundred! I will allow her to take control of the remote for the cable t.v. for an entire half hour for this find! lol Hahaha! Actually I will head over to the bakery and pick up a strawberry pie for her......(some whipped cream, too)! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee doggies!
 

cookie

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,927
Location
Sydney Australia
So...no pictures yet, but Isshy or Cookie, one of the pair of vintage my Wife just nailed for me is welt stitched white all around the entire shoe...sole and heel.....each shoe perhaps weighs about 3 1/2 pounds each, the heels are close to 2 inches in height and they are gunboats but a two tone black leather and grey suede dress shoe, sort of remind me of what the pictures of those two toned shoes President Truman has on in one of the pictures of his shoes....the side welts are about as wide as a Semi Truck that is hauling a load of Black Angus Steer to the slaughter house, and....these bad boys were made for a place in Houston Texas called, Morgan Hayes......by Cole Haan! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee HHHaaaaaw lol! Aside from Hob Nailed boots, I do not think I have owned a heavier built shoe or boot! These are lined with that nice light grey soft as all get out "glove leather" and there is not a mark on the uppers, hardly any wear of any kind, no "imprint" from being worn down in the toe box, and even as I have been soaking them with conditioner, they are not potato chip dry like some shoes that are as old as these.....Cole Haan "Imperial Grade" and have a Spade influenced sole...dang I tell you my Wife is batting a hundred! I will allow her to take control of the remote for the cable t.v. for an entire half hour for this find! lol Hahaha! Actually I will head over to the bakery and pick up a strawberry pie for her......(some whipped cream, too)! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee doggies!

Pics or it never happened....
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
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5,196
Location
Michigan

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