Vintage Leather Shoe Help

[Mary]

And these shoes in leather that are such a mess. I have no idea how to clean them cause the leather's so light and thin. I think it's both stains of water, dirt and some leather that has been torn of. Please help them!

 

[Mary]

I post a new post of my old one with a picture.

I have problems with a pair of textile shoes. The textile is soft of course but the heelbit and in the front it's stiff. I tried to take some water on then stretched them with boot and shoeshapers. I can wear them now but they are still unfomfortable.

Do any of you know what's inside textile shoes to keep the shape of the shoes? Is it leather so I can use pecard?

M

I think it may be paper. I asked a cobbler and he said it was and - throw them! But I don't want to believe him. I'd like to try something if you have any ideas!

I really ugly and boring pictures of those sweet shoes.

As you can see on the picture the wearer before me hade problems with them and put some foam in them so maybe it's a lost case.

Well, thanks in advance! M

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

Mary-
I don't claim to know anything about vintage shoes, and I'm just as in the dark as you are about mine!
But I can tell you this: If a doctor made a diagnosis on you that you didn't like or didn't think was correct, wouldn't you go and get a second opinion? Find another cobbler! If one says it can't be done sometimes its because they can't do it or because they don't want to take the time to. Find someone else who thinks they can be salvaged or worked on and discuss your options. Someone out there is bound to know something!!

 

[Mary]

Thanks Cherry bombb! Yeah I won't give up as easily!

Does anyone else have any suggestions? I appreciate you opinon even if you don't know all that much about shoes. I'm totally clueless myself.

M

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

I found two pairs of 40's shoes today and they aren't as comfortable as I want them to be.

Those green shoes are divine! I think I nearly died.
(I think you can soften them with leather balm on the inside. I wouldn't touch the outside by fear of staining the suede.)

 

[Mary]

Thanks Shringking Violet. That was my thought too. I'll try to find the german lederbalsam people have recommended in this tread.

Would you spray ordinary suede impregnatation on them? In Malmö I never know when the rain will pour down.

I'm very happy for them! They are by far the biggest shoes I own! What puzzels me is that I can't see any of the rationing which there were suppose to be in the wartime. There are no cut-outs or cork just lots of suede to cover it all and then the leather for the inside.

M

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

They may be 1930's. The style lines look pre-war to me.

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

Miss Bella Hell-
I went in to the cobbler shop yesterday (I'm trying to get an apprentice-ship w/ him *which I got* ) and he asked me to send you a message- he can fix your blue wedgies, no problem! He's not so sure about your brown heels though. He thinks that they're too far gone and if he opens them up to fix them that he may not be able to put them all back together because he's not sure of the exact quality of the inside of the shoes.

He did say that you have gorgeous (and expensive) taste in shoes and that once apon a time those shoes were VERY expensive for their time and that they're made of real nubuck. He was psyched to work on them actually.

I think if you're willing he'd be able to be convinced to open up the brown heels and work on them, but it is possibly going to be expensive w/ no guarantee.

I would give him a call!

And btw- I think they're GORGEOUS shoes!!

As a US size 9-9.5 (which I believe is a UK 6?), I've been lucky enough to come across three pairs of really nice, wearable vintage shoes in my size....or so I thought. I went to get some cosmetic work done on them at my neighborhood cobbler and he wouldn't touch two of them.

So, here are some pics...are they truly beyond repair (he said they'd each cost approximately $200 to fix, since he would basically have to rebuild them)? Should I get another opinion? If I put then on ebay, would that indicate that I'm nuts? I suspect the brown platforms might be ok but the black wedges are beyond repair. Advice appreciated...here are some pics.

Black Vogue wedges:

Unfortunately, it's not just the bottom coming loose, the leather from the actual shoe is coming off too. There isn't a hole in the shoe itself though. The shoe repair guy saw this and said forget it.

Brown Platforms: