White Bucs, Dirty Bucs, Saddle Shoes, and Spectators: Oh My!

[David Conwill]

I would like a versatile summer shoe, but my head is spinning with options: white bucs, dirty bucs, saddle shoes, and spectators. I’d love to know what others are wearing, the historical connotations of each shoe, and why.

I had a pair of Nunn Bush brown/brown saddle shoes that I loved, but they wore out awfully quickly, and weren’t of a repairable sort. Plus, they weren’t particularly summer-y to begin with. White/black saddle shoes seem a bit feminine in most instances, but I can’t seem to find white/brown in anything but a golf shoe.

Spectators look a bit too dressy for me, but I’d definitely consider them if (a) somebody could show them looking good with something other than a suit and (b) somebody could point me at a reasonably priced pair in white/brown.

Dirty bucs seem like they’d be pretty versatile, and the most-available pick, but they almost appear to be more of an autumn shoe, and not different enough from my plain old cap-toe oxfords to warrant the purchase.

I’m leaning toward white bucs, but wonder if my summer wardrobe is extensive enough to make the investment worthwhile.

Any suggestions or experience? Thanks.

-Dave

 

[mattfink]

Buy white ones and let em' get dirty...they look the best!

 

[mattfink]

My faves are the Taylor White Buc with moc toe:

http://www.robertsshoestore.com/mbassaddle_1.htm

 

[repeatclicks]

Wear white bucs and keep em clean! Nothing looks better with a hawaiian shirt.

I keep mine the cleanest using Lincoln White Buck and Suede Dressing, followed by a go-over with the suede block and followed with a rubber nubuck brush. They look like the day I took them out of the box.

Also, my favorite bucs are Old Woogies. Double Sole Italian made. Not the cheapest if you live in the States, but absolute top quality.

www.oldwoogies.com

 

[mattfink]

Clean? Clean? What are you Pat Boone????!!!! LOL!!!

 

[repeatclicks]

Clean? Clean? What are you Pat Boone????!!!! LOL!!!

Maybe I am!

The lincoln stuff looks like you hand painted your shoes with diluted white paint, until they are gone over with a suede block and a good brushing. Mine arent bleach white, they are a natural white which looks really good with hawaiian shirts.

How do you wear yours? With scuffs and stains on them? Id be curious to see the different degrees of 'dirty' that people allow their shoes to get to...

 

[57plymouth]

Me too. Everyone I see in white bucs somehow manages to keep them immaculate. I'm not sure I can pull that off.

 

[repeatclicks]

Heres how mine (Old Woogies, Italy) look. The photo actually brings out the scuffs on the leather soles a bit more than in person (they look better in person).

I've had them since November and they have received normal wear.

 

[mattfink]

Maybe I am!

The lincoln stuff looks like you hand painted your shoes with diluted white paint, until they are gone over with a suede block and a good brushing. Mine arent bleach white, they are a natural white which looks really good with hawaiian shirts.

How do you wear yours? With scuffs and stains on them? Id be curious to see the different degrees of 'dirty' that people allow their shoes to get to...

Yup, but not totally f'd though. I'll try and find time to take a pic of them. My friends dad told me a looooong time ago that only "squares" wore their white bucks clean in the 1950's.

 

[repeatclicks]

Yeah, but then again, Id prefer to look like I walked out of a 1953 Sears catalog anyway.

 

[cptjeff]

Dirty bucs are a go to for me, along with classic sneakers like chucks. Fall shoe? Certainly it would work well as such, but bucs of any sort are classic summer.