Vintage Shoe info

[magneto]

The pair of vintage hiking boots Miss Lauren passed on to me are rapidly giving up the ghost -- soles are split and the cork mid-soles are crumbling. I nearly cried when I realized what happened to them. BUT! I am a stubborn sort of person and I'm not letting those darlings go without a fight.

I did a search for shoe "recrafting" in the hope of finding someone who can actually make new boots for me using the originals as a pattern.
...

Oh no! Good luck... if you're still looking I know of a business (two people--an older gentleman and his apprentice) who does this sort of thing in San Francisco and is supposed to be very good according to those who've used them (the samples I've seen look very nice). If you're interested I can give you the contact info. (When I looked into it a while ago it was ~$600 though, but I think that is standard...maybe cheaper if you went to Italy or Spain!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Psst - hey girls - am I allowed to plug items I place in the classifieds? I just put some Red Cross lucite shoes size 6.5/7 in there...

 

[Lauren]

Yes, you're allowed as long as you're not a business

Queenie, those boots would be great for your adventure gear!

 

[MissQueenie]

Queenie, those boots would be great for your adventure gear!

I knoooooooooow! I want to take them with me, but I can't afford to have them copied. I guess the best I can do is have the soles rebuilt and the leather treated...I'm sure it will set me back about $100 bucks, but they're so cute!

 

[Barbara]

How do you find your vintage shoe size?

The rule of thumb, I understand is to measure your foot standing on a tape or yardstick, allowing a half inch on either end? Then you measure the width as well. That gives you a measurement to match with the size of whatever vintage shoe you're trying to buy (if on eBay for example).

I notice some eBay sellers don't offer up the actual measurement of the shoes. When I go to look at my 30s or early 40s shoes, they are a range of sizes. For example, I wear about a 9 normal, 39 European, but I have shoes that say 6 3a and then some that say 9 aaa, or 7.

A friend tells me that during the 20s-40s, they were constantly changing the shoe size standards.

Anyone manage to crack the code of vintage shoe sizing?

 

[Snookie]

What I hear recommended most often is to measure a shoe (or shoes) that fits you well, rather than your own foot. I guess it would be important to note if the shoe you measure has an open toe/heel and if that affects the fit. Any decent Ebay seller should be willing to take measurements for you if you ask, but make sure to explain specifically which measurements you want. (And that you want the INSIDE! ) I'm sure there's some ladies with stories about buying shoes with the wrong measurements.

 

[Barbara]

Oh gosh, that would be me, waaay back when. I ended up with a shoe that was 4 sizes too small for me. Since then, my husband has frowned on buying shoes online, but sometimes the temptation is too great. If you measure the shoe that fits you well, do you measure the inside or can you just measure from heel to toe?

 

[CherryRed]

I agree with Snookie, don't measure your foot, measure a shoe and come as close to heel hight as you can. In other words don't measure the inside of a flat shoe if you are buying a heel. I wear a modern size 8 or 8.5 depending on how the shoe is cut. I usually look for vintage that measure 10" by 9.3/4 to 3" wide.
The width is taken at the widest point on the ball of the shoe.

 

[Barbara]

So again, to be clear, I need to measure the inside of the shoe that fits me the best? And match vintage heel to vintage heel, flat to flat, etc?

 

[CherryRed]

Yes, and use a flexible sewing tape measure to be accurate.

 

[Barbara]

Thanks to you both. It's a journey finding good shoes...

 

[Tourbillion]

I wish that would work for me. I have vintage shoes that measure from 10.5" to 12" long on the inside that all fit me.

So much seems to depend on the cut of the shoe.

 

[Snookie]

I wish that would work for me. I have vintage shoes that measure from 10.5" to 12" long on the inside that all fit me.

So much seems to depend on the cut of the shoe.

Yeah, I think that if a shoe is too narrow, but also a little long, it would work. But probably not too narrow AND too long. unless it's open in the back and *gasp* your heel sticks out.

Err on the side of big and buy stock in insoles.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Thank you ladies for all of your great advice on shoe/foot measuring.
I tend to buy my vintage shoes a bit bigger than my modern shoe size, because they tend to be narrower. I have very flat feet, so that makes them a bit wider. My feet also swell a lot, so the size that fits me in the morning wont necessarily feet me at night. So, I have measured the inside of my favorite heels. I add 1/2 inch to that, and try my hardest to find the widest vintage shoes I can, which is very rare. I swear by Dr. Scholls messaging gel inserts. They are so comfortable and they make my bigger shoes fit perfectly.
Thanks again ladies, for all of the great advice. Vintage shoe buying is one of the toughest things to do.

 

[Caledonia]

I wish that would work for me. I have vintage shoes that measure from 10.5" to 12" long on the inside that all fit me. So much seems to depend on the cut of the shoe.

Yep, me too. But in general here's my to do list for measuring (with 40+ vintage pairs I'm getting pretty good at it!).

1 As already said, measure a pair that fit in each style and heel height that roughly compare to the vintage styles you want. Take it down the centre of the insole from toe tip to the base of the heel, and then across the widest part of the outside ball of foot. Remember that the sole can extend out past the leather by quite a bit on some styles. Take that into consideration and try and measure shoes where the upper and the edge of the sole are more in harmony. If you can get inside then measure the ball there too - it's an extra question for the seller that sometimes make the decision easier. And it is useful to measure the length of your actual foot because this doesn't change in the shoe, but don't bother with the width because your foot squishes all ways. For the length place your heel lightly against a wall and get somebody to make a mark on the paper vertically down from your big toe. Measure. It's a reference that you use in conjunction with your current shoe measurements. You'll find that if you measure a flat shoe like a trainer or a ballet slipper it will come out about half an inch longer - that's the space you need at heel and toe so you're not cramped.

2 Always ask the ebay seller for the measurements.

3 Remember that the measurement you are looking for is the space that your foot will sit in. So if you buy a pointed toe you need to consider that the measurement you are given will include the point, and your foot won't be in that point. Eg, I take a 10.25 length but for a 50s stilleto I need to add as much as another inch to allow for the point. So I am looking for an 11 and perhaps longer measurement to ensure that it fits.

4 If it's a peep toe you can usually afford to lose 0.25 inches off what you think you need, the same if it's a sling back. This is because your foot can move further forward, or backward than if the toe box or heel is closed. And in terms of width you can usually comfortably wear about 0.25 inches less than you need in width, but if you need 3.5 don't try 3 - very, very achey!

5 Never rely on the vintage sizes as they change hugely over the decades. An 8.5 in the 40s can be the same as a 9 in the 50s, and of course we all know that a vintage 8.5 is a modern 9.5 - or is it lol . Actually no. I just bought a vintage 40s 8.5 that fits my modern 8.5 perfectly, but recently bought a vintage 8.5 that would fit a modern 7.5. Go with the measurements always!

6 Leather will stretch a bit, but fabrics won't, so don't be tempted to try to squeeze into a slightly small fabric shoe. And, often vintage leather shoes have a partial fabric lining. This also won't stretch, so ask the seller about the lining.

7 Be prepared for an occasional disappointment - you're relying on the seller to measure accurately and it doesn't always work out.

8 And as said above, get in a stock of full and half insoles - they really can fill in a half and even a whole size too big! And if you don't intend selling them on as original condition, you can put extra holes in buckling straps, tighten elastic, etc, etc.

Hope it helps!

 

[Viviene]

I've been using this chart since I've been selling vintage clothing. I have had no returns on the shoes I have sold so I imagine it must be working.

 

[Barbara]

Thanks for such helpful responses. The eBay seller isn't getting back to me, I cannot understand why. The shoes look 30s, marked 6 1/2 A, so I'm wondering if anyone who has a pair with this written on the inside can tell me what size that is? Or rather what size they wear modern so I can figure it out.

Some of mine say 7, others say 9 AAA. I know that I need about 11 inches from heel to toe...

I am thinking they are too small for me, but remain hopeful.

 

[Viviene]

As a former Ebay seller and now a seller in a different location I would not buy anything without hearing back from the seller. It's a waste of your money to buy something that does not fit. Sometimes Ebay's messaging system is not the most reliable so you may want to send another message to the seller. Hope you find what you're looking for.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Shoe Style advice from 1946

Here is the direct link in case you want to download the image and be able to read the text by zooming in.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i271/neecerie/00000013.jpg

 

[maisie]

Ohh I love those shoes! Thanks for posting them! I love the 'Indian' ones and i actually have the pair labelled 'Web' in black suede! lol