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Vintage Spade Sole Shoes

AlanC

My Mail is Forwarded Here
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3,175
Location
Heart of America
My late lamented Nettleton punchcaps had a hint of a spade:

p1010202az9.jpg


p1010207ub1.jpg
 

The Shooman

Practically Family
Messages
565
Location
AUSTRALIA
A bunch of Marc's spade shoos have the double stitching around the broguing. l've only ever seen that done on AE brogues.

Alan C: your making me jealous. Wish l had Nettletons...makes me sick.
 

The Shooman

Practically Family
Messages
565
Location
AUSTRALIA
l could have gotten J&M Handmade NOS black spade wingtip shoes in my exact size at Bennies once. l still cry about missing out. :( When l rang up to get the pair sent out l was told it had been recently sold. Someone on Style Forum told a new poster about it and he snagged it. :rage:
 

Marc Chevalier

Gone Home
Messages
18,192
Location
Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
From Wikipedia, FWIW:


"Ward Melville, chairman of the Melville Corporation, released the new Thom McCann (later spelled "McAn") shoe line in 1922, opening the first Thom McCann retail store in New York. The brand was named after Scottish golfer Thomas McCann. Within five years, 300 stores were open, and by 1939 there were over 650 stores.

The brand achieved the peak of its popularity and near iconic status from the 1950s to the 1970s, due to its combination of quality leather and affordability. There were 850 Thom McAn stores in the United States in 1955, and Melville became the largest American shoe retailer by the 1970s, operating 1,400 stores."



I've heard that Thom McAn's fashion-forward styles (such as spade soles) were popular with African-American men. Thom McAnns were more affordable than Stetson shoes, which they somewhat emulated.


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davestlouis

Practically Family
Messages
805
Location
Cincinnati OH
I seem to recall that Thom McAn had stores in local malls, and I always assumed they were a low end shoe...these spades look very well made.
 

Marc Chevalier

Gone Home
Messages
18,192
Location
Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
davestlouis said:
I seem to recall that Thom McAn had stores in local malls, and I always assumed they were a low end shoe...these spades look very well made.

They weren't always a low end shoe. Up until the '70s, they were a high volume retailer of quality leather shoes at very competitive prices. Something we don't see much of these days, alas.


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