Men's Shoes in the Fifties

Mostly slip-ons or loafers dominated men’s shoes during the 50s. When you had to tie your shoes it usually meant one of two things, it was either a formal event or you were playing a sport. Converse shoes changed some of that. They were considered both sporty and fashionable.

Interesting to note, the famous Chuck Taylor Converse shoes, sometimes called chucks, weren’t very popular when they first came out in the year 1917. They were made in an attempt to be the number one basketball shoe but for the most part they were a failure. It wasn’t until basketball player Chuck Taylor called Converse his number one choice that the demand for Converse went up.

Black was the typically preferred color but soon the demand for other colors and styles came. At one point they even had knee high Converse. During the 50s, Converse ruled the basketball court. It wasn’t until the 1970s that athletes would choose other shoes for basketball.

During the early 50s Converse shoes unveiled their low top. The shoes were no longer just for the basketball court. They became the number one, top selling shoe. Men would wear these for sports, school, hanging out and dates. These came in any color or design. They were also available in leather.

Another popular sports shoe was the Keds. These had a similar design to the Converse shoes. The great thing about Keds is they were not limited to basketball use. These took off and were one of the most popular shoes available until the late 50s when other brands started to come out like Jeepers and PF Flyers.

These and Converse were about 10 dollars during the 50s. Although 10 dollars may seem pretty inexpensive to us, during the 50s that was considered a lot to spend on a pair of athletic shoes.

Both the Converse and Keds were worn with many colored socks and a pair of jeans that were rolled up a few times at the bottom. This was perfect for school or a casual activity.

Loafers were also worn with many different colored socks and a pair of jeans. These were considered stylish both for the young and old.

Oxfords were leather shoes that were very popular for men during this time period. They were considered fairly plain but could be found in all colors and sizes.

Elvis Presley made blue suede shoes a hit. At the time it wasn’t uncommon for them to be worn but such colors as blue would have been worn less frequently. Blue suede became what every guy wanted.