Show us your SHOES !!!

[LuvMyMan]

Thanks for the answer. The only thing I can see on the footbed is the Made in England. The only writing I find other than the Custom Craft inset is this writing.
View attachment 48831

I found a pair on ebay that had the same heel nailing and cleat and they said they were Stuart Holmes. Another pair with the same name, but a rubber heel said they were made by/for Kinney. No information that I've found so far indicates who the actual maker was unless Stuart Holmes was the actual manufacturer. In any case, yes they do appear to be well made. They are lined entirely with leather as far as I can see. I have conditioned them a couple of times and have cedar trees in them. So hopefully they will shape up and be a nice wearing shoe. At least I hope so because they are exactly my size.

Thanks,
Michael

If the inside lining is all leather, then you sure have super nice shoes. I am sure someone that is more up on the english made shoes may know more about the actual manufacturer. Thanks so much for sharing those with us.

 

[Mormonopoly]

Thanks for the answer. The only thing I can see on the footbed is the Made in England. The only writing I find other than the Custom Craft inset is this writing.
View attachment 48831

I found a pair on ebay that had the same heel nailing and cleat and they said they were Stuart Holmes. Another pair with the same name, but a rubber heel said they were made by/for Kinney. No information that I've found so far indicates who the actual maker was unless Stuart Holmes was the actual manufacturer. In any case, yes they do appear to be well made. They are lined entirely with leather as far as I can see. I have conditioned them a couple of times and have cedar trees in them. So hopefully they will shape up and be a nice wearing shoe. At least I hope so because they are exactly my size.

Thanks,
Michael

To me, they look 60s/70s with that toe shape. As far as maker goes, to my knowledge there have been tons of smaller shoemakers in England, so finding the exact maker may be difficult. I have never seen that custom craft label before.

 

[Wells]

Stacy Adams Madison Boots, Taupe.

 

[Wells]

Stacy Adams Madison Boots, Grey.

 

[Wells]

Stacy Adams Madison Boots, White.

I promise that's the last of my Stacy Adam's.

 

[Michael A]

To me, they look 60s/70s with that toe shape. As far as maker goes, to my knowledge there have been tons of smaller shoemakers in England, so finding the exact maker may be difficult. I have never seen that custom craft label before.

Thanks LuvMyMan and Mormonopoly. I did some further looking on the net today and assuming they are Stuart Holmes brand they would have been sold by Kinney shoes. The name was registered by them in 1960, though first use was in 1947. I think that in 1960 Kinney may have been the largest shoe retailer in the US. Nothing I found has gotten me closer to the manufacturer, but I guess I'm satisfied now. They look good, they are comfortable and they will probably outlast me so I'm happy. I compared them to a pair of LB Sheppard Signatures I've got and they seem roughly comparable. There is a difference in how they are welted around the heel, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to understand what is going on there.

Michael

 

[LuvMyMan]

Kenny shoes, Tom McCann, Sibley, Florsheim were the top shoe stores located coast to coast in the US from my Husband's recall on it, for men. Sadly you don't find much of anything now, except at a department store and even then those are slowly going out of business. You may be right about the Kenny's but it is odd they would carry a shoe from England, as most Kenny's shoes were made here. Maybe those would have been a custom order shoe? Not sure. However those are super nice gunboats!

 

[LuvMyMan]

Stacy Adams Madison Boots, White.

I promise that's the last of my Stacy Adam's.

It is too bad Stacy Adams did not stick to using all quality leather. The style is super nice looking shoes and dress boots made like the vintage shoes and boots were made. Their true vintage shoes are real nice, if you can find any.

 

[The Shooman]

Here is the Vass goyser, which is the same construction as a bentivegna



same as this



AND, the same as those black split toes you got from me (and the tan pair I still have)

All marketed as bentivegna/ goyser

Isshy, how can you be sure that bentivegna has an inturned upper? I have looked carefully and it would make sense that it does have an inturned upper like goiser. Why? Because I see no evidence of the welt laying on top of an out-turned upper, nor do l think it would make sense to make an out-turned upper short like on the norvegese and skive it down at the end and skive part of the welt to make it even, that would be silly. So maybe the bentivegana does indeed have an inturned upper.

Btw, here is an old santoni picture of norvegese:

 

[The Shooman]

From Santoni to Sutor to Lidfort to stefanobi/ berluti, Lattanzi and the rest. They NEVER use a strip of leather outside the uppers and call it Norvegese. They always just sew that upper straight into the topsole.

I recall the S.F poster Dopey being asked by a cobbler in Italy if he wanted norvegese shoes with a welt (rand) or without one (you may want to ask him). No jokes. But l do agree with what you are saying with regard to norvegese shoes usually not having any rand.

My norvegese below have no rand either.

 

[The Shooman]

Got some beautiful green John Lobb. I have been really wanting a nice pair of green shoes for over 12 years, so getting these was a real highlight in my shoo collecting career. I am very pleased with them, and the shoes fit me the best out of any rtw l have ever worn. I LOVE both my blue and green pairs.

I will say that l love John Lobb very much. None-the-less, l love the Santoni norvegese/bentivegna far more Isshy.

 

[LuvMyMan]

Got some beautiful green John Lobb. I have been really wanting a nice pair of green shoes for over 12 years, so getting these was a real highlight in my shoo collecting career. I am very pleased with them, and the shoes fit me the best out of any rtw l have ever worn. I LOVE both my blue and green pairs.

I will say that l love John Lobb very much. None-the-less, l love the Santoni norvegese/bentivegna far more Isshy.

Geez, super nice shoes there. My Husband had two different pair of Footjoys that had some green in the shoe...both pairs spectators, and he gave one pair to one of our friends from the lounge, (green and grey) and the other pair are almost an apple green and white, he kept here as they took several weeks to be on the shoe stretcher to fit properly. VERY different in appearance. Green is not as common as other colors for shoes, we sure like that color here in our home!

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Got some beautiful green John Lobb. I have been really wanting a nice pair of green shoes for over 12 years, so getting these was a real highlight in my shoo collecting career. I am very pleased with them, and the shoes fit me the best out of any rtw l have ever worn. I LOVE both my blue and green pairs.

I will say that l love John Lobb very much. None-the-less, l love the Santoni norvegese/bentivegna far more Isshy.

Wow, lovely shoes. They are truly stylish shoes. If you have the opportunity please share pics of you wearing them out.

Shooman, I am interested in a pair of bespoke shoes. I have been following some of the threads over at the Style Forum. The posters all have such vastly different tastes and (IMO) very modern leanings in shoe styles. I dare say I would lean towards the traditional and even in the gunboat direction. I would be curious to hear which direction you might lean me in. This would be my first pair of bespoke shoes. Never to late.

Today I have been wearing my vtg. 40's John McHale gunboats (procured with assistance from Vintage Shoe Addict). Love these shoes.

Eric -

 

[Isshinryu101]

Shooman rocks the greenies!!!!

Got some beautiful green John Lobb. I have been really wanting a nice pair of green shoes for over 12 years, so getting these was a real highlight in my shoo collecting career. I am very pleased with them, and the shoes fit me the best out of any rtw l have ever worn. I LOVE both my blue and green pairs.

I will say that l love John Lobb very much. None-the-less, l love the Santoni norvegese/bentivegna far more Isshy.

 

[Isshinryu101]

Wow, lovely shoes. They are truly stylish shoes. If you have the opportunity please share pics of you wearing them out.

Shooman, I am interested in a pair of bespoke shoes. I have been following some of the threads over at the Style Forum. The posters all have such vastly different tastes and (IMO) very modern leanings in shoe styles. I dare say I would lean towards the traditional and even in the gunboat direction. I would be curious to hear which direction you might lean me in. This would be my first pair of bespoke shoes. Never to late.

Today I have been wearing my vtg. 40's John McHale gunboats (procured with assistance from Vintage Shoe Addict). Love these shoes.

Eric -

A true gentleman wears those! NICE!

 

[The Shooman]

Geez, super nice shoes there.

Wow, lovely shoes. They are truly stylish shoes. If you have the opportunity please share pics of you wearing them out.

Thanks for the good words on the shoes, l think that colour for shoes is superb....something about it is really special and will look great in years to come as they age nicely.

Shooman, I am interested in a pair of bespoke shoes. I have been following some of the threads over at the Style Forum. The posters all have such vastly different tastes and (IMO) very modern leanings in shoe styles. I dare say I would lean towards the traditional and even in the gunboat direction. I would be curious to hear which direction you might lean me in. This would be my first pair of bespoke shoes. Never to late.

You would have to travel if you wanted a handmade gunboat type of shoe. Clients tell me that Jan Keilman makes bespoke shoes of Vass quality. He would be more than capable of making a gunboat:
http://www.kielman.pl/en/buty/galeria/buty-meskie/

I have always LOVED this pair (12 row down on the left - the longwing):
http://www.kielman.pl/en/buty/galeria/archiwum/

I understand you can send foot tracings in also, but l would get measured by Jan himself to make sure the fit is really good.

Today I have been wearing my vtg. 40's John McHale gunboats (procured with assistance from Vintage Shoe Addict). Love these shoes.

Eric -

Nothing more satisfying than sitting down in leasure enjoying a great pair of gunboats `eh. Great.

 

[LuvMyMan]

A true gentleman wears those! NICE!

Hard to beat those vintage McHales as it is. Yes those are super nice....

 

[Giftmacher]

Some ankle boots from 30-40's, Baťa maybe.

 

[willyto]

I hope the pictures show up: (EDIT: Pictures weren't showing up so new ones)

Got this pair today in a shop in Portobello in London. Walked by the window and saw them, when I entered and saw the size I had to try them on and they fit like a glove.

Any idea of the era? They are fantastic but I wouldn't be able to date them. They also have metal toe.

 

[LuvMyMan]

I hope the pictures show up: (EDIT: Pictures weren't showing up so new ones)

Got this pair today in a shop in Portobello in London. Walked by the window and saw them, when I entered and saw the size I had to try them on and they fit like a glove.

Any idea of the era? They are fantastic but I wouldn't be able to date them. They also have metal toe.

I would think those are from the 1940's and as they do indicate on the inside label a service shoe, thus the steel toes! Super nice find you have there. Note the soles have the stitching covered by a real thin extra layer of leather. You need to put some sole protectors on the soles and maybe a nylon tap on the toe and heel areas to help guard against wear. Your shoes have a spade sole influenced shape that is common to some really nice vintage shoes. I would hope you will take the time and soak those in some conditioner inside and out, several times to bring the life back to that leather. Then use some shoe trees in them. I think I would be right on the money about 1940's. They remind me of a pair of French Shriner shoes from the 1940's my Husband has. Super nice shoes you have. You struck gold for some nice vintage shoes.