Imperial regal japan
Got this Imperial Regal for $70. I tried to find people talking about this, but rarely found anything.
This shoe is slightly worn, as you can see from the sole. It's not broken in yet. The leather is still stiff.
A bit disappointed. I thought it was a double leather sole, but it's actually a rubber midsole and leather outsole. Which is weird for me. What's the purpose of having a rubber midsole and leather outsole? It gets rid of the benefit of a leather sole. Now it just becomes cosmetic.
I did some research on this vintage Imperial Regal. What I found is that Korean and Japanese Imperial Regal are different.
The Japanese stitching looks cleaner and more detailed.
This longwing is inspired by the gunboat style of Imperial Florsheim, but it's slightly different.
The sizing runs big. I see a lot of sellers selling these because of the sizing. This is a Japan size 26 EE, which should be around a US 8. But it runs big. My Brannock is 9.5 E US. This Imperial Regal fits my feet like a glove, but only with thin socks. And this is before it's even broken in.
The shell cordovan is also very soft to the touch. Weird for me too, since I have an Alden shell cordovan monk strap. The shell on this Imperial Regal feels different.
I did some research and found that this Imperial Regal uses Shinki shell cordovan with water dye. I don't have much experience with it yet.
The lining looks like calfskin or cowhide, but it has a thick coating. Water or leather conditioner can't penetrate it.
What I noticed when I tried to condition the footbed is that it instantly drank it up like a dry sponge. I only put one layer of leather conditioner. It became slightly darker, and I noticed some dark spots around the pores or follicles. I don't know what that means. It looks different from the vegetable-tanned leather I've seen so far. Those usually don't show pores like this.
So I went crazy researching Imperial Regal, the company, and the factory that made them.
Old Regal shoes made in Niigata were made by Chiyoda Shoe Factory. You can search for it on YouTube.
What makes me interested in this region is the brutal winter. It has a reputation for locals having crazy endurance and patience. The workers are also famous for their loyalty and seriousness toward their craft.
So I went crazy researching the materials used inside, especially the toe puff and heel stiffener.
The toe puff is fabric hardened with starch. The toe is slightly firm but still soft. I can push it down and it bounces back.
The heel stiffener is leather board. From what I found from reviews, Japanese forums, and websites, it gets high praise for being a high-quality and durable leather board made with dense leather and resin. Of course, I don't think it can beat a real solid vegetable-tanned leather stiffener.
I think I will wear these for a long time. After the sole wears out, I want to resole them with a real double leather sole, or just use a one-piece sole like Lenz Vibram or GumLite.