Thursday, May 7, 2009

Women's Shoes in the 50's

Women’s shoes and socks of the 50’s were the perfect added touch to complete any outfit. Even now, when dressing up for a sock hop or Halloween you have to have just the right shoes to make the outfit a hit.

Flats as well as heals were in during this time period. Saddle oxfords are the traditional shoes to complete any poodle skirt. These were worn to school or a date. The flair of the poodle skirts and the comfort of saddle oxfords would make it a perfect outfit for any dance as well. Oxfords were white and black. They were best worn with white shoe laces as well.

The ‘ballet’ shoes were flats that were frequently worn to school and church. They were best worn with a pair of white socks with lace that was folded over.

Penny loafers were also a hit during this time period. These were flats worn by both men and women. They are much like the loafers worn today but they had a slit that was located toward the top of the shoe that you could put a penny in. If the shoes were really cool sometimes you could fit a quarter in it.

Many believe that the trademark shoe of the 50’s wasn’t the saddle oxfords but the stiletto-heeled shoe. These were very fist seen at a Dior fashion show in 1952. These shoes were all different colors and heights. They would go up to 5 inches and would be both open toed, close toed or pointy.

Oxfords are different than saddle oxfords. This was another style that was worn by both men and women. These had the same style as the saddle shoe but it didn’t have to be black and white. It was typically leather that could be any color. Some referred to these as Balmorals.

A popular type of high heel was Mary Janes. These came in all different heights and colors. They typically had strap that went over the top of the foot. These were worn almost anywhere: church, parties, dates, sock hops and shopping.

Bobby Socks were very popular in the 50s. This is a trend that was started in the 40’s. This is the name for the socks that fold over and at about the ankle height. Many times these were used for school uniforms. They were also worn with saddle shoes, loafers and oxfords.

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