Last month I bought a pair of Made in USA Bostonian shoes on eBay. Yep, another pair of Long Wings. I do have other styles! I will post other styles soon. But not today.
Like most eBay listings, the photos were mediocre so I wasn’t quite sure what I bought until I opened the shipping box. And when I did, the shoes looked great and were basically brand new. Nice find!
I have no way to date them but the logo looks very 1980ish.
The shoe workmanship is excellent. They have Alden-like construction but the leather doesn’t feel as buttery as Alden shoes. The upper is a thick, highly texturized pebble grain with subtle antiquing in various places. It has a leather storm welt and double leather soles. They are fully lined with soft, glove leather.
One of the first things I noticed about the shoes was that they were almost identical in construction to a pair of Hanover LB Sheppard Long Wings I have. The medallion was the same, both have 6 eyelets and “COMFORT ARCH” system, and the stitching had the same pattern. The main difference was the soles, the Hanover has a Goodyear rubber sole while the Bostonian has a leather sole with v-cleat. Hanover LB Sheppard shoes are very good so that was a pleasant surprise. According to Wikipedia, Clarks bought Hanover Shoes in 1978 and then Bostonian in 1979. So that is how the companies are tied together.
Below are some photos of a black Hanover LB Sheppard for comparison.
Enjoy the photos.
Related posts:
Freeman Bootmaker Guild Long Wing Blucher
Foot-So-Port S4691 Long Wing Blucher
Vintage Bostonian Flexaire Wingtip
1962 Bostonian Shoe Catalog Part 1
1962 Bostonian Shoe Catalog Part 2
Bostonian Crown Windsor Shell Cordovan 23319
Florsheim Long Wing Models
Lloyd & Haig Custom Built Long Wing Bluchers
I have a pair of Bostonians #25738, long wingtip Oxfords that are very similar to the #25736. There are are no markings on where they were made. Is it safe to assume they were made in the USA?
Yes, definitely made in the USA
Looking at a Bostonians (with the s) 5736 Long Wing Blucher Made in the USA. Would that be from the 1960s?
Probably. The 60s version definitely used a 4 digit code. But I am not sure when that ended. See if you can find the pair in the Bostonian catalog I scanned: https://vcleat.com/1962-bostonian-shoe-catalog-part-1/
Thanks for the quick response. I think the closest in the catalog is a 5564 flexaire brogue. Drawing looks very similar.
Sometimes you get lucky! Just bought a pair of 25736 at a thrift store. New, never worn. Size 8 1/2 D. These look just as solid as my Florsheim and AE’s
Lucky find! Those are nice.
May I go slightly off-topic to ask about Dexter (made in U.S.A.) LWBs? Were the uppers bonded leather or corrected grain leather? I’m not quite sure that they are full-grain. I’m also not sure when mine were made. One pair was made for Sibley’s, which I believe is a department store in Detroit.
Dexter uppers were corrected grain for the most part, but they were well made and good-looking. They last forever.
According to one of Robert Powers’ videos, Bostonians are now making a premium ($400-plus) line of shoes in the USA. Do you know anything about these?
Those were made in the former P.W. Minor factory in Batavia, New York. They just made them for a year or two. I need to find a pair.
You’re right. I went back and looked at the video. It was made in 2018.
Nice! Long Wing and Storm Welt! Two boxes I have yet to check in my shoe collection.
How is the fit on these? I’m usually an E size but have found some of these chunkier longwings to fit more like an E even when in D.