Spectator Shoes

[cookie]

1950s French Shriner & Urner Spectaors

 

[BR Gordon]

Cookie, those are fantastic. They look in unworn condition.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Cookie, those are fantastic. They look in unworn condition.

+1. I do not reply, but view this thread often in amazement and awe. The French Shriner & Urner Spectaors are a FINE pair of shoes! Darn FINE! Congrats sir. Wear them proudly.

Best, Eric -

 

[LuvMyMan]

1950s French Shriner & Urner Spectaors

Those are straight from the VAULT there, Cookie....amazing to say the least.

 

[Isshinryu101]

It's that ultra narrow strip of reddish tan leather that really sets them off. I usually prefer some sort of medalion (punch holes) in the toecap to make a pair of specs pop, but the design on these is fantastic as is!

 

[esteban68]

what the man said.....wonderful shoes!

 

[cookie]

I'll put these in the right place.

1950s fine suede spectators with mild spade soles

 

[cookie]

1950s Alan McAfee Navy Blue and White Buckskin Specs

 

[LuvMyMan]

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[LuvMyMan]

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Soft spade influenced soles, sharp as a tack black leather/white suede spectators from Nun Bush....more than not 1950's. The inside is clean and has the nice kid glove grey leather lining. Hardly any wear at all to the heels and the soles show about the same.....and look at that shine!

These were a piece of cake to do....washed the welt area with saddle soap and tooth brush to clean up that area and to bring the white back to the stitching....then the inside and outside of the shoes saddle soaped. The the inside sprayed with Hospiseptic spray, and then everything got the caddy treatment, conditioner on the inside (paying attention to the back side of the suede) and then all the black leather on the outside. Next up was the white suede. I have a organic shoe cleaner I used to scrub the white suede with....to get off some of the liquid shoe polish that almost always is on these older vintage shoes...people do not know you do not use polish on suede......so the organic shoe cleaner worked great! Then dry the shoe and used the sueded brush on them. I did not have to bunny bag the white, it looked great as it! Then wipe out the inside of shoes to get all conditioner residue off and out, and then one coat of a paste cream wax black on the leather, let it sit for about 3 hours and buffed off with clean old T shirt...then one coat of black high gloss polish wax from Saphir.....a cotton ball wet with cold water and presto! Shine shine shine.........these turned out just great for some old vintage shoes....yep!

 

[PeterB]

Just joined last week, and noticed this interesting thread. What is the difference between two-tone saddle shoes and spectators? And which current spectator brands offer the best value for money? I have a pair of new Florsheim spectators in brown and light tan, but the shape of the shoe is modern, though well made. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[fashion frank]

Just joined last week, and noticed this interesting thread. What is the difference between two-tone saddle shoes and spectators? And which current spectator brands offer the best value for money? I have a pair of new Florsheim spectators in brown and light tan, but the shape of the shoe is modern, though well made. Any advice would be appreciated.

Check this out !

http://vintageshoesaddict.com/mens_shoes/spectator_shoes.htm

http://www.spectatorshoes4men.com/spectator_shoes.html

http://www.zappos.com/stacy-adams-galletti-black-white

All the Best,Fashion Frank

 

[LuvMyMan]

Just joined last week, and noticed this interesting thread. What is the difference between two-tone saddle shoes and spectators? And which current spectator brands offer the best value for money? I have a pair of new Florsheim spectators in brown and light tan, but the shape of the shoe is modern, though well made. Any advice would be appreciated.

Hello. The saddle shoe has the different color (and at times a totally different material) used along the midway of a shoe, up around the lace area, that separates the colors and or materials of the shoe. Spectators, (like wingtips, or cap toes) will have the material between the front apron/toe area different, in both color and or material. That difference most of the time will extend to the back heel area as well.

The name "spectator" is perhaps an evolved label. I think going back to the 1930's or so, that type of shoe would have been of fashion for men to wear to a sporting type event. Tennis or a Horse Race. And while you as a person wearing the shoes, you would have been a "spectator" watching the event.

The spectator type of shoe was also not just for men, women shoes also had both a saddle shoe and a spectator shoe.

 

[PeterB]

Thanks for the guidance. I checked the link that Frankposted and saw the Stacy Adams shoes. They look very well but I am suspicious of the price. I did not know that you can buy any shoes for under USD 200. Also I am a little cagy about ordering shoes online. Have any forum members bought Adams shoes?

 

[LuvMyMan]

Thanks for the guidance. I checked the link that Frankposted and saw the Stacy Adams shoes. They look very well but I am suspicious of the price. I did not know that you can buy any shoes for under USD 200. Also I am a little cagy about ordering shoes online. Have any forum members bought Adams shoes?

Hello. Stacy Adams look vintage, and honestly unless you found a real pair of vintage shoes made by them, you may not like what the shoes are and how they are made. They depend upon using a lot of vinyl that looks like patent leather, not much real leather and a lot of glue to hold everything together. My best advice is to look on ebay for NOS or close to NOS shoes that are in your size. That or you can research shoes that are more quality shoes made in either England or Italy that are what you may be looking for. The price may be a bit up there, but remember you almost always pay for what you get.

 

[Dinerman]

Just bought these Peal & Co. specs

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

Another name for these is "correspondent", but that has nothing to do with newspaper reporters. The sort of correspondent here is a sort of gigolo, hired to provide a grounds for divorce at a time when the only grounds admissible were adultery. These were snappy dressers, for the most part, handsome, smooth, and personable. Since the wife would have been the respondent in a suit for divorce, the gigolo would be the "correspondent", co-respondent, when the two were "discovered" in suggestive circumstances.

 

[PeterB]

Thanks for the advice regarding Stacy Adams. I checked online, and there is an Italian firm called Old Woogie, which makes replica shoes. The Magnoli shoes look great, but my wife and kids would probably not approve of the price. Have to start saving up!

 

[PeterB]

Hello. Stacy Adams look vintage, and honestly unless you found a real pair of vintage shoes made by them, you may not like what the shoes are and how they are made. They depend upon using a lot of vinyl that looks like patent leather, not much real leather and a lot of glue to hold everything together. My best advice is to look on ebay for NOS or close to NOS shoes that are in your size. That or you can research shoes that are more quality shoes made in either England or Italy that are what you may be looking for. The price may be a bit up there, but remember you almost always pay for what you get.

Thanks again. You are right, you get what you pay for. I might try eBay, just never bought shoes online before, and find that sometimes my usual size 9 is too small, and sometimes it is too big. Something to do with the shape of the shoes. This forum is a great place for advice, though.

 

[gamez32]

These are my two recent purchases.