Allllrat!! That's great to hear! 🤘🏻

Do you have the originals or the c.'97 reish?

^ Oli I've got a stock pile of Yumas, they suit my foot shape and used to be quite easy to find.
60's Imperials (black cordovan and burgundy calf) , 70's suede model, I think all the sensible re-issues ( Imperial and the unlined calf version for Beams+ but not the black with a white vamp or camo suede tho') and two pair of Langford's the attempt at renaming them in the mid 2000's.

They may be another re-issue on the cards,
John Simons was sounded out by a Florsheim rep about stocking them exclusively in Europe.

Your Yumas (saw them the Roll Call FB group) sure looked like the 'reissues'. I have those too in shell cordo and will check the stamp and let you know so you can compare.

I have an older pair of black Yumas, also shell, and they are a far slimmer shoe than the newer version.

So tough to date shoes by construction alone as so little changes over the decades.

The older Yumas have a narrower heel. I'll try to get some side-by-side pics uploaded.

This is the best info I can drum up,
The first Yumas were unlined calf (with no stitching/perfing seam across the top of the vamp) and in the standard range of Florsheim shoes in the late 50s. A suede model in this style first appeared in '63ish.

The first of the cordovan lined versions, the  'Florsheim Imperial' came along in the early 60s . the writing along the length of the insole will read "The Florsheim Shoe Company 'Imperial Quality'" and have a cutaway oval with a logo in the side lining. The heels were leather with a rubber back quarter.

The second version of cordovan arrived early in the early 70's ( thro' to about 83/84) and the first to have the "Royal Imperial" tag on the shoe and packaging. The insole will read "Royal Imperial Florsheim Shoe" across the width of the insole and early ones have the oval cutaway with logo - later ones have a stamped print on the side wall.  They have a Florsheim branded rubber heel. This is the version of shoe copied for the late 90s reissue.

The reissue  'Royal Imperial' versions  from 97/98 copy the 70s version on the upper and insole, but have a leather/rubber combo heel like the 60s model. The later Japanese re-issues  (early 2000s) have a whole rubber heel.

The later Langsford and 'non Imperial' Yuma reissues are a version of the unlined (no vamp stitch) Yuma, both have a few issues with quality of hand stitching on the upper and also the sole/welt stitching ,but both are easily and cheaply sorted by a decent cobbler.

^ I can't take credit for the info, that's down to some Japanese shoe obsessives.

I will take credit for 'interpreting' the Google Translate from the Japanese documents into 'not crazy' ( example " the thumbless glove like fit makes extra happiness for some" or " shoe shaped foot profile helps with fitting" )

I spied those too Oli, also with duty would make them an obscene purchase - but they are wonderful for sure.

What size are you mon capitain? hint hint x

Ha ha ha, you hairy toed she beast, way too big for my delicate frame!! I keep looking for some but unless some rock up on these shores, i'll either look when in the US next or go without.

I usually find a little patience can pay off.

Last edited by stanshall (2015-11-12 22:41:17)

/\  congrats you madman ... who here takes the same size as you and has to see your scores every day?  haha they've got to be going insane no matter what they're telling themselves

Oh, so did I man. It was way overpriced. I think I may have even posted it in the eBay thread. It took months of talking this guy down to something resembling a reasonable price - through a direct sale, circumventing eBay.