Show us your SHOES !!!

[Short Balding Guy]

Isshinryu101; Sewed into the welt...?? Knucklehead cobbler I suspect. Gosh, a quality shoe ruined by such an error sounds rare. Quite a shame. Now I have seen cobbler errors in sewing were they "slipped" and sewed in areas they did not intend. The errors were not deliberate, but significant nonetheless. It reminds you really have to trust your cobbler. I will have to ask my cobbler where experience in his trade comes from. I am not aware of trade school or formal apprenticeships.


In my case the cobbler that I have been using for 20+ years just glues the sole protectors onto the shoe. His methods have worked fine for me. I have not seen sewing into the welt before..

BTW: Shortly ago I ordered a 32oz. tin of Venetian Shoe Cream for the vtg. 40's cap toed shells. I suspect that the container should steed me well. I will try it on calf leather shoes to see how it performs.

Best, Eric -

 

[Guttersnipe]

Does anyone know what to do about an oil stain on a walnut brown upper? Within days of buying a brand new pair of Aldens, I managed to get a stain on them, which has been bothering the Hell out of me. The spot came from a hot olive oil in a frying pan if that matters. . .

 

[Isshinryu101]

Does anyone know what to do about an oil stain on a walnut brown upper? Within days of buying a brand new pair of Aldens, I managed to get a stain on them, which has been bothering the Hell out of me. The spot came from a hot olive oil in a frying pan if that matters. . .

This is why I ALWAYS use multiple layers of cream polish as soon as I get brand new or polish-starved shoes. This fills in the pores of the leather and makes them harder to stain.

An oil based stain of new leather is problematic. It will take time and many layers of cream polish to lighten it/ make it blend in with the rest of the leather. Adds character, though?!?!

 

[Guttersnipe]

This is why I ALWAYS use multiple layers of cream polish as soon as I get brand new or polish-starved shoes. This fills in the pores of the leather and makes them harder to stain.

An oil based stain of new leather is problematic. It will take time and many layers of cream polish to lighten it/ make it blend in with the rest of the leather. Adds character, though?!?!

Yes, I'd bought them literally hours before on the way home from work. I put them on to wear around the house for a gentle break-in and was planning to give them a shine later in the evening. I forgot that I was even wearing and the next thing I knew I was in the kitchen frying steaks for dinner . . . :eusa_doh:

If lifting a stain like that isn't a possibility, do you have any recommendations for speeding of the darkening process? I've noticed walnut brown shoes tend to darken a bit with age and wear. The problem is, right now the spot doesn't really give the shoes character, it makes it look like I was careless at the urinal . . .

 

[Two Types]

Had a similar situation with a pair of shoes that somehow (and I still have no idea how) acquired a large dark brown stain. I gradually darkened them with polish a shade darker than should have been used. It wasn't perfect, but it helped.

 

[Tomasso]

From Nick, a 3rd generation NYC cobbler

Normally the fresher the stain the better chance there is of lifting it.

I have tried 3 methods reasonable success:
1. As mentioned, talcom powder. Let stand over night. Repeat if necessary, then polish.
2. Cat litter using the same process as above.
3. I have found this to be the most effective. However, I caution the novice because of the perferations on the toe cap of this particular shoe. Dab a thick coat of rubber cement on the effected area, let stand over night and rub off the dried cement with a peice of genunine crepe. You should be able to get the crepe from a local shoe repair shop. All you need is a scrap. Repeat if necessary then polish.
Nick V.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Sage advice from A.C.! Back in Grad School, I too stained a pair of brown shoes with spilled cooking oil. I called my Mom and she gave me a solution similar to A.C.'s.

Within minutes of leaving the phone, I took rubber cement and applied it to the surface. It dried, happening to be in the summer, within an hour and I rubbed it off with my hand, re-applied the rubber cement a couple more times and the oil came out. Some of the stain, color in the surrounding area, did lighten. I polished using color creme a couple of times and the shoes looked marvelous.

Decades later, at my house, rubber cement is kept under the sink ready for a variety of uses.

Guttersnipe, I am sorry to hear about the "new" shoes. If nothing else, how about visiting your local cobbler about coloring the leather. I have paid my cobbler to fix stained shoes and they came back better. I actually kicked a bucket of bleach water (used for mopping floors) with a pair of tan bucks. Boy was I angry at my self for charging around the business like a maniac without paying attention. Totally my fault that the shoes looked terrible. My cobbler looked at them and laughed initially. He asked what in the world I was doing to stain them. After working out the details, he did his magic and a week later I had back a pair of "dirty bucks." The "dirty color" was not tan, but a uniform colored brownish tan. I like them and still wear them. My lesson....go to my cobbler when I am impatient and charging into beach water in buckets.:eusa_doh:

I hope you can work with the shoes and get them to a place were you can enjoy them. Best, Eric -

 

[cookie]

Does anyone know what to do about an oil stain on a walnut brown upper? Within days of buying a brand new pair of Aldens, I managed to get a stain on them, which has been bothering the Hell out of me. The spot came from a hot olive oil in a frying pan if that matters. . .

Might have to use thinners/leather stripper on a quick tips dabbed ever so gently.

 

[bl@ster]

Just took delivery of these Alden Shell #8 x Pebble Grain Saddles from Leffot. Here are two piccies:

They reminded me a bit of these vintage Alden's:
http://www.classicshoesformen.com/s...saddle-oxford-special-order-circa-197043-435c

 

[Tomasso]

I like those and I'm not a big fan of saddle shoes. Hard to see the heel counter but there looks like something's going on there.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_239309__zpse80601d4.jpg.html] [/URL]

Florsheim.
These are almost flawless all around. There is some slight edge wear on the heels and so, I have just purchased a few sets of really good vintage heels, (half heel, just replaces the surface of the heel) and in brown so they will fairly much match the original ones. For many reasons, my Husband does not like to see a heel with that edge wear on the heel, so I opted to purchase the boxes of brown vintage ones so that these shoes can be like new again.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_239319__zpsf778c708.jpg.html] [/URL][URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_239318__zps3113577a.jpg.html] [/URL]

Thom Mcann's some heavy gunboat shoes. Originally owned by a Studebaker owner (3 speed on the column) These will need some work on them but not too much I hope. I have already soaked them well with conditioner, but am not going to do the shine job my Husband would do on them.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_239321__zpsfbbe0e3c.jpg.html] [/URL][URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_239324__zps5f528621.jpg.html] [/URL]
Florsheim gunboat spectators, brown and white, the brown is smooth leather, the white is pebble grain.

I was able to spot these and then get them for my Husband for Christmas.

 

[cookie]

Just took delivery of these Alden Shell #8 x Pebble Grain Saddles from Leffot. Here are two piccies:

They reminded me a bit of these vintage Alden's:
http://www.classicshoesformen.com/s...saddle-oxford-special-order-circa-197043-435c

Roolly excellent!

 

[cookie]

[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_239319__zpsf778c708.jpg.html] [/URL][URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/3885797578_photobucket_239318__zps3113577a.jpg.html] [/URL]

Thom Mcann's some heavy gunboat shoes. Originally owned by a Studebaker owner (3 speed on the column) These will need some work on them but not too much I hope. I have already soaked them well with conditioner, but am not going to do the shine job my Husband would do on them.

[/QUOTE]


I'd love to know when these were made. Intriguing he says...

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I'd love to know when these were made. Intriguing he says...

Hard for me to know anything to let me know how old these Thom Mcann shoes are. They have the white cotton type stitching around the welt/soles, and have 6 eyelets for the lace. Very heavy made shoe, when I pick them up they feel like a pair of work boots instead of just shoes, perhaps twice the weight of the Florsheim gunboat spectators?

 

[Short Balding Guy]

LMH2: Wow.....your posts have such interesting shoes. Well done! The pairs of shoes appear to be wearable and the style makes them timeless. I hope your husband sees much wear time in them!

Eric -

 

[GoldenEraFan]

NOS Florsheim's of unknown vintage. I still have yet to learn how to date shoes.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

LMH2: Wow.....your posts have such interesting shoes. Well done! The pairs of shoes appear to be wearable and the style makes them timeless. I hope your husband sees much wear time in them!

Eric -

Thank you, I note you recently obtained some master crafted shoes Gunboats from one of our friends here on the Lounge, too!

Hats are great, easier to find then shoes. So...I tend to dig for gold more often in the shoe department! lol!

Thank you so very much for your sweet and dear comments. Daniel is actually improving a bit now, slowly getting there. He sure does miss being right on this computer looking at things, and posting.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

NOS Florsheim's of unknown vintage. I still have yet to learn how to date shoes.

I would guess 1950's and maybe perhaps early 1960? The logo in the shoe. Mid to late 1960's they started to attach a label made of material and like a banner sewn or glued that said Florsheim where you have just the company logo stamped in gold ink. Some of the more educated than me may have something further to add.

Your shoes should be fairly comfortable if they are a correct size fit. Nice roomy shape on the toe box.
Take care,

Cindy