Shoes that look better with age...

[superBobo]

Picked up these today

Made by Tretorn for the swedish army, marked "1970".

[Chicken]

^ pretty much any decent cobbler should be able to take care of that for you. but from the pic it looks like you could use a resoling job anyways.

bobo, those look like they are in great condition, esp if they're really from 1970.

[superBobo]

im pretty certain they are, think its was a long time ago since Tretorn made shoes like that. And they are in really good condition, the leather didnt even feel that dry.

[fre-co]

I had no idea tretorn had any history like that! I thought they were just a fashion trainer maker. They look barely touched.

[dunkin deeznuts]

nice tretorns bob, but they do seem a bit "dressy" for your style, but i'm suer you can pull them off

I remember tretorn as tennis shoes, almost like keds, that the girls in my school would wear with shorts and scrunchy socks....kinda preppy/jappy like style.....

[superBobo]

^^ thanks guys, I hope I can pull them off

Tretorn is mainly know for rubber rainboots in Sweden actually, but have made tennis shoes since the 60s or so (and obviously some army contracts). The brand was reintroduced as fashion sneakers not that long ago.

[GregNYC]

what now? can i just take them to any shop or should i watch out for anything?

The toes look pretty worn down. They might have to replace the midsole as well as the bottom layer. I'm kinda picky about which cobbler I go to. A good rule of thumb is, the more old machines you see and hear in back, and the more samples of soles and heels you see on display, especially if mounted on aged wooden boards hanging up on nails, the better a resole will be, 'cause they'll probacly have some old-skool guy who really knows the craft. If they sell a lot of shoes and gloves and watch-bands, I always stay away. Those kinds of cobblers (of which there are lots in NYC) tend not to have as much re-soling stock or variety product on hand, so you get cheap or generic stuff. They hope their business will be augmented by sales.

Around here, I go to one place for a shine, another place for insoles, another place as an Alden specialist, and two other places for world-class old-skool repair and customization.

Picked up these today

Made by Tretorn for the swedish army, marked "1970".

They look very good for their age if the age is 1970. They look super comfortable, and would go well with a down-town, skinny-black-jeans hipster look as well as a Blues Brothers or Men in Black secret agent look. Tretorn is largely known for hunting and tennis. I used to hear about them when I was growing up around San Francisco in the 60's. I associated them mostly with tennis, as a Eurpoean shoe more technical than PF Flyers or Keds or Converse, and before Adidas became popular.

From Tretorn's publicity:

"Established by Henry Dunker at the end of the 19th century, Tretorn has long been a staple in country clubs throughout New England, hunting lodges in Scandinavia and on tennis courts around the world. Always synonymous with dependability and good taste, Tretorn is best known for their technical rubber boots and iconic trainers."

[fre-co]

^as ever, this thread is an education.

[skalogre]

Hmm, those look pretty damn nice for plebeian military gear. They look immaculate, too! Nice catch superbobo!

Thanks for the RMW catalogue photos, chaps. I am resisting the temptation (so far at least) to add another pair of Craftsman boots to my two pairs of RMWs. At least I am stuck on what colour and sole to choose so I keep putting it off!

Has anyone else noticed that the boots on the cover look to have much sleeker waisting than the typical examples? Or is it just the way the cover photograph makes them look? Because I'll be damned if I would not love some tighter waists on those chelseas...yumm....

[theetruscan]

Hmm, those look pretty damn nice for plebeian military gear. They look immaculate, too! Nice catch superbobo!

Thanks for the RMW catalogue photos, chaps. I am resisting the temptation (so far at least) to add another pair of Craftsman boots to my two pairs of RMWs. At least I am stuck on what colour and sole to choose so I keep putting it off!

Has anyone else noticed that the boots on the cover look to have much sleeker waisting than the typical examples? Or is it just the way the cover photograph makes them look? Because I'll be damned if I would not love some tighter waists on those chelseas...yumm....

According to Sator (on Ask Andy and Styleforum), getting metal pegs instead of the goodyear welt slims the shoes down a lot. Nungar and bootsonline will both do MTO with his specifications for a sleeker shoe for something like 1/2 the cost RM Williams charges.

[skalogre]

According to Sator (on Ask Andy and Styleforum), getting metal pegs instead of the goodyear welt slims the shoes down a lot. Nungar and bootsonline will both do MTO with his specifications for a sleeker shoe for something like 1/2 the cost RM Williams charges.

Yes, you're right, I know - but while the SF Special MTO boot reduces the welt I do not remember seeing the waisting being as severe as these here. Anyhow, the brass screwed sole boot is another option I am looking at for RMW #3 but my legendary indecisiveness when purchasing things is slowing down my progress tremendously. Good for my VISA card

[GregNYC]

Has anyone else noticed that the boots on the cover look to have much sleeker waisting than the typical examples? Or is it just the way the cover photograph makes them look? Because I'll be damned if I would not love some tighter waists on those chelseas...yumm....

They almost look photoshopped...

[barwag]

^^ thanks guys, I hope I can pull them off

Tretorn is mainly know for rubber rainboots in Sweden actually, but have made tennis shoes since the 60s or so (and obviously some army contracts). The brand was reintroduced as fashion sneakers not that long ago.

i have a pair of Tretorn Tournament, from -65 or -56 something, not sure. the guy at the second-hand shop i got them from told me they were used by the army aswell. now, they look like they would smell bad.

[GregNYC]

Wow, I wonder if we have a lot of countries represented on this thread....

[fre-co]

I had a moment of weakness in Crockett & Jones today. Pictures tomorrow.

[Chicken]

^ your weakness is our gain!

hmm, greg, maybe i should post my boots from argentina, just for the diversity sake. leicalad covered us pretty well, i think, too.

[GregNYC]

Chicken, I was atually thinking about the members more than the shoes, but if you add that, then we are definitely all over the place!

[Chicken]

well then, here are my lopez taibo boots, purchased in argentina.

they're marked 6 1/2, but their measurements are different. they're more like 8 US.

[flex0r]

those are nice chicken! and they have my last name. are they pretty comfortable? and i'm guessing febo is another outsole maker?

[Calden]

I had a moment of weakness in Crockett & Jones today. Pictures tomorrow.

I just got the Crockett & Jones catalog in the mail two days ago, I'm screwed. The catalog is free by the way, if anyone is interested... LINK

[fre-co]

As promised, photos of my momentary lack of self control in Jermyn Street yesterday.

[beatle]

These look sharp...

[grilled cheese]

razor sharp bwai! nice pickup...

[Chicken]

fresco, those are nice. it's amazing they're 9E and still look so narrow. greg's c&j was like that too, iirc.

those are nice chicken! and they have my last name. are they pretty comfortable? and i'm guessing febo is another outsole maker?

yeah, i think febo is an outsole maker, maybe just over there? the shoes, unfortunately, came very narrow so they're a bit on the uncomfortable side for my wide feet. i heard the argentine shoes are generally narrow, fyi. but with the conversion rate of pesos, i think i got a very good deal, at the end of the day. (1/2 to 1/3 of what i would've paid in the US.)

[GregNYC]

As promised, photos of my momentary lack of self control in Jermyn Street yesterday.

Gorgeous! I might have to order these too. The sole, heel and waist are so beautiful, they almost look better than the uppers. It's like a shame to wear them - almost!

As much as I love C & J shoes and talk about them, some of the best ideas came from you guys right here, posting models that the NYC store doesn't carry.

[kenthenoob]

could anyone tell me how the red wing 8138 fit compared with the 1911?

i wear an 11 in most vans, and when i had the 1911 in 11, they felt a full size big.

[twistedtrees]

could anyone tell me how the red wing 8138 fit compared with the 1911?

i wear an 11 in most vans, and when i had the 1911 in 11, they felt a full size big.

I have a 9 1/2 in U.S. sizing in the 8138's. They fit pretty snug, but I can still wear some really thick socks with them. They are definitely on the big side. For reference, I wear a

9 1/2 chuck taylor

10 vans sk8 hi

10.5 nike dunk sb

and usually a 10 or 10.5 in everything else, although I do have a couple shoes that run 11.

Hope this helps.

[kenthenoob]

thanks twistedtrees. looks like it'd be best for me to try them on at a store. i'd get them from zappos with their free return, but they don't have the color i want in my size :|

thanks

[theetruscan]

fresco, those are nice. it's amazing they're 9E and still look so narrow. greg's c&j was like that too, iirc.

Well, 9E from Jermyn street means it's UK sizes so it's 9.5/10 D, which is a much narrower shape than 9E us.

Don't forget about Plal if you're picking up C&J. Steep discount on handgrades, great customer service.

[GregNYC]

Here are some more Alden Cigar Shell Cordovan photos, and some Indy photos down below.

Both the Indy and the chukka boot:

Indies: