Thrifted these. Score or no? Also, now what?

[yoyorobbo]

Hey gents, I thrifted these Florsheims the other day. First off, are they a decent find? They feel pretty substantial, are not seemingly damaged in any real way, and fill the burgundy/cordovan color need in my shoe lineup. I *think* they are considered gunboats, right? Also, are these actual cordovan material? Shoe noob, as you can tell. LOL

The style number, or whatever is 76400, and the the little blue cutaway tag inside reads "THE FLORSHEIM SHOE"; if that helps at all. Here's a pic or two, I hope:





Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, guys.

[yoyorobbo]

And how does one insert the image directly into the post? I did search here on these threads and other sites as well, and thought for sure I did it right, but it still just shows the links, not the pics themselves. Any help?

[greg_s]

Vintage Florsheims are quite nice. Those are cordovan color but not shell cordovan. Regardless, if they were pretty cheap that's a nice find. They appear to be in good condition.

[bremersm]

I recently picked up a pair of Florsheim Royal Imperial longwings that look exactly like the ones you bought but in a lighter (walnut?) color. I will have to post some photos for comparison.

From what I have read the RI line was really good up until the 80s and then Florsheim let quality of all their shoes go to hell.

[yoyorobbo]

Ah, cool. Thanks, greg_s.

They were marked $9, but it was 1/2 off shoe day. So I figured WTH? They are snug, but not too snug (I hope). I usually wear an 11.5 in dress shoes, and these are an 11. Some brands/styles I wear an 11, 11.5, or 12. And of course my Stafford Camlin boots are a (well known) miscalculated size 10. Crazy, there.

OK, so I'm gonna clean 'em up a bit, and condition 'em, then put them on some trees, and see how they do.

Any advice on disinfecting the inside? I have thrifted shirts and jackets before, but not shoes (at least that I can recall at the moment). I get a weird bowling-alley/shoe vibe, thinking that these were on some other stanky feet before mine. Wait... My feet don't stank! - Bu you know what I mean.

[LesserBlackDog]

You can clean the inside by swiping it with a cloth dampened by a solution of rubbing alcohol and water. This should kill any microbes living on the surface. Be careful not to be heavy-handed with this method, as alcohol can be extremely drying to leather. After wiping with the alcohol solution, you may want to "rinse" the inside with a plain damp cloth. A solution of distilled vinegar might be a safer bet, as it will be gentler on the leather than alcohol, though the shoes may smell vinegary for a couple days.

Another trick would be to put them in the freezer for a couple days.

Really, though, I think you're pretty safe with dress shoes like these. People won't have worn them barefoot, and the smooth leather insoles don't really have much place for crud and critters to accumulate (unlike, say, the padded fabric insole of a sneaker).

[NYCToon]

I think that with a little cleaning up those Florsheims are going to look fantastic. great find! I never have luck finding thrifted shoes in NYC as the competition is too great...

[yoyorobbo]

I recently picked up a pair of Florsheim Royal Imperial longwings that look exactly like the ones you bought but in a lighter (walnut?) color. I will have to post some photos for comparison.

Cool, bremersm. I'd like to see those, if you ever get the notion to upload the pics.

[yoyorobbo]

You can clean the inside by swiping it with a cloth dampened by a solution of rubbing alcohol and water. ...

Another trick would be to put them in the freezer for a couple days.

Really, though, I think you're pretty safe with dress shoes like these. People won't have worn them barefoot, and the smooth leather insoles don't really have much place for crud and critters to accumulate (unlike, say, the padded fabric insole of a sneaker).

Hey LesserBlackDog, thanks for the tips! I think I'll try a fairly weak mix to wipe the insides, just to make myself feel better. LOL - I know, I know... just kinda weird feeling slipping them on as is, and wearing them a full day.

I didn't know the freezer would kill any *koodies*... I thought it was only for smells. But thanks for that advice as well.

[yoyorobbo]

I think that with a little cleaning up those Florsheims are going to look fantastic. great find! I never have luck finding thrifted shoes in NYC as the competition is too great...

I bet! Although you probably see a pretty big mix of goods there, I can imagine that the veteran thrifty-gents are on the prowl something fierce in NYC. Better luck the next time you hit the shops!