Spectator Shoes

GHT,
Never heard of a heel insert like that, I've at times resorted to using moleskin in that fashion, will have to check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.
I just have to be selective on my shoes as far as the heel area goes, no way I can afford custom made shoes. Much as I wish I could, its a wish for when I strike the lottery, heh. I do have dress shoes from over 10 years ago, the military drummed into my thick skull to rotate my shoes (boots), it allows them to dry out in between wearings. Course they never thought of that when they made me a food service specialist, only 1 pair of dress shoes to go with our cook whites & my chow sgt frowned upon our wearing our boots with them. (shrugs)

And thank you for the picture, no I hadnt seen it, you & the missus (I presume? hope?) look very nice in the pic, very sharp. That's why I love my VS black cherry, it goes so well with the various shades of grey I wear & I have a pair of cordon oxford shoes I occasionally wear with the light greys.

Thank you again for the info, pics & suggestions, I'll keep them close, you sir have inspired me.

 

Something for you to consider, check eBay for vintage golf shoes by Footjoy that would be your size. Let me tell you why! Most (not all) will have a well padded interior of the shoe (you will notice the inner area of the heel in pictures as padded). Then check to see the pictures of the soles. It they are sewn on soles, they have a welt. If they have a welt, you can have the golf shoe sole removed, new cork put on then new soles. You can then wind up with a wonderful nice vintage shoe for a not so bad price. The soles/heels can be done for around $125.00 ( I do them for that price) and most Cobblers would charge about the same. However, I would not advise you to purchase a pair of vintage shoes to do this to, unless the uppers of the shoes look close to new.

 

There's a company called Swing Gear that have a good selection of new shoes in period style, and at an attractive price. See the men's shoes here, and, the ladies shoes here. As ever gents, the guys get three pages of shoes whilst the ladies get five. I'm told a gal can never have too many pairs of shoes.

 

I've ordered a pair of these in that 'acorn' shade. I dearly wish I could afford to buy all three colours, though!

 

I ordered the navy and cream!

 

wish the tarsals had a nicer last. something even remotely elegant would be nice. That workwear style last appeals to a very narrow market

 

Because nothing screams "elegance" like canvas!

As a vintage clothing dealer with 15 years experience, 'workwear' style is the only thing keeping the vintage/repop market afloat, it is interest in everything else that has narrowed.

If you want to complain about a dressy SJC shoe than have at their balmorals.

 

I've seen the original pair on which these SJCs were based, and they're clearly intended to be a soprty show, the equivalent, I suppose, of a pair of trainers these days. Different beast than your regular co-respondent, really. I don't envisage wearing them much on more formal occasions, but they'll be ideal for most day to day wear for me in Summer. It's a soprty-casual shoe, at the end of the day, not formal dress wear.

It is indeed interesting that the workwear end of vintage repro is by far the healthiest end of the sector these days. I suppose a lot of that has to do with it being that much more 'accessible' to the modern mindset (relatively few people these days want to wear a suit everywhere the way they might a pair of jeans). I wish it was as easy to get a nice, 40s cut suit as it is the workwear stuff, but hey ho.

 

i'm not a fan of the last shape either.

 

These are the originals that the SJC shoe was based on:

Simon worked hard to find a period last that would get the correct shape for this style of shoe. In the ideal world, he would commission the perfect last rather than settle for the nearest available in the factory, but life is not that simple. The main thing is that it was never intended for the shoe to be elegant. Simon made the decision to copy the above shoes since there was an immediate, and passionate, reaction to them when he posted the photo. I tried on the sample and found them very comfortable. The leather lining is very soft and feels luxurious.

 

1940s Mesh mamas for a hot Sydney day.

 

I know that Simon is planning to do a tarsal strap spectator in an elegant 1930s style. However, he wants to be able to offer it with a very elegant waist and, if possible, a spade sole. I have had many long conversations with him about getting this right due to reluctance at the factory to work on the spade sole. He even had the workers make a spade-sole sample shoe. So he is having to work hard to build up a relationship to make the right shoes at the right price. Yes, everything can be done ... but doing it at the right price point and getting that balance right is an uphill battle. He has worked damn hard to get this far (and it ain't cheap producing sample shoes) and I, just one among many others, have tried to support him in that.

So, please keep an eye on how things progress, maybe next time he will produce something you like. Also, why not contact Simon to let him know your thoughts. He's up for listening to constructive criticism from genuine enthusiasts (i.e. people like yourself).

I would also be interested to know your thoughts on the SJC Balmoral boots.

 

Ah yes. The last is not for everybody. I think that's fair. Personally I love the round toe. I just cannot deal with long pointy lasts. Around the corner we have a shoe shop who offers several nice looking brands but I tried them on and I would have to cut my little toe off or buy a size to large. Then they look huge and banana like.
So the guys with size 8 AA can brag with their vintage finds all day long I prefer a round toe for my 11EE feet. Plus I really loved the shoes he used for the denim shooting and the repros have the same vibe.

 

I do like the design of the balmoral boot. Nice tarsal execution. As for leather quality, we shall see. It is hard to keep them low in price, but still use a quality leather. Regardless, for the price, they are a good option.

 

I'm glad you like the design of the balmoral and its tarsal strap.
I agree, leather quality is always an issue and quite often it is only with wear that the true assessment of the quality can be made. What really struck me, when i tried on the samples, was the luxurious feel of the lining leather. And I was surprised with the comfort of the Balmoral boots, the chosen last gave them a very narrow appearance yet i was surprised on the width once my foot was in. Having originally had no intention of buying the balmorals i decided i would get a pair (tan leather with suede shaft).
I really hope that, in the future, SJC is able to offer the balmorals with a spade sole.

 

A spade sole version with a more thirties overall look would be a nice addition to that range. I'd love some of the balmorals, but can't stretch to everything just now. If SJC can turn these into a stock item, I'd love eventually to pick up a couple of pairs of each style in Simon's current range.

 

They look spiffy to us, too!

 

Sure can agree on that! Lets see what happens!

 

Having some room for your feet is a must for shoes. That is why we have the shoe stretcher.....it works wonders!

 

Some nice snuff suede spectators