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Show us your SHOES !!!

GHT

I'll Lock Up
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9,774
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New Forest
At a vintage event last week, and just after her birthday, my wife was wistfully looking at a pair of dance shoes. "A belated birthday present, " I coaxed. "Too expensive," she said putting the shoe back. Too expensive? How am I ever going to explain how much my new ox-bloods were?
oxbloods.jpg
I went back later and bought her shoes, hid them in the car. She was delighted.
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LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
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4,558
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Michigan
I should mention if anyone buys some vintage shoes with a crepe sole, the Black Magic Silicon Trim Spray for automotive will also bring old dried up crepe back to life as well. We here have used it many times, it can help restore black or brown full rubber heels also. You have to let it sit on the sole or heel you are working on and then let it dry for a while, and rub off any excess. Your heel will be "slick" and pick up dirt for a few days, same the a crepe sole. BUT if a rubber heel is "too dry" it will merely crumble no matter what you do to it. Then it is time to replace the heel. (I have all sorts, shapes, and sizes of vintage rubber heels in boxes).
 

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan
At a vintage event last week, and just after her birthday, my wife was wistfully looking at a pair of dance shoes. "A belated birthday present, " I coaxed. "Too expensive," she said putting the shoe back. Too expensive? How am I ever going to explain how much my new ox-bloods were?
View attachment 44950
I went back later and bought her shoes, hid them in the car. She was delighted.
View attachment 44952


Very sharp!
 

LuvMyMan

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4,558
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Michigan
No later going on those heels. Fantastic shoes that was their highest grade from memory.
You are so correct (as always) on the Bootmaster models I was able to talk Mormonopoly out of one pair of these, and compared to many shoes of this style and age, these are almost "gunboats" the soles are nice and thick, oaktanned leather, overall quality is fantastic, and fully leather lined with some slight padding on the inside top apron area of the shoe. They were in super nice condition "as is", it only took a day of soaking them down with Caddy and they really came out super nice.

I used a new product our Cobbler gave to me, and wow, I am loving it. By Meltonian, "delicate cream". No way to describe how nice it is, but it gives the leather some deep conditioning and also makes something nice for the polish to "sit on" so much that I was able to fully polish the shoes in less than half the time. Delicate cream by itself does not much for a shine, however it seems to take care of any overlap of wax/polish and discolorations that appear at times on some shoes.
 

Mormonopoly

Familiar Face
Messages
98
Location
Columbus, Ohio
I can't wait to see how they look after you've worked on them!

Here's a pair I picked up at an estate sale recently. I've never seen a pair quite like them. There is no remaining markings, and they've had new soles and heels, so I don't know anything about the maker. They were found with some 1930s/40s pieces of German clothing, so I imagine they are from that era/region.


 

LuvMyMan

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4,558
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Michigan
Wow I have seen one pair like those a long time ago on eBay for sale. The shape of the stitched cap toe area was exactly like those shoes. I just cannot recall the brand name, not an ever day name for shoes, either. Drats! I think some of the other shoe buffs here will know the name brand right away.
 

LuvMyMan

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4,558
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I can't wait to see how they look after you've worked on them!

Here's a pair I picked up at an estate sale recently. I've never seen a pair quite like them. There is no remaining markings, and they've had new soles and heels, so I don't know anything about the maker. They were found with some 1930s/40s pieces of German clothing, so I imagine they are from that era/region.




I will take some pictures later and post of the McAnns, they came out super nice as they were in super nice shape to start off. I have a pair of plain toe oxfords I am working on also that should be done later for some pictures as well.
 

LuvMyMan

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4,558
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John Lobb
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08d2f4df-31b3-428f-9305-34927a02404a_zps833teslu.jpg


30cd90e1-b470-44e4-8441-cf43accc81f6_zpsznr8hmak.jpg



Stefano Branchini (casual fun shoos for occasional use)
3a2bba36-4584-4680-afa8-060564eaab6d_zpssupvkz66.png
Great quality and super nice lookers there! Check out the "welt stitching" Norvegese (spelled wrong???) excuse if so, but we know what it means on the Stefano brand, and of course John Lobb shoemaker for the Royal Family hard not to love those shoes!
 

The Shooman

Practically Family
Messages
565
Location
AUSTRALIA
Stefano Branchini have a line of fake norvegese (this pair) and real norvegese. My pair in the picture were unfortunately fairstitch construction (blake-rapid) with norvegese like decorative stitching on the outside.

My pair = in-turned upper (makes norvegese impossible), no dimples on insole, blake stitch on insole, a toothy bonwelt (rand), outsole stitch

Norvegese pairs = out-turned upper, dimples on insole, NO blake stitch on insole, a flat NON toothy bonwelt, outsole stitch
 

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
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4,558
Location
Michigan
Stefano Branchini have a line of fake norvegese (this pair) and real norvegese. My pair in the picture were unfortunately fairstitch construction (blake-rapid) with norvegese like decorative stitching on the outside.

My pair = in-turned upper (makes norvegese impossible), no dimples on insole, blake stitch on insole, a toothy bonwelt (rand), outsole stitch

Norvegese pairs = out-turned upper, dimples on insole, NO blake stitch on insole, a flat NON toothy bonwelt, outsole stitch

Wow I would not have guessed that although the picture is not a super close up shot, but still sure did look like norvegese stitching there! Still real nice shoes. We had a pair of shoes once that had a double row of welt stitching and it looked like norvegese stitching until someone really pointed it out! Haha!
 

The Shooman

Practically Family
Messages
565
Location
AUSTRALIA
Yep, can be impossible to tell norvegese from fake norvegese from the outside of a shoe. Unfortunately norvegese was not available or else l would have bought them in a flash/. Anything norvegese gets my interest straight away!
 

Isshinryu101

One Too Many
Messages
1,328
Location
New Jersey
Yep, can be impossible to tell norvegese from fake norvegese from the outside of a shoe. Unfortunately norvegese was not available or else l would have bought them in a flash/. Anything norvegese gets my interest straight away!

Actually, fake bentivegna. If it has a welt, not norvegese (or faux norv for that matter). Bentivegna = Vass "goyser" with welt outside uppers.
 

The Shooman

Practically Family
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565
Location
AUSTRALIA
Actually, fake bentivegna. If it has a welt, not norvegese (or faux norv for that matter). Bentivegna = Vass "goyser" with welt outside uppers.


Definitely doesn't have a welt, it has a rand (bonwelt), and that is why it is blake-rapid....the rand doesn't serve the same function with inseaming that the welt would serve. Completely different function here.

Note:there is also no L welt/rand along the outside of the shoe, only a strip of leather stitched along through the slip sole and outsole, and the inseaming done with a blake stitch which makes a proper functioning welt unneccessary, and hence fake bentivega not possible in this case.

A welt will always serve as part of inseaming, and if it doesn't it is a rand regardless of whether a rand is identicle in looks to a welt or not. The real crux of the argument here is the function of the strip of leather, and it is impossible to argue the leather rand here plays the role of a welt. Regardless of whether the rand is an L rand and identicle to an L welt used in bentivegna, if it does serve as a welt, therefore it is still fake norvegese and not fake bentivegna. In fact, fake bentivegna would be impossible because the fake welt would be serving as a rand, so it would be fake norvegese regardless of whether it looked like fake bentivegna or not or used indenticle rands that looked exactly as welts. Again...the real argument boils down to the function of the strip of leather.
 
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LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
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4,558
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Michigan
Definitely doesn't have a welt, it has a rand (bonwelt), and that is why it is blake-rapid....the rand doesn't serve the same function with inseaming that the welt would serve. Completely different function here.

Note:there is also no L welt/rand along the outside of the shoe, only a strip of leather stitched along through the slip sole and outsole, and the inseaming done with a blake stitch which makes a proper functioning welt unneccessary, and hence fake bentivega not possible in this case.

A welt will always serve as part of inseaming, and if it doesn't it is a rand regardless of whether a rand is identicle in looks to a welt or not. The real crux of the argument here is the function of the strip of leather, and it is impossible to argue the leather rand here plays the role of a welt. Regardless of whether the rand is an L rand and identicle to an L welt used in bentivegna, if it does serve as a welt, therefore it is still fake norvegese and not fake bentivegna. In fact, fake bentivegna would be impossible because the fake welt would be serving as a rand, so it would be fake norvegese regardless of whether it looked like fake bentivegna or not or used indenticle rands that looked exactly as welts. Again...the real argument boils down to the function of the strip of leather.

Thank you both for this exchange. Lot of good "shoe tech" just discussed. I was fooled about a pair of shoes that were just double stitched welt and was corrected properly. Of course the shoes still had some great quality. Sure love learning more and more about shoes and construction. I may have to see what our Cobbler can shoe me about doing some hand stitching aside from just straight welted as that is all I know so far. And let me tell you, it is not easy for me, to do them but I do.
 

Isshinryu101

One Too Many
Messages
1,328
Location
New Jersey
Definitely doesn't have a welt, it has a rand (bonwelt), and that is why it is blake-rapid....the rand doesn't serve the same function with inseaming that the welt would serve. Completely different function here.

Note:there is also no L welt/rand along the outside of the shoe, only a strip of leather stitched along through the slip sole and outsole, and the inseaming done with a blake stitch which makes a proper functioning welt unneccessary, and hence fake bentivega not possible in this case.

A welt will always serve as part of inseaming, and if it doesn't it is a rand regardless of whether a rand is identicle in looks to a welt or not. The real crux of the argument here is the function of the strip of leather, and it is impossible to argue the leather rand here plays the role of a welt. Regardless of whether the rand is an L rand and identicle to an L welt used in bentivegna, if it does serve as a welt, therefore it is still fake norvegese and not fake bentivegna. In fact, fake bentivegna would be impossible because the fake welt would be serving as a rand, so it would be fake norvegese regardless of whether it looked like fake bentivegna or not or used indenticle rands that looked exactly as welts. Again...the real argument boils down to the function of the strip of leather.


Hey shoory! You know I defer to you on 90%+ of shoe issues, but this one I'm on.

Here is norvegese.



also:



and:



and:



No welt. Upper stitched straight into topsole

Here is Bentivegna (ALSO known as goyser)



same as your pair.



You can see the welt strip, and that Vass book details how it is stitched to the outside of the uppers, rather than inside.
 

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