Shoe Shining Disorder. What Have I Done!

[johnniegold]

Saphir is definitely more expensive and I believe it is worth it.

That being said, pediwear.co.uk has very good prices but it ships from England so it takes a little longer but substantially lower prices for Saphir products even with shipping from England. Only thing is $35 minimum.

With shipping, an order can run about $50 but it’s worth it if you stock up. I placed an order for two 50ml tins of wax polish, a jar of renovateur and a jar of Cordovan cream polish for $52 with shipping. Same price from most dealers stateside is $68 (w/o shipping).

Just a thought.

Luxury Footwear & Accessories with Unbeatable Service

Specialist high quality men`s shoes and accessories retailer. Brands include Barker, Grenson, Crockett and Jones, Tricker`s, Carlos Santos & Carmina.

www.pediwear.co.uk

 

[StillShaving]

FWIW I see @johnniegold ...as a high schooler I worked part time at Kinney Shoes (anybody remember that store?) in the local mall, then I worked as a sales clerk at a local Athletic Shoe & Apparel store all through my college years in the early 90s (Air Jordan launch day was like a National Holiday) and then even after college when I was a young graduate working in the office cubicle world (the television show "The Office" is so spot on...) I moonlighted in men's shoes at a department store.
...

Noticed this today. A brief history of Kinney Shoe stores.

 

[johnniegold]

I just ordered a pair of vintage Thom McAn cowboy boots off Poshmark! I'll post a pic when they come in (hopefully they'll fit, buying vintage clothing off Poshmark or eBay is always hit or miss)

How did the Thom McAn vintage boots work out for you? Was it a “hit” or a “miss”?

 

[JWCowboy]

How did the Thom McAn vintage boots work out for you? Was it a “hit” or a “miss”?

They turned out alright, not outstanding, but not bad....



They were a little more scuffed and beat up than I would have liked, but considering they were only 25 bucks on Poshmark I can't really complain. The fit and feel was A+

 

[johnniegold]

They turned out alright, not outstanding, but not bad....

View attachment 1235780View attachment 1235781

They were a little more scuffed and beat up than I would have liked, but considering they were only 25 bucks on Poshmark I can't really complain. The fit and feel was A+

@JWCowboy

Definitely not bad. Looks like plenty of life left on those boots.

Being a Thom McAn boot, can you guesstimate its age?

 

[JWCowboy]

@JWCowboy

Definitely not bad. Looks like plenty of life left on those boots.

Being a Thom McAn boot, can you guesstimate its age?

I would guess they were made sometime in the 1970's maybe? So they're somewhere around 40-50 years old (kind of like me ) They might not be quite that old, could also be from the 80s.....

 

[johnniegold]

@FarmerTan I put this over here rather then in Footwear of the Day since it was somewhat lengthy.

I do know this: my every-day-dress-work shoes were Johnston and Murphy's.

Several pairs (too many says the bride!)

but I wish I'd known of J&M shoes back then.

Back then J&M and Allen-Edmonds, IMO, were side-by-side in terms of quality. I think I purchased the bulk of my J&M’s between 1995-2002 (with some Alden shoes as well but after 2002, I became dedicated solely to the Alden brand).

By 2002, the quality of J&M was already in decline. Some might say it started well before 1995 but as a young man at the time who was just beginning to build a professional wardrobe, I thought J&M were a solidly-made dress/work shoe (as did many others).

I also chose J&M over AE because for some reason the AE last on models like the Park Ave. just did not fit my foot as well as J&M.

If they had, I might be looking at a closet full of AE’s that are never worn rather than a closet full of J&M’s. At that time the price point was relatively the same (with the cost of AE perhaps being slightly higher but not enough to be a consideration).

With the onset of the pandemic, working from home and perhaps a shift in psyche regarding my “office attire” I don’t see these “work shoes” ever really returning to a heavy rotation as I have become more accustomed to business casual and in turn more casual footwear (i.e. loafers, boots, chukkas, casual oxfords and occasionally even sneakers). The dressier balmorals/bluchers may have become a thing of the past (as well as the suit and tie). I purchased my last batch of custom-made dress shirts in January of 2020. They are pristine after getting use for only about 2 months before the start of “work from home” in March of 2020.

Maybe it’s time to get acclimated with the selling requirements on Poshmark.

Anyone interested in some very well-maintained, “vintage”, Johnston & Murphy shoes, Size 10D?

Shoe-trees included.

Wait... did I just violate the B/S/T rules? Somebody get a Moderator in here.


JOHNSTON & MURPHY

 

[Lefonque]

Spit polishing shoes has been my therapy for all kinds of challenges.

 

[johnniegold]

Spit polishing shoes has been my therapy for all kinds of challenges.

Always a zen-like moment when polishing shoes. I must have polished over 30 pairs of shoes during the pandemic. I wore maybe 5-6 of them.

 

[johnniegold]

They might not be quite that old, could also be from the 80s.....

Sounds right.

Looks like Thom McAn was tuned into the trend of that era.

 

[JWCowboy]

"Hard hat days and honky tonk nights"

What great tag line

 

[FarmerTan]

@FarmerTan I put this over here rather then in Footwear of the Day since it was somewhat lengthy.




Back then J&M and Allen-Edmonds, IMO, were side-by-side in terms of quality. I think I purchased the bulk of my J&M’s between 1995-2002 (with some Alden shoes as well but after 2002, I became dedicated solely to the Alden brand).

By 2002, the quality of J&M was already in decline. Some might say it started well before 1995 but as a young man at the time who was just beginning to build a professional wardrobe, I thought J&M were a solidly-made dress/work shoe (as did many others).

I also chose J&M over AE because for some reason the AE last on models like the Park Ave. just did not fit my foot as well as J&M.

If they had, I might be looking at a closet full of AE’s that are never worn rather than a closet full of J&M’s. At that time the price point was relatively the same (with the cost of AE perhaps being slightly higher but not enough to be a consideration).

With the onset of the pandemic, working from home and perhaps a shift in psyche regarding my “office attire” I don’t see these “work shoes” ever really returning to a heavy rotation as I have become more accustomed to business casual and in turn more casual footwear (i.e. loafers, boots, chukkas, casual oxfords and occasionally even sneakers). The dressier balmorals/bluchers may have become a thing of the past (as well as the suit and tie). I purchased my last batch of custom-made dress shirts in January of 2020. They are pristine after getting use for only about 2 months before the start of “work from home” in March of 2020.

Maybe it’s time to get acclimated with the selling requirements on Poshmark.

Anyone interested in some very well-maintained, “vintage”, Johnston & Murphy shoes, Size 10D?

Shoe-trees included.

Wait... did I just violate the B/S/T rules? Somebody get a Moderator in here.


JOHNSTON & MURPHY
View attachment 1235983

My first pair of J&M's I bought at a Salvation Army store. Loved those things, held a shine, great support. Then the right shoe started "squeaking". I knew the end was near. The sole was one piece rubber, with some kind of composite foam for support. I found this out when they fell apart one day when I put them on. Of course I wanted them resoled, but nearly impossible to do and not worth the cost. But I had been buying all the J&M's I ran across in the meantime with leather soles. They have all held up great. I'm nearly certain that they are all made before 1990.

 

[johnniegold]

My first pair of J&M's I bought at a Salvation Army store. Loved those things, held a shine, great support. Then the right shoe started "squeaking". I knew the end was near. The sole was one piece rubber, with some kind of composite foam for support. I found this out when they fell apart one day when I put them on. Of course I wanted them resoled, but nearly impossible to do and not worth the cost. But I had been buying all the J&M's I ran across in the meantime with leather soles. They have all held up great. I'm nearly certain that they are all made before 1990.

J&M had their own refurbishment program. I sent two pairs to be re-soled and the fit was never the same. Eventually they did away with the program altogether.

 

[FarmerTan]

J&M had their own refurbishment program. I sent two pairs to be re-soled and the fit was never the same. Eventually they did away with the program altogether.

Sad.

I was in an outlet store of theirs just a bit before the Covid shutdown here. The quality of their clothes and shoes really has declined in just the last ten or so years.

If I were starting over in a professional life I'd be broke, lol, but I would DEFINITELY be investing in good shoes.

My son just got a promotion. He dresses like his peers, most of whom are twice his age. Of course they all wear tennis shoes!

I'm having a hard time getting him to realize that people look at your shoes. He has really climbed rapidly. Amazing what hard work and dedication and confidence can do.

 

[blantyre]

This was an odd winter in terms of snow. Hardly anything until mid Jan. Then a few rounds with a lot. I needed long rubber boots for one week. The result was that my Red Wings and White’s weren’t really used a lot (so far anyway). One time my foot broke though some ice and I literally got a boot full of ice water in one of the Red Wings. They dried out fine. I decided to repolish them today. It was fun to do and it might help to ensure that we get one last blizzard this season.

 

[FarmerTan]

This was an odd winter in terms of snow. Hardly anything until mid Jan. Then a few rounds with a lot. I needed long rubber boots for one week. The result was that my Red Wings and White’s weren’t really used a lot (so far anyway). One time my foot broke though some ice and I literally got a boot full of ice water in one of the Red Wings. They dried out fine. I decided to repolish them today. It was fun to do and it might help to ensure that we get one last blizzard this season.

View attachment 1239378

Now you know why I only wash my vehicles when I sell 'em: who wants to tempt bad weather?

 

[johnniegold]

In honor of Mother's Day.

Today's Shoe: Alden Shell Cordovan LHS.

Come on. Go shine a pair of shoes for Mother's Day. Mom will notice the extra effort. After all, isn't she worth it?

That post was from 2013. To celebrate Mother’s Day, I wore my Alden Shell Cordovan Leisure Hand Sewn loafers.

8 years later (and a full restoration), the Aldens got the call once again for Mother’s Day.

 

[johnniegold]

Since the onset of the pandemic, the “work” shoes don’t get as much air-time and therefore the need to shine them doesn’t arise as often as it once did (or as much as I would like ).

Nevertheless, these shoes did require a little TLC and today they got the once over (and over and over).

 

[beginish]

I don’t have anywhere near the assemblage of shoes that you do (can’t call them a collection, since they’re used!), but my modest set of black and brown shoes have sat unused for just about 2 years now. I’ve worn dress shoes twice in the interim, for my daughter’s HS graduation and one work event.

Bob, are you finding your herd in need of leather rejuvenator (is that what Saphir calls theirs?) since WFH began? I’ve half-heartedly pulled out a couple of pairs for some TLC and wonder if I need to get some moisture back into the leather.

 

[johnniegold]

I don’t have anywhere near the assemblage of shoes that you do (can’t call them a collection, since they’re used!), but my modest set of black and brown shoes have sat unused for just about 2 years now. I’ve worn dress shoes twice in the interim, for my daughter’s HS graduation and one work event.

Bob, are you finding your herd in need of leather rejuvenator (is that what Saphir calls theirs?) since WFH began? I’ve half-heartedly pulled out a couple of pairs for some TLC and wonder if I need to get some moisture back into the leather.

I do give them a quick going over once in awhile with the Renovateur to keep them hydrated.

I learned the hard way many years ago when my shoes were kept on a rack by a vent which caused some of the leather to crack.

Now they are away from any vents, kept in their shoe bags and get some hydration every once in a while.