I’ve had a few enquiries recently from readers searching for tie up Bass Weejuns – a rare beast indeed and a different shoe entirely to the also rare Sportocasin (whose roots come directly from 1930s golf shoes).
Sometime ago I posted a pair of already well worn 2 eyelet lace up Weejuns that I found in the later 90s in an LA thrift store. I recently sold those on eBay to a good home, the reason being that last summer, with the help of my trusty LA proxy, I’d picked up a pair of almost deadstock ones (worn once on a surface judging from the soles), very similar but without the boat shoe style side lacing of the last pair.
From the plastic plug and leather heel, and leather stamp on the underside I would imagine these are mid to late 1970s. I’ve seen adverts for the Weejuns range that show this identical model, and certainly Bass had one similar as far back as the 1950s.
For some time I’d considered them a bit too dainty, probably I was too used to wearing heavier lace ups or the warm comfort of suede chukkas. However, a recent purge of the inner recesses of the Weejun wardrobes dug this pair up again.
I really must start wearing them, but first I need to make a fix for the front of the soles. I always have a problem with new leather soles wearing up at the front. For heavier soles I always use toe plates, but for thinner soles such as Weejuns, I’ve found a fix that works well and is non-destructive. On eBay there are a ton of sellers selling an egg shaped non-slip urethane stick on patch that is only 2mm deep (made by 3M – search here). Cut down to size and placed at the front of the sole these seem to work really well, and if they start to unpeel at the front some rubber cement seems to do the trick.



Would like to purchase the Vintage
Vintage Bass Weejun Tie Shoe (by
Vintage Bass Weejuns Tie Shoe (burgundy) Weejun 14 Jan 12. Please help! Shoe listed as (“The Weejun”). GH Bass????
This ain’t a store Darlene.
I used to own a pair of these shoes as they were hugely popular when I was in junior high school in the late 60s. I love them and they lasted nad lasted, then I wore them out. The current bass company, of course, doesn’t have a clue as to what these are. They are kind of funky preppy looking to me now. Glad you found a pair. Wear them in good health.
Suzanne
Thanks Suzanne!
I purchased a pair of these from McCreedy & Schreiber in NYC in the mid 1960’s. They had the grain and we always got our shoes “stained”‘black shoe cream over the brown. They wore and wore and was only discarded because I followed the incoming style. Wish I had them and would certainly purchase a new pair if I could. You should not be surprised that they were advertised in Ebony as these were the shoe (among Playboys) that we wore in East Harlem during that time. Man did we dress in those days: Italian, Hustler, Ivy League and we were only in Jr. High and High School. Thanks for the memories.