For those Conchologists who like to troll the shores of the Bay for their shells, I thought a manual of shell codes might aid handily in their work (I considered a snipe hunting analogy, but it just wasn’t in the bag). My list is necessarily incomplete - please add the model numbers of shell shoes that I either don’t have in the list or have left blank.

I have intentionally left out Alden since their shell models are so easy to determine. Please also post corrections if I have any wrong (it’s not clear with some of the companies which number inside the shoes is the actual model number)

After a few weeks, I’ll make a new post with all the updated shell model numbers and ask one of the mods to sticky it inside the hall of fame thread so it’ll be there for easy access, but not so easy to find that non-forumites can use it (you’ll notice that I haven’t used the word “cordov n” in this post so it won’t come up on google searches).

Allen Edmonds – for many years AE used a split (dovetail) heel on all their shell models, but recently they’ve started using them on other models as well. AE also changed shell model numbers on a few different shoes, which I’ve indicated by a backslash. For a couple of years, AE also used whiskey and cognac shell, but these are exceptionally rare and were primarily for the MTO market.

Bradley: 2681 (#8); 2611 (black)

Cambridge:8685 (#8); 8625 (Whiskey)

Chukka: 8084 (#8)

Clifton: 3388 (#8)

Dundee: 3681S (#8)

Fairgate: 1381 (#8); 1311 (black); 1361 (Cognac)

Grayson: 8287 (#8); 8387 (black)

Hamilton: 5490 (#8)

Hinsdale: 2884 (#8)

Leeds: 9548/9588/9581/9591 (#8); 9501 (black); 9651 (Cognac)

MacNeil: 9097/9147/9187 (#8); 9177 (black); 9007 (Cognac)

Polo: 8284/8281

Randolph: 4889 (#8); 4899 (black)

Sanford: 5287/5297 (#8); 5227 (Whiskey)

Saratoga: 8783 (#8)

Slater: 9888 (#8)

Walton: 2193 (Cognac)

Barrie Ltd

Shell shortwings:

Bostonian – seem to have shell models in their regular and Crown Windsor lines

Shell longwings: 2351

Shell shortwings: 23608

Shell ptbs:

Shell tassels: 23628 (#8); (black)

British Walkers

Shell longwings:

Florsheim – there are couple of popular Florsheim shell models (longwings and ptbs), but there have also been a number of other Florsheim shell shoes over the years. I have left off the model names as well as the relative “line” (Imperial, Royal Imperial) below since it’s fairly easy to determine those things when looking at the shoes.

Shell ptbs: 93606 (#8); 92650/92621 (black)

Shell longwings: 93605/97626/78006 (#8); ????? (black)

Shell tassels: 93231 (#8)

Shell venetian loafers: 78000 (#8)

Shell saddles: 97(?)324 (#8); ????? (black)

Shell monk straps:

Foot-Joy

Shell tassels:

Shell longwings:

French Shriner (& Urner)

Shell longwings: 8715?

Shell tassels:

Hanover – Hanover shells were issued in their regular, Imperial, and LB Sheppard lines.

Shell longwings: 2351 (#8)

Shell ptbs: 2168 (#8); ??? (black)

Shell saddles: 2100 (#8); 2106 (#8 and black)

Shell tassels: 2505 (#8)

Johnston & Murphy – Seem to have had shell models in the regular, Aristocraft, and Crown Aristocraft lines.

Shell beefroll: 24-9012

Shell lhs:

Shell saddles:

Shell shortwings: 24-4949

Shell tassels: 58528

Keith Highlander

Shell shortwings:

Shell longwings: 8-3564

Lloyd & Haig

Shell shortwings:

Shell longwings:

Nettleton – I’ve only seen Nettleton shells in burgundy, but there may be models in black

Shell longwings: 28167

Shell lhs: 82161

Stuart McGuire

Shell longwings:

Wright