Spectator Shoes

[Rats Riley]

These are not vintage but have that "vintage" look. They are a pair of Rockport True-walks that I baught in dark tan and then dyed them to get that two tone spectator look. Supper confy, however my wife thinks I'm crazy for buying a pair of nice shoes knowing I'm going to change the color as soon as I get home. In my defense I say "But Honey, they don't make them the way I have to have them". Makes her more concerned about my sanity .

Nice move partner! That's exactly something I would have done...hence the angry wife!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

One of the great modern specs...probably the best designed.AE typically mucked up the whole selling of them so much so that they were deleted.

How so?

 

[cookie]

How so?

Typically bad website photos. Common problem at AE. Web design. Soon as you saw them in the flesh you wanted a pair. They never appear on eBay even second hand. Does that tell you something.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I wear an 11 E. I have yet to find a Bourbon & Bone pair of McClain on the bay. Still, I keep looking...

 

[Isshinryu101]

I wear an 11 E. I have yet to find a Bourbon & Bone pair of McClain on the bay. Still, I keep looking...

big foot + rare shoe = GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I received a flyer in the post this afternoon that shows that Allen Edmonds has brought back the Broadstreet for their 90th anniversary!

 

[Isshinryu101]

good move by them.

 

[cookie]

The Broadstreet is more interesting in that the did a better match using bone rather than white with the tan.

There is also another unusual spectator design introduced called Hamptons. A shaped toecap.

http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF6661_1_40000000001_-1


http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF9003_1_40000000001_-1

 

[SteveAS]

Both the Broadstreet and the Hamptons are nice looking shoes at reasonable prices.

 

[cookie]

Looking forward to seeing these arrive from the UK and giving them the once over. Crockett and Jones for Alan McAfee spectators.

 

[flyfishark]

Looking forward to seeing these arrive from the UK and giving them the once over. Crockett and Jones for Alan McAfee spectators.

Can't wait to see those finished. I just got a pair of McAfees in black/white that are wonderful, save a bit too big.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Does anyone happen to know a way to clean the white portion on a pair of spectators?

Thanx!!!
Charlie

 

[dhermann1]

This stuff, Mr Clean Magic Eraser, is amazing. It's a soft spongy material that's made of microscopic fibers, rather than of bubbles, like a sponge. The fibers clean surface dirt off white bucs and spectators amazingly well. When I got mine there was the brand name product, and next to it the generic product, exactly identical, for about half the price.
You can also get a product called Lincoln Quality Shoe Dressing. This is old fashioned white shoe polish. The eraser stuff gets about 90 to 95% of the dirt, but once in a great while you'll want to put the wet stuff on.

http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/magic-eraser.do

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I have not used a Mr. Clean sponge, I do know that people will use it to help "strip" a shoe down prior to using a shoe dye on a shoe.


For all my spectator shoes that have white on them, I will normally use some saddle soap on them using a white wash cloth to wash and also wipe them off. The saddle soap has some conditioning of leather to it, I then use leather conditioner on the area I will polish, however I will wait a full 24 hours prior to using a polish on the shoes to give the conditioner a chance to soak into the leather properly. White shoe polish is a bit different than any other polish, if you use a liquid or a paste/cream. The Lincoln white shoe polish is a great product, seems to work well, there was a product called Hollywood White liquid shoe polish but it is now made by Hoffman and is not as good. Then you can use a cream/paste that is made by Kiwi or Meltonian. The paste may polish well, but seems to flake off after a few times wearing the shoes. Paste wax/polish also has conditioners in it that a liquid polish will not have. I experimented with all my white shoes, and found that using a liquid and cream on them for the white, seemed to work the best. I will put two coats of liquid and let them dry over night and then buff them, then two coats of the cream.

 

[Isshinryu101]

I have not used a Mr. Clean sponge, I do know that people will use it to help "strip" a shoe down prior to using a shoe dye on a shoe.


For all my spectator shoes that have white on them, I will normally use some saddle soap on them using a white wash cloth to wash and also wipe them off. The saddle soap has some conditioning of leather to it, I then use leather conditioner on the area I will polish, however I will wait a full 24 hours prior to using a polish on the shoes to give the conditioner a chance to soak into the leather properly. White shoe polish is a bit different than any other polish, if you use a liquid or a paste/cream. The Lincoln white shoe polish is a great product, seems to work well, there was a product called Hollywood White liquid shoe polish but it is now made by Hoffman and is not as good. Then you can use a cream/paste that is made by Kiwi or Meltonian. The paste may polish well, but seems to flake off after a few times wearing the shoes. Paste wax/polish also has conditioners in it that a liquid polish will not have. I experimented with all my white shoes, and found that using a liquid and cream on them for the white, seemed to work the best. I will put two coats of liquid and let them dry over night and then buff them, then two coats of the cream.

I wanna see some pics of you gentlmens' specs!!!!!!

 

[reetpleat]

THe most important first thing is to figure out if the white is buck (neubuck) suede, calf, regular leather, dyed leather versus surface color (don't know much about that) etc. For suede or buck, I use an eraser type bar made for it, then a bag of powder made for disting it. I think it is rosen or chalk. It gives a white color. But this does not work for calf or hard surface leather. Others can probably tell you much more, but I wanted to make the point that you need to figure out the actual surface.

 

[reetpleat]

Whateer you do, never put a liquid white on suede or neubuck or even calf. It will not give satisfactory results in the first place, and may well have some vintage afficionado 50 years from now trying to remove it and cursing you.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Thanx everyone! Reetpleat, I know for a fact that it is not suede or nubuck.

Thanx!!!
Charlie

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I wanna see some pics of you gentlmens' specs!!!!!!

 

[LoveMyHats2]