Tuesday Tips: Buying Vintage Shoes

It's no secret that I love vintage shoes - not for buying and admiring, but for buying and wearing. At first buying vintage shoes online without trying them on may seem daunting, but with a few tips it can be easier than buying new shoes.

My Latest Acquisitions (top clockwise): Vegan Red Patent Mary Janes by Naturalizer, Burgundy and Black Leather Mary Janes by Creation Dorian, Brown and Black Leather Mary Janes by Personality 

With my pregnancy, my feet have swollen. This means that most of my vintage shoe collection doesn't fit my feet at the moment, which makes me very sad. Rather than dwell on it, I decided I'd get a few more pairs of shoes that I can wear now.

1. Determine if the shoes are odor-free. You don't want a pair of shoes that smell of mothballs or cigarettes. These smells are almost impossible to get rid of. Check store policies and ask.
2. If a photo of the toe box is not shown, ask the seller for one. You want an insole that's in one piece. Loose insoles are easily repairable, so don't leave a pair of cute shoes on the shelf if that's the only flaw.
3. Ask if the shoes have been repaired previously. If they have, what repairs were made? If the leather has torn previously and been fixed, be cautious, it may tear there again.
4. Use the marked size as a guideline, go by measurements instead. If measurements are not provided, ask for the following lengths and widths:
• Heel height
• Length of insole from toe to heel
• Interior width of toe box
• Outer width of toe box measured from the sole
• Length of sole from toe to heel
5. One last tip: be sure to check a store's policies. Some, not all, will let you return your finds if they don't fit. 

To determine if a shoe's measurements will work for you, measure a similar pair of shoes you already own. For my recent Mary Jane purchases, I compared their measurements against a pair of Via Spiga Mary Janes that I owned.

Now that I've demystified shopping for vintage shoes, happy hunting!

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: Etsy product images taken by their respective sellers (top clockwise): Secret Lake, Maryika Vintage, and Fox and Fawns. All other images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair. All collages created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair.