Details.
Blue Stripes.
Stripes and Knits.
Brogued.
Shoe Care: Saphir Renovateur
I’m certainly not the first, nor, I suspect, will I be the last, to extol the virtues of the French shoe care product Saphir Renovateur. It really is something else. I recently picked up a jar of the stuff and have been slowly working my way through some of my shoes with it.
It’s both a moisturizing agent as well as a cleaner, and for me, if you keep your shoes in pretty good shape (i.e., the type of person who brushes shoes off after each wear, diligently keeps shoe trees in all your shoes, etc.) then a spot of Renovateur every month or so is a great way to keep them looking and feeling healthy between more serious polishings and waxings.
On an additional note, I just picked up the Florsheim Royal Imperial Shell Cordovan Longwings you see here today while out thrifting. The uppers and inners are in pretty great shape—especially given their age—but they could do with a new sole. The uppers looked a little worse for wear when I brought them home, but after a little treatment with the Renovateur I’d say they look pretty great.
They’re a size 9A (though they do seem a bit larger and wider than other 9As I’ve come across), which is to say they’re too small for me. They’ll probably go up on ebay sometime in the near(ish) future as I’ve got a bunch of stuff I need to list. If you wear a 9A, and are seriously interested in a great pair of Florsheim Royal Imperial Shell Cordovan Longwings that need a resoling, then feel free to drop me a line with a price that you think would be reasonable. Please, no lowballers…
Another view.
Vintage Florsheim Royal Imperial Longwing Shoes
Lots of e-ink has been spilled over these shoes on the internets in the last 5-7 years. Prices are going up, so do yourself a favor and get a pair before they reach their real price-to-value ratio on ebay and elsewhere. You won’t regret it.
They’re also widely available in thrift shops, as they were once the sine qua non of the American white collar man’s shoe arsenal (think grey flannel BB suit and these pedal gunboats). I’ve got 4 pairs (including one in shell cordovan), and these ones are by far my favorites. If I recall correctly, they were thrifted for $12 with shoe trees (but not these vintage Florsheim ones, those were thrifted separately).
The studious look.
The Ivy Look.
Vintage Florsheim Royal Imperial Shell Cordovan
Vintage Florsheim Royal Imperial
Purple washed wool scarf.
Purple laces.
Brown pants, red socks.
Details: 12/20/12
