33 yr old NOS Shell Cordovan Florsheim Imperial 93605!
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2024
- This is the 2nd video in my 2020 Quarantine series spotlighting a pair of noteworthy shoes, and the human story behind them. Please forgive me for the pixelation/poor quality in the video... most of it was recorded over Zoom Cloud Meetings because we're quarantied. The Florsheim Imperial model 93605 is one of the most collectible and sought after vintage American shoes. According to www.vcleat.com it was produced starting sometime in the 1950's or 1960's until 1988. This model was produced in Shell Cordovan, which is an extremely expensive material made from the hind quarters of a horse. This story is a great story of how with work ethic and desire, an average person can obtain a special and expensive pair of shoes. We also talk about why this iconic shoe is still sought after. Check out Alberto Suastez's Instagram page @patinaworksarizona to see his custom patina work re-dying dress shoes!
Related other Videos I refer to, or you may want to watch:
1. "Horween Leather! Why is Good Leather More Expensive?":
• Horween Leather! Why i...
2. "How to Identify Shell Cordovan Leather":
• How to Identify Shell ...
3. "12 Reasons to Shine Your Shoes!":
• 12 Reasons to Shine Yo...
4. "Before & After: Florsheim Imperial Custom Patina"
• Video
Music Credit:
UA-cam Free Audios: "Like You Mean It" by Dan Lebowitz
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I love what he did with those shoes. Too many guys would have said 'nope, I'll never see a pair of NOS imperial shell shoes again, they're display pieces now'. These don't belong on display, they belong on feet. I dunno if I would have went with something quiet as aggressive as a commando sole but I still like it. I just won a pair of 93602's for $45. No big problematic cracks in the uppers. The soles are in good enough shape to wear for a little while. I can't wait to get them.
Not to mention my 93606 shell imperials that should be here soon as well. Those I only paid $100 for and again, I can probably wear them for a little while before a resole.
How did the shoes behave. How did you deal with the cracks
This man knows his shell Cordovan! He takes pride in the history of the shoe and his investment.
Great find, I am very happy for this gentleman. Being a shoe enthusiast myself, I understand the feeling especially finding this caliber of shoe. Congratulations
Thank you sir! Love your name!
Wow that shell is exquisite! Great info as always Robert!
Thanks again Bob, it was a pleasure. Hate looking at myself on video but it was worth it.
This was another fascinating interview. Very well done. Thank you for the content. Cheers.
AstepAbove thank you! 👊🏼
Great video, Thank you Robert and Alberto! I own a pair of Vintage Florsheim 93605 that I Bought on Ebay and I had Bedo"s leatherworks resoled them, The pair I bought is definitely not is the best condition but I still love the shoes, the pair Alberto has is Definitely a great pair of shoes, I really enjoyed the video and the wisdom of both of you guys, Thank you again
I appreciate your kind comment!
Thank you! Resoled by the master, eh?
Sure why not lol, I only wish the uppers were better than they are but is really not that bad for a shoe that was made in the 80s
You welcome Alberto, I have seen some of your collection on the Facebook page and you have some incredible shoes, keep up the good work.
@@bernardopena9665 Thank you, sir!
Great vid...He customized his shoes to fit his needs. I've had boot tops cut down because of needed comfort realizing others would think I was crazy!
Excellent video with great information!! Stay Safe!!
First time viewing this and very knowledgeable and enjoyable, love Alberto Suastez story and WONDERFUL PATINA WORK!!!
nice vid thx a lot for share this guy Alberto as a lot of talent in the shoes patina world , i have seen his work on instagram and his good !!!
Robert, your videos about vintage shoes is brilliant. So now I'm searching for an old Florsheims. This leather double soles and overall design looks so appealing to me.
Thank you! They’re out there. Most of my trips to the thrift stores I leave empty handed... but once in a while... 👞
great interview
Phenomenal video!!!!
Wow. Beautiful Shell. So very, very gorgeous. I have never been a fan of the huge "vibrant lug", soles...however, I must admit...these are the first that I truly do like. The contrast of the sole, against that burgundy Shell cordovan...is simply stunning. What a great looking pair of shoes. I thrift shoes, and own around 100 pairs of Allen Edmonds. I have yet to find any Shell. Still do not own any, but I am always on the "lookout'. I am not very proficient with internet buying, and have seen a few pair of Shell, I would have been interested in. However, I just don't really trust sellers on ebay or poshmark, or mercari, to properly represent their products. I have seen people try and pass off burgundy colored shoes...as Shell cordovan. Just afraid to make a purchase, and the product not be what is advertised. Anyway...still looking for my first pair of Shell. Love the channel. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for watching! Wow, 100 pairs!! I've got a video explaining How to ID Shell Cordovan" if it helps:
ua-cam.com/video/BdAmHOG5V4Y/v-deo.html
Another key (which I THINK is covered in the video, I don't remember) is knowing which models came in Shell. With AE the shell models should have dovetail leather rubber combo heels and JR soles, and you can look up the model number. With vintage Bostonians for example, the shell models should also have leather rubber dovetail heels and should be Crown Windsor models.
This was your best video yet. What a great interview with Alberto and loved seeing the ESV in the background! I’m now tempted by a burgundy long wing blucher in shell cordovan 😉 Blessings from Chilliwack BC Canada.
Thank you, kindly! ESV and NASB are my favorite past time :). Blessings!!
THANK YOU Stan! And Wut is an ESV and NASB??
@@CobblerBob English Standard Version and New American Standard Bible. Two very similar literal translations of the Bible
Great video, those shoes look amazing. Would love to have a chat with you about vintage shoes as well one day. Hope you're doing well.
What's with all the hands signs? Have you been told to use them?
Damn, i gonna hit up thriftstores and look for vintage shoes to restore. When this is all over ofcourse.
ebay is the best thrift store
Hey Robert, I just realize that I have a shoe rack right next to a window which gets natural, indirect light from outside. Do you think that indirect sunlight can damage leather? I’d like to keep it there because it looks nice when entering the house. As opposed to in a dark closet
Public Piper indirect? I don’t think so.
The best thing to do is to just keep your shoes in bags, unfortunately it won't work as a display, but it keeps them as safe as possible, including from scuffs from kids or pets running around, and keeps the dust and sun off of them.
Wait. You're in OHIO? I love your channel. I've been practicing repairing scuffs and scratches. They're OK. But. I'm not ready to work on my Shriver High doc martens....I gough it badly on a fall during my grandma's funeral. And I've been wanting to fix it (I saved up a long time to purchase it. Families are expensive haha...) And I've looked up some cobblers in my area (Cleveland). But I'm nervous to take them there. I'm also nervous on fixing it myself. I've been practicing on my made in England full grains and corrective grain. They look okay, maybe good to the untrain eye. But at the same time I don't trust myself well enough to touch it. I'm sorry for the long narrative. Please consider it !!!
Ps. I've been using a dremel to work on some scratches on my hobby boots. It works amazing. And also I use the dobber brush (meant for shoe polish) to clean my boots/shoes. It works amazing! (2 dollars at Walmart)
What about sizing on these NO ONE ever talks about sizing on shoes
What's your specific question? I can tell you this... I've been keeping my eyes open for a pair of made in the US vintage Florsheim Imperial or Royal Imperials, in shell or calf, on eBay and thrift stores, for seriously for probably 3+4 years. I recently for the FIRST time found a cheap pair in a size I can wear! I can wear an 11.5 or 12 wide or extra wide, and it seems like with these vintage Florshiems you rarely see them in sizes over 11 and rarely in the wide widths. It seems like from my experience and from reading that 30-60 years ago, men generally for some reason had narrower feet. It's weird... narrow widths, like B, A, and even AA or AAA are oddly common on the old (pre-1970) shoes I see in the thrift stores. Check out www.vcleat.com for a BUNCH of amazing vintage shoe info. vcleat is the BEST website on the internet for vintage US shoes.
@@CobblerBob thank you for taking the time to respond when you probably have more important things to do. I am grateful for your time and information really appreciate you!
What is NOS stand for?
"New Old Stock" - it refers to an item that was produced a long time ago, but never used.
Hey Robert, just asking is there any chance that I could use saphir repair cream for fixing the shell cordovan cracks?
Eugene de rock I think it depends on if it’s on an area that flexes or not. I have not personally done any major scratch repair on Shell.
Robert Powers thank you sir!
Robert Powers one more question, can I use rubbing alcohol for strip my thrift shoes? I heard that acetone is dangerous if I don’t have particular mask, I only have some medical mask, maybe alcohol is better for my occasion?
@@dreamonrockon1216 - yes, it depends on what you're trying to achieve. alcohol will take off wax, and is not as harsh as acetone. From my experience alcohol will not take off as much of the color off the leather. The only time I use acetone is if I am going to re-dye the shoe, and I want to take off the wax on top of the shoe AND I want to strip the existing color off too. If your intent is NOT to take off the color off the leather, I use Saphir Renomat. As far as using acetone, I either just open the door right next to my cobbling table and have a small fan blowing out, or I go out to the garage and have a fan there that blows fumes away. For serious jobs I'll pull out the respirator mask from when I painted cars. Saphir Renomat is pretty smelly and bad for you too, although not as bad as acetone. The medical masks will have zero effect on keeping out fumes.
Robert Powers sir, thanks for these huge amount of informations, you helps a lot! Loving your videos too, and I found it’s pretty fun to do the shoe shine or dye your own shoes, and do you think I could use rubbing alcohol to strip the walnut strand only at the cap toe and dye that area to make burnished affect? Or I could strip the whole pair and dye on the captoe, I don’t want the walnut color be removed cause I didn’t buy the walnut dye, I only bought a russet dye for the patina style.
Love shell cordovan, great video, come see my shell cordovan chukka
Hey I'm from Dayton Ohio. Where are you at in Ohio? I'd like to have do a pair of my shoes. Get with me please.
Craig, I'm so sorry for missing your comment. Being a hobby and not my livelyhood, sometimes I get behind. I'm in the Akron area. My email is robertpowers1972 at gmail dot com if you'd like to connect, although I generally don't really take on work but we can chat.
This model of shoe is not really that hard to find, even in good condition. In pristine condition, like these, then yes, very rare. Two things: (1) How do you know these are 1987? It's a post 1973 V-cleat, and the manufacture year ends in a "7", but other than that there's no way to be sure whether they're 1987 or 1977... it could be either year.... and (2) WHY ON EARTH would you put that repulsive commando sole on an elegant, flawless classic longwing like this? You might need your head examined...
So in size 8D it is difficult finding this model in good condition. Most are beat up. In 2 years of searching daily this pair was the only NOS I found. They are super rare in my size. You are correct, it could be either 1977 or 1987 but we just wanted to give the more conservative estimate. My wife tells me I need to get my head examined...not just about shoes...just in general. LOL.
@@albertosuastez1326 Do you still have the heels with the nails and V Cleats?
The soles were not replaced. They were just sanded down a tad to have the rubber guards glued. I do have the top lift of the heels for when/if I do decide to go back to the original state.
Wow; those commando soles are pretty ugly. I would have kept the double leather soles.
hahaha, I know some folks won't like them. You can't actually tell once I have them on. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I was expecting some of this :). Cheers!
LOL