Florsheim Imperial Massanfertigung Spade Sole, Split-Toe, Alligator Norweger

One of the most elegant and certainly among the most luxurious of all Alligator shoes is this vintage Florsheim Imperial 3-Eyelet, Split-Toe, Norwegian, a Custom Order shoe made at the peak of the firms importance in the 1940s and 1950s and 1960s by the most prestigious shoemaker in America during the last 100 years. Florsheims premiere line for several decades until the 1980s, the Florsheim Imperials -other models to be seen among my other auctions- are the finest shoes ever to be made in America. They compete with the best English and Hungarian shoes for durability and with the best Italian for detail and decoration, although these masterpieces of the shoemakers art may not be compared to the deluge of modern, mass produced, Spanish and Italian Alligator and Lizard Skin shoes, good for a few seasons wear at best. These are by comparison indestructible and become more beautiful with the passage of time. Good used examples are to be found on the market, albeit with some difficulty, when most other shoes of their age have long since perished. It is sad to note that today the old firm of Florsheim is bankrupted out of existence, their good name sold to marketing interests to adorn contemptibly plebian product made off shore. And now to the pair at hand, a Custom Order Alligator Norwegian. Almost all Florsheims shoes were ready made, however their flagship stores in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles had each at certain times one fitter on duty for the custom trade. Measurements