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Classic Brown Wingtips?

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Foxer55

A-List Customer
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413
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Washington, DC
Isshinryu,

HA! You should do their marketing for them, you sure as HECK are drinkin the cool-aid. Besides the longwing, which of these florsheim models are "classic" and "PERFECT". I stay as far from them as I can, but last I looked, the longwing was the only style they had left that was "classic".

Sorry, I think the lines of the Florshiem, both the Kenmore wintip and smooth toe are more appealing. Indeed, Florsheim cordovans have been a military staple for decades. The sole thickness of some others make them look more like hiking boots than dress shoes and any exaggeration of toe length makes them better suited for pimping in the ghetto. I prefer a quiet, solid, no nonsense military neatness.

I do recall my first pair of cordovans were French, Shriner & Urner which were an emulation of the Florsheims and they lasted many years. Seem to recall the Florsheims were right pricey at the time.
 
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dr.velociraptor

One of the Regulars
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285
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Hudson Valley NY
I agree that I do not like European flair I've seen with most wingtips. I returned a pair of Bostonia Alito's because they had the lengthened toe and slim fit, they looked like clown shoes to me, back they went.

I love American made products too trust me, I ride a Harley, pay more for American leathers, but with work shoes I don't want to break the bank. I looked on eBay for old stock and only found well worn vintage, I could smell them through the computer, I had to take a hard pass.

$180 for these Florsheim's seem like a fine deal, hopefully the fit is good to go. I picked up a pair of Johnston and Murphy's and they don't blow me away, but definitely decent shoes. But I'm not a shoe guy, I covet fountain pens and leather jackets, that's where my money goes.
 

Guttersnipe

One Too Many
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1,942
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Isshynryu,

I would like to see the look of their Kenmore equivalents, both wingtip and smooth toe. The Florsheim design has classic lines in every way and the look cannot be improved upon because it is perfect in every way.

I'm not Isshynryu, but ask and ye shall receive.

American made Allen Edmond equivalents of Florsheim Kenmore. While these all sell new for about $345, AE does have a twice annual sale during which 30-40% discounts can be had. Also, from a purely economic sense, that fact these shoes will certainly last for years and years means they are comparatively a good deal ( . . . two pairs of $180 Indian made Kenmores at $180 a pop is more than one pair of AE's ;) )

The MacNiel
MacNeilwalnut__35251.1299793592.1280.1280.jpg


The Winter Park
AE_winter-park_walnut.jpg


The Leeds
allen115951_58355_jb.jpg
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
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5,196
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Michigan
You should be O.K. about the link, I have not heard of this brand name shoe. It looks nice, wonder where it is really made?
 

dr.velociraptor

One of the Regulars
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285
Location
Hudson Valley NY
Those Allen Edmond wingtips are very nice no doubt, but they are also $350 - $500+ which is well outside my price range. They are literally double the cost of the Florsheim's so they should be much nicer.
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
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USA
, from a purely economic sense, that fact these shoes will certainly last for years and years means they are comparatively a good deal ( . . . two pairs of $180 Indian made Kenmores at $180 a pop is more than one pair of AE's ;)
And they can be completely refurbished on their original last (very important IMO) for a reasonable price. You won't find this service available at the lower price brands.

http://www.allenedmonds.com/webapp/...-1&storeId=1&gclid=CISfkKy-9bUCFTCmPAodRTAAsg
 

cookie

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5,927
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Sydney Australia
You should be O.K. about the link, I have not heard of this brand name shoe. It looks nice, wonder where it is really made?

China PRC and then finished in Spain or boxed up or whatever. China is going to blow away shoe manufacture from some countries like it has with everything else.
 

The Wiser Hatter

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4,765
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Louisville, Ky
Those Allen Edmond wingtips are very nice no doubt, but they are also $350 - $500+ which is well outside my price range. They are literally double the cost of the Florsheim's so they should be much nicer.

Just picked up two pair of Allen Edmonds for 250.00 this past Sunday. Allen Edmonds has sales all the time.
You just have to keep an eye out for them and sign up for their emails.
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
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5,196
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Michigan
I'd second Cheneay wingtips in particular if you can find a discounted pair on ebay:

Herring-Herring%20Canning%20(Rubber)-Mahogany%20Calf-5313-2794-1_sml.jpg


Herring-Herring%20Rusland%20(Rubber)-Mahogany%20Grain-3624-1970-1_sml.jpg

You are correct, there are many nice British brand name products well made.

I think the most important part of all what is being shared here is the factor of finding a decent pair of shoes with a classic vintage look that are well made. The connection with eBay is a fairly good point that if a person desires to find something and takes a look on eBay, chances are finding something will happen.

I have always appreciated decent and nice looking shoes, it goes way back in my life, I always wanted something nice looking and well made. I can give some value to the Allen Edmond shoes, if for no other reason, they do rebuild them if you elect to do so. Now what the rebuilding is, as Mr. A.C. Lyles has pointed out, when Allen Edmond does their total refurb on your shoes, they take them all the way apart, refinish the leather and make it look brand spanking new, they basically are just reusing you shoes to make a brand new pair of shoes for you, and using all the things necessary to give you back a well made "good as new" product.

They have to use a "last" to rebuild your shoes, and as they have those, it is something no one else can do unless a repair cobbler would have the last to do that, and the equipment to refinish the outer leather of your shoes and have the other materials to do the rebuild. I have learned enough working with my shoe cobbler, for instance, the soles that Allen Edmond use on shoes, is a quality sole. There are a variety of different "grades" of leather, Allen Edmond uses a top grade leather.

Now in defense also of other brands, as made mention, there are so many good and decent shoes made, some expensive and some not so expensive. Between the time of this thread first being posted and this very moment, I found way more than 100 shoe deals on eBay. A few vintage shoes well made, never worn, wingtips, all for less than $200.00 and there is one pair the seller had for merely $25.00. They started out at about a hundred bucks maybe two months ago, have not sold, and continued to be marked down each time they are relisted. If I am not mistaken the brand is a old one, wolper brand shoes. These are an all leather wingtip and more than likely made back in the day when many shoes were made in Brockton, Mass., and made perhaps by one of the better known shoe maker companies, and badged under the name, wolper. I may even buy them myself. I just did not need another pair of wingtips, flooded with them now.

In your defense regarding the Florsheims, of all the shoes being made in that area of the world, in the same category, they are about the top of the list.....overall I would rate them a 5 or 6 out of 10 for quality and value. But also as I have stated before, you could get one pair, say a tumbled grain kenmoor, and they last a long time, and you could be thrilled about them....and then you get a second pair...and they fall apart after a few weeks. I can tell you very honestly, that did happen to me, three years ago I had someone purchase me a pair of Florsheims for a Christmas gift. Wingtips. The leather was not even real leather on the uppers, and the finish just "popped" right off! The soles pulled apart from the side of the shoe near the welt area, and this happened when I was walking in the Casino wearing them. Fairly embarrassing. Florsheim lost me as a customer over that event taking place, I would not purchase any newly or modern made Florsheim after that happening.
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
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Just picked up two pair of Allen Edmonds for 250.00 this past Sunday. Allen Edmonds has sales all the time.
You just have to keep an eye out for them and sign up for their emails.

They just had their custom made shoe event, you could pick any colors and have spectators or you could have decided to make the shoes all one color, and shipped, for $199.00 If you wanted a pair of shoes, and were not going to find "all out vintage", this would have been a hard to beat deal.
 

Isshinryu101

One Too Many
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1,328
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New Jersey
...there is one pair the seller had for merely $25.00. They started out at about a hundred bucks maybe two months ago, have not sold, and continued to be marked down each time they are relisted. If I am not mistaken the brand is a old one, wolper brand shoes. These are an all leather wingtip and more than likely made back in the day when many shoes were made in Brockton, Mass., and made perhaps by one of the better known shoe maker companies, and badged under the name, wolper. I may even buy them myself. I just did not need another pair of wingtips, flooded with them now.

stay away from them like the plague! I contacted the seller and asked if the heels were leather or rubber. She TOLD me leather, THEN went on to offer that the soles are Stitched on and she can see the stitches as well. SO, I decided to try to make a gift of them...

UUUGGGHHHHH!!!! Arrived and the lowest grade garbage. All rubber sole that is 100% glued on and a cheap, one piece rubber heel. 1970's garbage.
 

Isshinryu101

One Too Many
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New Jersey
In your defense regarding the Florsheims, of all the shoes being made in that area of the world, in the same category, they are about the top of the list.....overall I would rate them a 5 or 6 out of 10 for quality and value. But also as I have stated before, you could get one pair, say a tumbled grain kenmoor, and they last a long time, and you could be thrilled about them....and then you get a second pair...and they fall apart after a few weeks. I can tell you very honestly, that did happen to me, three years ago I had someone purchase me a pair of Florsheims for a Christmas gift. Wingtips. The leather was not even real leather on the uppers, and the finish just "popped" right off! The soles pulled apart from the side of the shoe near the welt area, and this happened when I was walking in the Casino wearing them. Fairly embarrassing. Florsheim lost me as a customer over that event taking place, I would not purchase any newly or modern made Florsheim after that happening.

interestingly enough, there are just a few actual shoe factories in China & India that make the vast majority of shoes for a ton of different brands. They turn out a zillion cheap shoes, then simply affix different labels to each. For a major buyer of those shoes, they dedicate a single section of the factory to that particular style. It is mass manufacturing on steroids.
 

Foxer55

A-List Customer
Messages
413
Location
Washington, DC
LoveMyHats,

In your defense regarding the Florsheims, of all the shoes being made in that area of the world, in the same category, they are about the top of the list.....overall I would rate them a 5 or 6 out of 10 for quality and value. But also as I have stated before, you could get one pair, say a tumbled grain kenmoor, and they last a long time, and you could be thrilled about them....and then you get a second pair...and they fall apart after a few weeks. I can tell you very honestly, that did happen to me, three years ago I had someone purchase me a pair of Florsheims for a Christmas gift. Wingtips. The leather was not even real leather on the uppers, and the finish just "popped" right off! The soles pulled apart from the side of the shoe near the welt area, and this happened when I was walking in the Casino wearing them. Fairly embarrassing. Florsheim lost me as a customer over that event taking place, I would not purchase any newly or modern made Florsheim after that happening.

I would say this is due to poor contracting/purchasing. Some store orders 10,000 pairs and whoever the guy at Florsheim is he puts out a bid to do the job. The winner then sub-contacts the job to friends, family, and business partners. Of those, some take pride in doing a good job while others just fill the sub-contract with whatever they have on hand. When you buy 'em, they all come in the same box from the prime-contractor and you have no idea who made the good ones. Its unfortunate but that the global economy. I run into the same problem with all kinds of stuff from underwear to tools.
 

Guttersnipe

One Too Many
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1,942
Location
San Francisco, CA
Those Allen Edmond wingtips are very nice no doubt, but they are also $350 - $500+ which is well outside my price range. They are literally double the cost of the Florsheim's so they should be much nicer.

Actually, the only Allen Edmonds that retail for north of $385 are the ones made form shell cordovan models. I'm not aware of a single AE model retails for anywhere near $500. Every one of the shoes I posted retails, at full price, for $345. Considering that Allen Edmonds last for literally decades when properly cared for, being slight less than twice as much as a pair current (low quality) Florsheim's. You'll actually spend less after 3 or so years (e.g., the point at which you have to buy a third new pair of shoes).

Like I said before, watch Allen Edmonds' website or sign up for their e-mail. They have a once or twice annual sale where shoes are 30-40% off.

Another good source is Brooks Brothers. They carry shoes by really good American and English makers like Allen Edmonds, Peel & Co., and sometimes even Alden. Brooks Brothers has sales constantly, during which time you cans sometime score shoes by really high end makers for $250 or less!

. . . yeah, I'm a shoe guy ;)
 
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LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
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5,196
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Michigan
stay away from them like the plague! I contacted the seller and asked if the heels were leather or rubber. She TOLD me leather, THEN went on to offer that the soles are Stitched on and she can see the stitches as well. SO, I decided to try to make a gift of them...

UUUGGGHHHHH!!!! Arrived and the lowest grade garbage. All rubber sole that is 100% glued on and a cheap, one piece rubber heel. 1970's garbage.

Wow, I will have to look to see if it is the same pair, but, a lady told me the same thing, all leather and such, she had me fooled! I was about to drop the hammer on buying them, but as I said, I have enough wingtips now, I just do not need even one more pair, (unless they were custom made, from Budapest)!!!! I do love all my footjoy and vintage florsheim and allen edmond wings, I think I have some vintage mason, dexter, stuart mcguires, would have to dig through the pile of boxes to find.....
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
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5,196
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Michigan
Actually, the only Allen Edmonds that retail for north of $385 are the ones made form shell cordovan models. I'm not aware of a single AE model retails for anywhere near $500. Every one of the shoes I posted retails, at full price, for $345. Considering that Allen Edmonds last for literally decades when properly cared for, being slight less than twice as much as a pair current (low quality) Florsheim's. You'll actually spend less after 3 or so years (e.g., the point at which you have to buy a third new pair of shoes).

Like I said before, watch Allen Edmonds' website or sign up for their e-mail. They have a once or twice annual sale where shoes are 30-40% off.

Another good source is Brooks Brothers. They carry shoes by really good American and English makers like Allen Edmonds, Peel & Co., and sometimes even Alden. Brooks Brothers has sales constantly, during which time you cans sometime score shoes by really high end makers for $250 or less!

. . . yeah, I'm a shoe guy ;)

I have some love at times for the shoe offerings from brooks brothers. My gunboat white/black spectators are from brooks brothers. The tend to shy away from junky shoes as it is.
 
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