There's something about a pair of vintage Edward Green shoes that I'm just unable to resist, especially when there's tons of broguing involved and the price is under $100. There's also something about Edward Green's various shades of brown - they really do get better with age. Of course, you don't have to take my word for it - in this case, we'll let a vintage pair of Edward Green's do all of the talking.
Nordstrom sold Edward Green shoes in the mid-1980s which were re-branded for Nordstrom and stamped on the insole with the "Made in England" designation. Most of the models that I've seen that were made for Nordstrom included the Malvern, the incomparable Windsor, as well as the wonderful Braemar which I picked up recently. Essentially a pair of Falkirks with the additional thistle or floral motif at the center of the uppers, my understanding is that these models were based on a design lifted from the Peal & Co. archives and dates back to the 1930s.
The leather was a bit scuffed and dried out when I came into the possession, but luckily there didn't appear to be cracking. So, armed with my trust shoe care kit and a few ounces of Saphyr Renovateur and Leather Balm, I set about trying to restore a bit of the luster to the dark oak uppers. After a bit of buffing, the richness of the leather patina began to shine through in the toe box and near the quarters.
These days, most Edward Green shoes come with a nice bit of burnishing that gets better with time. Back in the mid-eighties, the leather of the Edward Green offerings had a much more even tone - the patina developed over time based on use, wear, etc. as in the case of these lovely examples of the craftsmanship and durability from the early years of John Hlustik's stewardship of the venerable house of Edward Green.
A beautiful pair you have there! I found a similar pair of Edward Green for Nordstrom at a thrift shop a couple years back. I have a lot of shoes, some of them very nice, but the pair of Edward Greens are so exquisitely constructe. The finess of the stitching, the sharpness and accuracy of the pinking and broguing; it's simply unmatched! On top of all of that, the leather they used was absolutely flawless. Even after 40 years, it's smooth, strong and supple, almost entirely without pores even! I hope you enjoy those beauties, as I enjoy mine. In fact, I need to wear mine more often, as I seem to save them for special occasion, which is wasteful. I think I will make an effort to work them into a more usual rotation, now that the rainy season is gone.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post, even if it was 10 years ago!