Great article, John! I have a pair of Alden Indy boots in color 8 shell that I absolutely love! I agree with your selection of the Allen Edmonds as the best option for DC's derbies; fantastic job as always!
SHELL INDYS!!! Grail boots! I just have pair in CXL, but I love them. For anyone that doesn't know the boots Bobby has, they're these:
Thanks, John, for this latest article. I've never given much consideration to wingtip derbys, but you've convinced me. I enjoyed reading about the background of these shoes, your passion has certainly made this a post I'll regularly visit for reference.
Btw, Banana Republic will be having their 50% off friends and family event next weekend, August 15-19, so those shoes will be a steal!
Thanks, John, for this latest article. I've never given much consideration to wingtip derbys, but you've convinced me. I enjoyed reading about the background of these shoes, your passion has certainly made this a post I'll regularly visit for reference.
Btw, Banana Republic will be having their 50% off friends and family event next weekend, August 15-19, so those shoes will be a steal!
I'm really glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for sharing that BR code!
As for how to wear the shoes: take a look at any of the photos of Craig wearing the C&J Islays or Skye boots. You can swap in wingtip derbys for those looks. There's also a lot of inspiration on IG and Pinterest with guys wearing them with jeans, cords, etc.
I didn't mention it in the post, but a great place to look for more affordable shell cordovan is on Ebay. Alden shell (even used) still goes for over $300. Instead, look for Florsheim Imperial 93605, Hanover 2351, Nettleton shell, or search "vintage shell cordovan". Because those brands are less popular than Alden, if you're patient you can score a pair in excellent condition for well under $150.00. And (IMHO) many of those vintage shoes from the 1970s and 80s are as well made (if not better!) than what you can get today. Better quality shell, better craftsmanship with more stitches per inch, etc.
And this is an amazing website with tons of resources dealing with buying vintage shoes, maintaining and restoring them. David, who owns the website, is an absolute master at his craft:
In case anyone is put off by the idea of buying used shoes, I'll just share this. I enter a few shoe restoration contests each year (I'm a geek). Here is a pair that I entered in a contest last year. These ones are Florsheim Imperial 93602s from 1966.
Before:
Halfway through the restoration process
And final result
So if you do get a pair in excellent condition, you can bring them back to almost like new with very little effort.
Thanks, John, for this latest article. I've never given much consideration to wingtip derbys, but you've convinced me. I enjoyed reading about the background of these shoes, your passion has certainly made this a post I'll regularly visit for reference.
Btw, Banana Republic will be having their 50% off friends and family event next weekend, August 15-19, so those shoes will be a steal!
I'm really glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for sharing that BR code!
As for how to wear the shoes: take a look at any of the photos of Craig wearing the C&J Islays or Skye boots. You can swap in wingtip derbys for those looks. There's also a lot of inspiration on IG and Pinterest with guys wearing them with jeans, cords, etc.
I didn't mention it in the post, but a great place to look for more affordable shell cordovan is on Ebay. Alden shell (even used) still goes for over $300. Instead, look for Florsheim Imperial 93605, Hanover 2351, Nettleton shell, or search "vintage shell cordovan". Because those brands are less popular than Alden, if you're patient you can score a pair in excellent condition for well under $150.00. And (IMHO) many of those vintage shoes from the 1970s and 80s are as well made (if not better!) than what you can get today. Better quality shell, better craftsmanship with more stitches per inch, etc.
And this is an amazing website with tons of resources dealing with buying vintage shoes, maintaining and restoring them. David, who owns the website, is an absolute master at his craft:
In case anyone is put off by the idea of buying used shoes, I'll just share this. I enter a few shoe restoration contests each year (I'm a geek). Here is a pair that I entered in a contest last year. These ones are Florsheim Imperial 93602s from 1966.
Before:
Halfway through the restoration process
And final result
So if you do get a pair in excellent condition, you can bring them back to almost like new with very little effort.
These are my color 8 shell Indy boots. They were a special run that Brick and Mortar in Seattle did with Alden. They're on the Truebalance last and have a commando sole and antique welt. They are absolutely fantastic boots!
Bobby: I did all the restoration work on the shoes, including the soles. They were a pain in the a$$
Waouhhhh.......really, really impressive !!! Now, I know why it can be a good idea to buy some high quality shoes.....you know that in several years, even if they seem completely "destroyed", you can bring them to life
Without indiscretion : what is the amount of time for such a renovation and what is the average cost of it (depending on what final result you're expecting I guess !!!) ?
Bobby: I did all the restoration work on the shoes, including the soles. They were a pain in the a$$
Waouhhhh.......really, really impressive !!! Now, I know why it can be a good idea to buy some high quality shoes.....you know that in several years, even if they seem completely "destroyed", you can bring them to life
Without indiscretion : what is the amount of time for such a renovation and what is the average cost of it (depending on what final result you're expecting I guess !!!) ?
Fred
Thanks! And I agree with you 100%: quality shoes (especially in classic styles you know aren't going to change much over time) are definitely worth the investment. Even when we talk about things like higher end construction methods like Goodyear welting, there are differences. For example, machine welting is much more common today because (in general) the leather we get today is thinner. So it can't handle the trenching, the hole punching and higher number of stitches per inch that are required and can be achieved by hand welting a shoe. If you tried to hand welt most leathers today, they'd rip along the stitch lines like perforated paper towel because the stitch holes would be too close together for them to handle. When you look at older shoes, with thicker higher quality leathers, the craftsmen were able to achieve 12, 15, sometimes even 18 stitches per inch. Now? It's closer to 8 to 10 per inch. So the shoes simply don't look as refined.
Here's an example of what I mean. The top ones are my black shell vintage Florsheims from 1968. They were in amazing shape and I paid about $90 for them from a friend. 14 stitches per inch and double row:
And these are my more recent Alden shells that currently retail for about $750. 8 stitches per inch, single row:
For me, the idea of buying vintage shoes in near new condition isn't about trying to get something cheap. They really just don't make them like they used to, so you're actually getting superior shoes and boots.
For the shoes I restored, I didn't pay anything for the shoes themselves. They were in a donation bin and the church was more than happy that I took them. For the restoration contests, we look for the most beaten pairs. Makes the before/after more dramatic.
The materials to do the work aren't expensive: sandpaper in different grits; conditioner (I use Bick 4, which is about $15, although I really like the Pure Polish stuff as well and Saphir, which is awesome for shell cordovan, but expensive); polishes and waxes in different colors (about $8 to $10 a jar for the good stuff); alcohol and activated charcoal for sterilization; rags for cleaning, cream and wax application and polishing (I use old t-shirts and women's nylon pantyhose, so those are free). All of that is maybe a $50 or $60 initial investment? But of course the products can be used for many pairs of shoes. Probably the most expensive things are going to be shoe trees and good horsehair brushes. If you had a shoe kit with those things, you'd be able to handle 95% of the work you'd need to do to a pair in very good to excellent shape that you could buy off Ebay.
When you want to do bigger changes, like change the color or strip off old acrylic top coats, then you may need use a stronger chemical, like Saphir renomat. That's about $15 or $20 for a small jar. And proper shoe dyes (like Fiebing's) can cost $8 to $10 for a small bottle that will only finish one pair of shoes.
As for time: that pair was a pretty big undertaking. The were done over the course of 5 weeks, and I probably put in about 30 hours actually working on them. But it's like an hour here, 2 hours there. When you're doing the restoration, there's a lot of waiting for things to dry, which can take 2 to 3 days for some steps. The biggest job was the soles. Old Florsheims have that metal V-cleat in the heel and a distinctive 5 nail pattern on the sole that I wanted to preserve. So it took a ton of hand sanding to get them smooth and then apply the dyes and finishes. Maybe 5 to 6 hours per sole in total?
Sorry, I'll stop babbling now and let everyone get back to cool Bond finds! Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
DanBond11: I'm probably going to feel like an idiot for asking this, but why soak it in coffee to change the color? Is it to give it more of a vintage feel?
This one is a bit of a passion post for me. I'm a shoe guy, and I the wingtip derby is one of my favorite styles. So I had a lot of fun digging into the topic and sharing some info about shell cordovan.
Cheers!
John
My Instagram is DanBond. I think I follow you, I’ll tag you in my post.
The real Spectre NATO is black + dark grey.
Most of the knock offs are black + baby blue.
When you soak it in coffee it not only darkens it but gives it this vintage look.
This one covers general strategies and mainly uses Craig Bond as an example. But I'll be updating the other posts over the next 2 weeks, and those get into some Bond style from all the films.
Seiko just released a brand new line of Seiko 5 divers that look tremendous. New logo and a revamp of the SKX007. Several options that look like slam dunks for alternatives!
DanBond11: I'm probably going to feel like an idiot for asking this, but why soak it in coffee to change the color? Is it to give it more of a vintage feel?
This one is a bit of a passion post for me. I'm a shoe guy, and I the wingtip derby is one of my favorite styles. So I had a lot of fun digging into the topic and sharing some info about shell cordovan.
Cheers!
John
The Crockett & Jones Pembroke are also often worn by the title character in Ray Donovan (one of my favourite TV shows).
And some great work on the old pair of shoes that you restored-I'm really impressed!
Happy Hump Day! I've updated the Affordable Bond Wardrobe post on shirts and sweaters. Probably nothing new for you guys here. But I go into more details about getting the right fits
Looks right to me, the lapel would probably roll over that third button judging by how it looks in the photo and the description mentions it's a wool linen silk fabric, can't tell if it's half lined or not but that's deep detail stuff haha
Timeyswirls: Wow! That's a hell of deal! And I'm always amazed at how Saks and Nordstrom can take some of the nicest fitting clothing and make them look like absolutely garbage. The both need to fire their product photographers.
New Post! 7 Bond inspired jackets and coats for the fall:
Timeyswirls: Wow! That's a hell of deal! And I'm always amazed at how Saks and Nordstrom can take some of the nicest fitting clothing and make them look like absolutely garbage. The both need to fire their product photographers.
New Post! 7 Bond inspired jackets and coats for the fall:
Great post. I've been searching high and low for a substitute for the CR overcoat. Unfortunately Debenham's US site doesn't make the coat available. I know that some of you in the UK use services to buy goods only available in the US. Is there something like that which operates in the opposite direction?
Great post. I've been searching high and low for a substitute for the CR overcoat. Unfortunately Debenham's US site doesn't make the coat available. I know that some of you in the UK use services to buy goods only available in the US. Is there something like that which operates in the opposite direction?
Thanks! And if you can't find a service to get that one for Debenhams, don't worry too much. I'll have a dedicated post on Bond overcoats/topcoats coming in late September with more options.
Two other things I'll quickly add: I looked everywhere for alternatives for Bond's Hotel Splendide arrival coat (that single breasted trench/mac) and almost everything with a belt is double breasted. I'll keep looking, but I was serious when I said that one from Hockerty looks like a good deal. I've never seen their work so I can't speak on the quality, but the details look pretty good.
The other thing is the inclusion of Lopez Aragon on the list. Having to register for their site is a pain in the a$$. And I spoke to the owner about it and he gave his reasons: he really wants to focus on the designs and making the best pieces he can. So he wants to keep his clientele more exclusive. His feeling is that if someone takes the time to create an account, they are probably very interested in seeing his creations. Which I guess makes sense in a way. Anyway, you didn't hear from me, but on the account creation form, where it asks for an ID number, just type in any random numbers. It works. I've had an account with them for almost a year now and I've received zero spam from them. Lopez Aragon isn't paying me or anything. I just really like their designs and quality for the price and now that they can ship internationally I think their pieces are worth sharing.
Had a great time being a guest on the From Tailors With Love podcast yesterday with Matt Spaiser. Thanks again for the invitation! If anyone wants to listen, here's the link:
Had a great time being a guest on the From Tailors With Love podcast yesterday with Matt Spaiser. Thanks again for the invitation! If anyone wants to listen, here's the link:
Comments
SHELL INDYS!!! Grail boots! I just have pair in CXL, but I love them. For anyone that doesn't know the boots Bobby has, they're these:
Going to need some pics of yours on IG!
Btw, Banana Republic will be having their 50% off friends and family event next weekend, August 15-19, so those shoes will be a steal!
I'm really glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for sharing that BR code!
As for how to wear the shoes: take a look at any of the photos of Craig wearing the C&J Islays or Skye boots. You can swap in wingtip derbys for those looks. There's also a lot of inspiration on IG and Pinterest with guys wearing them with jeans, cords, etc.
I didn't mention it in the post, but a great place to look for more affordable shell cordovan is on Ebay. Alden shell (even used) still goes for over $300. Instead, look for Florsheim Imperial 93605, Hanover 2351, Nettleton shell, or search "vintage shell cordovan". Because those brands are less popular than Alden, if you're patient you can score a pair in excellent condition for well under $150.00. And (IMHO) many of those vintage shoes from the 1970s and 80s are as well made (if not better!) than what you can get today. Better quality shell, better craftsmanship with more stitches per inch, etc.
This website lists shell cordovan model numbers by maker to help you if you're searching
https://shellcordovanmodels.com/
And this is an amazing website with tons of resources dealing with buying vintage shoes, maintaining and restoring them. David, who owns the website, is an absolute master at his craft:
http://vcleat.com/
In case anyone is put off by the idea of buying used shoes, I'll just share this. I enter a few shoe restoration contests each year (I'm a geek). Here is a pair that I entered in a contest last year. These ones are Florsheim Imperial 93602s from 1966.
Before:
Halfway through the restoration process
And final result
So if you do get a pair in excellent condition, you can bring them back to almost like new with very little effort.
Cheers!
Those look incredible! Who did the sole?
WOW! I am super impressed, they look amazing!
Waouhhhh.......really, really impressive !!! Now, I know why it can be a good idea to buy some high quality shoes.....you know that in several years, even if they seem completely "destroyed", you can bring them to life
Without indiscretion : what is the amount of time for such a renovation and what is the average cost of it (depending on what final result you're expecting I guess !!!) ?
Fred
Thanks! And I agree with you 100%: quality shoes (especially in classic styles you know aren't going to change much over time) are definitely worth the investment. Even when we talk about things like higher end construction methods like Goodyear welting, there are differences. For example, machine welting is much more common today because (in general) the leather we get today is thinner. So it can't handle the trenching, the hole punching and higher number of stitches per inch that are required and can be achieved by hand welting a shoe. If you tried to hand welt most leathers today, they'd rip along the stitch lines like perforated paper towel because the stitch holes would be too close together for them to handle. When you look at older shoes, with thicker higher quality leathers, the craftsmen were able to achieve 12, 15, sometimes even 18 stitches per inch. Now? It's closer to 8 to 10 per inch. So the shoes simply don't look as refined.
Here's an example of what I mean. The top ones are my black shell vintage Florsheims from 1968. They were in amazing shape and I paid about $90 for them from a friend. 14 stitches per inch and double row:
And these are my more recent Alden shells that currently retail for about $750. 8 stitches per inch, single row:
For me, the idea of buying vintage shoes in near new condition isn't about trying to get something cheap. They really just don't make them like they used to, so you're actually getting superior shoes and boots.
For the shoes I restored, I didn't pay anything for the shoes themselves. They were in a donation bin and the church was more than happy that I took them. For the restoration contests, we look for the most beaten pairs. Makes the before/after more dramatic.
The materials to do the work aren't expensive: sandpaper in different grits; conditioner (I use Bick 4, which is about $15, although I really like the Pure Polish stuff as well and Saphir, which is awesome for shell cordovan, but expensive); polishes and waxes in different colors (about $8 to $10 a jar for the good stuff); alcohol and activated charcoal for sterilization; rags for cleaning, cream and wax application and polishing (I use old t-shirts and women's nylon pantyhose, so those are free). All of that is maybe a $50 or $60 initial investment? But of course the products can be used for many pairs of shoes. Probably the most expensive things are going to be shoe trees and good horsehair brushes. If you had a shoe kit with those things, you'd be able to handle 95% of the work you'd need to do to a pair in very good to excellent shape that you could buy off Ebay.
When you want to do bigger changes, like change the color or strip off old acrylic top coats, then you may need use a stronger chemical, like Saphir renomat. That's about $15 or $20 for a small jar. And proper shoe dyes (like Fiebing's) can cost $8 to $10 for a small bottle that will only finish one pair of shoes.
As for time: that pair was a pretty big undertaking. The were done over the course of 5 weeks, and I probably put in about 30 hours actually working on them. But it's like an hour here, 2 hours there. When you're doing the restoration, there's a lot of waiting for things to dry, which can take 2 to 3 days for some steps. The biggest job was the soles. Old Florsheims have that metal V-cleat in the heel and a distinctive 5 nail pattern on the sole that I wanted to preserve. So it took a ton of hand sanding to get them smooth and then apply the dyes and finishes. Maybe 5 to 6 hours per sole in total?
Sorry, I'll stop babbling now and let everyone get back to cool Bond finds! Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
My Instagram is DanBond. I think I follow you, I’ll tag you in my post.
The real Spectre NATO is black + dark grey.
Most of the knock offs are black + baby blue.
When you soak it in coffee it not only darkens it but gives it this vintage look.
Saw it! Looks great, thanks for sharing that! -{
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2016/02/18/how-to-dress-like-james-bond/
This one covers general strategies and mainly uses Craig Bond as an example. But I'll be updating the other posts over the next 2 weeks, and those get into some Bond style from all the films.
Cheers!
Seiko just released a brand new line of Seiko 5 divers that look tremendous. New logo and a revamp of the SKX007. Several options that look like slam dunks for alternatives!
The Crockett & Jones Pembroke are also often worn by the title character in Ray Donovan (one of my favourite TV shows).
And some great work on the old pair of shoes that you restored-I'm really impressed!
Jellyfish: Cool! I like really like his style in that show. And thanks for the comment on the shoes!
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2019/08/11/4-ways-to-wear-the-james-bond-navy-blazer/
I have to admit that my research into current Italian designers kind of influenced some of these looks :v
Cheers!
John
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2016/02/17/affordable-bond-wardrobe-shirts-sweaters/
Lots more coming this week! Cheers! {[]
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2019/08/16/the-james-bond-wardrobe-pants-belts/
I should have the post on Bond jackets ready for Sunday!
Cheers!
John
https://m.saksoff5th.com/pd.jsp?productCode=0400098767079&R=400988737125&P_name=Brunello+Cucinelli&Ntt=brunello+cucinelli&N=0+4294956005&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302023839
Looks right to me, the lapel would probably roll over that third button judging by how it looks in the photo and the description mentions it's a wool linen silk fabric, can't tell if it's half lined or not but that's deep detail stuff haha
New Post! 7 Bond inspired jackets and coats for the fall:
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2019/08/18/7-essential-james-bond-jackets-for-fall/
Have a great Sunday!
John
Great post. I've been searching high and low for a substitute for the CR overcoat. Unfortunately Debenham's US site doesn't make the coat available. I know that some of you in the UK use services to buy goods only available in the US. Is there something like that which operates in the opposite direction?
Thanks! And if you can't find a service to get that one for Debenhams, don't worry too much. I'll have a dedicated post on Bond overcoats/topcoats coming in late September with more options.
Two other things I'll quickly add: I looked everywhere for alternatives for Bond's Hotel Splendide arrival coat (that single breasted trench/mac) and almost everything with a belt is double breasted. I'll keep looking, but I was serious when I said that one from Hockerty looks like a good deal. I've never seen their work so I can't speak on the quality, but the details look pretty good.
The other thing is the inclusion of Lopez Aragon on the list. Having to register for their site is a pain in the a$$. And I spoke to the owner about it and he gave his reasons: he really wants to focus on the designs and making the best pieces he can. So he wants to keep his clientele more exclusive. His feeling is that if someone takes the time to create an account, they are probably very interested in seeing his creations. Which I guess makes sense in a way. Anyway, you didn't hear from me, but on the account creation form, where it asks for an ID number, just type in any random numbers. It works. I've had an account with them for almost a year now and I've received zero spam from them. Lopez Aragon isn't paying me or anything. I just really like their designs and quality for the price and now that they can ship internationally I think their pieces are worth sharing.
Cheers!
I'll update with photos when they arrive
New post! The next part of the affordable Bond wardrobe series, this one is focused on suits.
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2019/08/20/the-affordable-james-bond-wardrobe-suits/
Much more of a "how to" guide, so I hope some of you find something useful in it!
Cheers!
John
From the pic name I'd gather they are G Star Raw. Hopefully ellipsis97 will chime in with a model and link.
http://fromtailorswithlove.libsyn.com/34-how-steve-mcqueen-has-influenced-daniel-craig
Cheers!
Yes was good. Thanks for all your hard work