Best Vintage Shoe Brands?

[Gabriel]

Hi there,

I recently started looking around the Lounge, Etsy, and Ebay for vintage shoes from the 20s-60s era. However, the knowledge I currently lack about shoes is well... brands. I'm clueless when it comes to brands and don't know which or what companies styled the highest rated shoes. When it comes to favorability, I tend to like the wing tipped, Florsheim, or spade sole shoes. Otherwise, I'm oblivious to this topic.

If someone could please, how do you PROPERLY shop for vintage golden era shoes from that time period? More specific, how does one actually 'date' a shoe based on it's appearance and or name brand? Would really appreciate the advice as I'm looking to get myself a good pair of fitting shoes soon.

 

[Isshinryu101]

Hi there,

I recently started looking around the Lounge, Etsy, and Ebay for vintage shoes from the 20s-60s era. However, the knowledge I currently lack about shoes is well... brands. I'm clueless when it comes to brands and don't know which or what companies styled the highest rated shoes. When it comes to favorability, I tend to like the wing tipped, Florsheim, or spade sole shoes. Otherwise, I'm oblivious to this topic.

If someone could please, how do you PROPERLY shop for vintage golden era shoes from that time period? More specific, how does one actually 'date' a shoe based on it's appearance and or name brand? Would really appreciate the advice as I'm looking to get myself a good pair of fitting shoes soon.

Talk with someone who knows.

www.vintageshoesaddict.com

 

[LuvMyMan]

Honestly many major brands (some of which are actually no longer around) all offer some decent shoes along the way. One thing you will have to consider is the current condition of anything you desire to buy. If you look at the vintage shoes that are considered the cream of the crop, you will have to take into consideration they will sell for a premium price.

Another factor you can examine now, is that as time comes, what you would want to own now, will drastically change as you learn more about vintage shoes in general. Then as you obtain more knowledge on the topic and have owned a few more pairs of shoes, you will know what to look for and what to spend. At some future point of time, you will be able to spot a decent pair of vintage shoes and buy them (under the radar) of other shoe fanatics and have a good bargain price for what you actually paid for them.

It is very hard to place one brand over another. If you get into finding shoes made in the 1940's for an example, most of them are going to be well made and normally all leather. So if you like wing tip or cap toe shoes and can find them in Florsheim, Nettleton, Knapp, Nun Bush, Stetson, Edwin Clapp, Tom McCan, and about 200 other brand names, you can find some well made and nice looking shoes. However some of those shoes can cost you a pretty penny...I would venture to guess the average price of a clean well kept shoe (wing tip or cap toe) and with true spade soles are going to run up into the cost of between $299.00 and $500.00 or more. It just will depend on where you find them. If you want to buy from a seller than has top shelf products then please do seek out www.vintageshoesaddict.com. WHY? because of several reasons. The shoes he has to offer are some of the best vintage shoes you will ever dream of finding. Those shoes are all solid, no junky shoes and are a good representation of real vintage era shoes. And if there is something you are looking for, you may have some hunting done for them at your request.

Trust me in this if you like vintage and you desire to "go for it" within the vintage shoe ownership, you will learn so much in time, you will look back and wonder why you did not know as much way back when.....and as time comes....you will also find out there is always so much more to actually learn. There is a long time period of shoe makers right here in the USA that are now all gone...but wow, did they ever make some nice shoes. Many of which are still around and in some fairly decent shape. The shoe industry had a "mecca" of factories all close to each other in Brockton. Today only a handful of shoe makers in the USA still exist and for the most part, they are not putting out a very decent made shoe...getting cheaper quality year after year, cutting cost at the expense of quality. To find a real high quality shoe today (non vintage) expect to part with as much money as you would for a top shelf nice made vintage shoe. And actually when you want to get into some of the best shoes (non vintage) you can with ease, see price tags go way up there....over thousands of dollars for them.

But yes....do contact www.vintageshoesaddict.com....you can only learn from it, will cost you nothing to learn.....and gain as much as you can from asking questions. After all, life is always one big school!

 

[Isshinryu101]

Honestly many major brands (some of which are actually no longer around) all offer some decent shoes along the way. One thing you will have to consider is the current condition of anything you desire to buy. If you look at the vintage shoes that are considered the cream of the crop, you will have to take into consideration they will sell for a premium price.

Another factor you can examine now, is that as time comes, what you would want to own now, will drastically change as you learn more about vintage shoes in general. Then as you obtain more knowledge on the topic and have owned a few more pairs of shoes, you will know what to look for and what to spend. At some future point of time, you will be able to spot a decent pair of vintage shoes and buy them (under the radar) of other shoe fanatics and have a good bargain price for what you actually paid for them.

It is very hard to place one brand over another. If you get into finding shoes made in the 1940's for an example, most of them are going to be well made and normally all leather. So if you like wing tip or cap toe shoes and can find them in Florsheim, Nettleton, Knapp, Nun Bush, Stetson, Edwin Clapp, Tom McCan, and about 200 other brand names, you can find some well made and nice looking shoes. However some of those shoes can cost you a pretty penny...I would venture to guess the average price of a clean well kept shoe (wing tip or cap toe) and with true spade soles are going to run up into the cost of between $299.00 and $500.00 or more. It just will depend on where you find them. If you want to buy from a seller than has top shelf products then please do seek out www.vintageshoesaddict.com. WHY? because of several reasons. The shoes he has to offer are some of the best vintage shoes you will ever dream of finding. Those shoes are all solid, no junky shoes and are a good representation of real vintage era shoes. And if there is something you are looking for, you may have some hunting done for them at your request.

Trust me in this if you like vintage and you desire to "go for it" within the vintage shoe ownership, you will learn so much in time, you will look back and wonder why you did not know as much way back when.....and as time comes....you will also find out there is always so much more to actually learn. There is a long time period of shoe makers right here in the USA that are now all gone...but wow, did they ever make some nice shoes. Many of which are still around and in some fairly decent shape. The shoe industry had a "mecca" of factories all close to each other in Brockton. Today only a handful of shoe makers in the USA still exist and for the most part, they are not putting out a very decent made shoe...getting cheaper quality year after year, cutting cost at the expense of quality. To find a real high quality shoe today (non vintage) expect to part with as much money as you would for a top shelf nice made vintage shoe. And actually when you want to get into some of the best shoes (non vintage) you can with ease, see price tags go way up there....over thousands of dollars for them.

But yes....do contact www.vintageshoesaddict.com....you can only learn from it, will cost you nothing to learn.....and gain as much as you can from asking questions. After all, life is always one big school!