It has been a long while since I have posted anything on this forum, at least not in great detail that is. So I have received many requests in the meantime to do another detailed post on some subject of menswear and I was in fact thinking about doing one for a while. The topic of the post is of vital importance because as always (those who have read my pervious posts in the past) know that I stress on writing about something that is at least somewhat pragmatic within our times. Naturally with this post the process was no different but this time I also wanted to discuss something that I haven’t touched on in a while or not at all.
Two topics were of most interest to me this time- hats and shoes. It was a tough decision deciding between these two. On one hand I have done a post on hats some 2 years ago but haven’t ever done anything exclusively on hats. I had good material on both of these subjects and eventually I found myself leaning towards footwear primarily because it is much more relevant in a way to our times than headwear.
Plus what really got me interested in footwear was an article wrote specifically on a good fitting shoe rather than focusing all on mere construction. To me that was of interest because when it comes to the “ye’ good ole days” i.e. 20s 30s and who-ha, there is an awful lot of misinformation out there and it is further propagated by sources who take 20s and 30s as their inspiration but never really describe what, where and how exactly. That was one of the main things I had in mind when I picked the subject of footwear for this post.
There are many great article on footwear construction out there and many that describe shoes from 1930s and so on but almost none of them ever touch the subject of the proper shoe fit, at least not even nearly as in detail as we discuss some of the other things like fit of a jacket or Neapolitan Clothing for that matter. So I looked deep within my books to find something direct from those times that dealt with not only construction, materials but also fit and what was considered a “good fitting” RTW shoe back then as opposed to now.
So, without further delay let us get down to business at hand. This post is divided into 3 sections. The first section deals with the history of footwear (in moderate detail) from 1850-1950. The second section deals with the process of skin treatment in a tannery before being made into a shoe. The third section is the main feature! Detailing both aspects- construction and good fitting for shoes in 30s with lots of pictures.
Now, few minor things before getting started…
These articles are written to provide some useful information about quality shoes aspects back in 30s. Please don't step into a shoe shop today expecting your sales person to attend you in that particular manner. It is an obvious enough point but I still feel like it needs be pointed out. This post is written with the assumption that you DO understand the rules of proper and improper footwear. As such in here we are not going to discuss them. If that is not the case with you, please use the link below to read the footwear post in there FIRST before reading this one. It is about footwear also and from 30s. It will go about the rules and some other details that you may need to know.
Vol. I No. VI (Sept 05') CONCERNING SHOES
Look, it is not important that you follow these old rules and you must strictly abide by them in our times. I have no problem with people discarding old rules anytime they feel like it. For example you may like to wear plain black oxfords with your formal wear. Why? If for nothing else you just don’t care or give a hoot about what is correct or incorrect, as long as it looks good to you its okay. That is perfectly fine, in fact wear flip-flops with black-tie if you like the look and enjoy life and be happy!
However, I have a HUGE problem with someone wearing black calf oxfords with formal wear not because they like them but because they think that is “correct” or that’s what they are “supposed” to wear. Another one of my favorites is like showing the belt buckle underneath the vest because that is the way you are “supposed” to wear it.
That is exactly the kind of behavior these posts are to help repel.
So here we go! Just take this easy and try to go over this slowly. I have explained things wherever it seemed necessary. The italics are direct from the source and other are my comments.
We will start with the history first. IF you are not interested in the history and blah, blah then go straight to section II as that is the main feature of this post.
From AA Fall 35’
History Of Shoemaking
AMERICAN shoemakers have seen many styles of shoes leave their hands since the day of Thomas Beard. That worthy would scratch an incredulous head could he slip his foot into a modern machine made shoe. Thomas made his shoes low around the ankle and graced them with a huge silver buckle. They were “straights" and frequently interchanged for uniform wear. As a craftsman he may have often wished to shape the shoe more to the foot, but certainly he never was blamed for badly fitting shoes. The good New Englanders soaped the heel and toe to get into their shoes, and if a bunion or corn caused a groan or two that night, it was an ancestor, and not Thomas, who received a round cursing. For corns and the like were considered hereditary, or perhaps due to those witches who were especially thick in early New England and cared little about Godly, folks' feet. After 1800 boots became fashionable, preferably with rather high heels. Spring heels were adopted in 1835 and for the period between 1840 and 1855 heels were discarded entirely by some. Boots with red sheepskin tops were the rage, and each occasion called for its different variety.
"Straights" were worn right up “to the Civil War, at which time the public had quite a few vastly witty jokes about the new "crooked," shoe. The army brogans McKay made for the soldiers were so popular that the style was immediately adopted for civilian wear. Leg boots faded wholly by 1890, and with the change from boots to shoes came the idea of linings, either light leather or cloth, making it possible to use lighter outer leather. The introduction of rubber footwear occurred at this time, making possible the production of the new, lighter weight shoes. The public had known of rubber for many years, but chiefly as a curiosity. To the man in the street in the early nineteenth century, rubber was a curious something brought home as a souvenir of tropical cruises and kept thereafter in a bottle. The Roxbury India Rubber Company, sensing the possibilities of the new material as early as 1833, was producing 'in Roxbury, Mass., rubber-coated shoes, as well as other waterproof articles.
Charles Goodyear, Jr. inadvertently stumbled upon the innate weakness in the new industry which, if uncorrected, promised a collapse as rapid as had been its rise. The most conscientious manufacturer was forced to admit that his best rubberized product was apt to melt and get sticky in summer, and just as easily stiffen and crack in winter. Vulcanization corning, in 1914 producing nearly half the total production in the country, and ac-cording to recent figures, still dominating the manufacture of arctics and gaiters, of which nearly 5,000,000 pairs were produced in 1931.
The rubber heel first introduced in 1895 was very heavy and very hard, of thick rubber held in place on the shoe by screws, but with its beneficial properties almost nullified since the wearer quickly wore down to the metal and walked on a surface far less comfortable than leather had been. Nevertheless, the rubber heel with its embedded metal screen, making attachment possible with-out the use of special templates as in the case 'of leather heels, made rubber heels highly popular in the repair trade and its replacement of leather heels in that category was nearly one hundred .percent. Today a screen of soft metal plate or laminated plywood is embedded in the rubber so as to become a part of it, forming a base of contact with the leather. A single nailing brings the nail heads in con-tact with the plate and embedded in the rubber so that they are out of sight and cannot work loose.
The ankle high shoe, fastened -by laces, buttons or elastic gores, continued until comparatively recently as the most popular style and at present has given way to the oxford type of low-cut shoe; because of the greater support it affords the ankle, the low-cut shoe gives evidence ground of this story has been tanning, the rock on which the shoemaker stands. Thomas Beard brought his first rolls of leather with him, but his original supply was soon exhausted, and he and other early settlers soon were busy tanning leather. The tanning methods used were those inherited from the old Hebrews of Joppa. Each tanner would sink a board vat .into the ground and sprinkle the bottom with finely ground oak bark. The hide was placed over this after first having been scraped clean of hair, loosened by lime, and the hide then covered with a layer of bark. Another hide was added and sprinkled, and so on, to the depth of the vat. Water was poured over all and the hides left to soak for six months or more, depending on their weight.
In the nineteenth century, Sir Humphrey Davy's experiments in tanning proved that hemlock, volani, mimosa, divi divi, myrobo-lans, quebracho, Oakwood and chestnut were suitable agents to add to the accepted standard group consisting of oak bark, sumac and gall nuts. His research, although under-taken for British interests, had far-reaching effects in America where hemlock grew in great profusion. By 1850 "leaching" was introduced into tanning methods and "union leather" had a widespread recognition while the chrome process of tanning was becoming adopted. Machinery for tanning and leather working progressively supplemented these improvements, and it must suffice here to say that modern scientific methods and industrial efficiency have placed the industry in a position of recognized merit. The World War was a supreme test of both the tanning and leather industries, creating a tremendous demand for civilian and military shoes. The War had one distinctly gratifying result on shoe construction,, since that period marked the first professional consideration of properly constructed shoes in their relation to the general health of the individual.
The medical profession has recently taken a very -keen interest in the construction of footwear, recognizing that many apparently disassociated ailments can be traced to the feet. Research is constantly going on to improve the shoe of today, and our footwear is a balanced blend of serviceability, attractiveness and healthful comfort.
Okay with that out of the way now we are about to the start of the 20th century and from here on I selected the incredibly well quoted and detail text written by Esquire editor O. E. Schoeffler back in 60s. It is broken down by the decades so 1900-1910s then 20s and so on. It is an extremely interesting study and will go through many different shoe styles through their origins and their correct use in the settings they were meant to be worn. I will point out important things as we move along.
On Footwear…
The look of men’s shoes bears a direct relation to the cut of the trousers being worn at the time. At the turn of the twentieth century men’s shoes were high and usually were made in a pointed-toe style that perfectly complemented cuffless trousers tapering down to the very narrow bottoms. This exaggerated trouser style was called "peg-top." Not until the appearance of deep trouser cuffs did the pointed toe give way to a so-called bulb toe (a bulb shaped toe with sole extensions that were widest at the sides), which served to balance the new deeply cuffed trouser bottoms.
Whether pointed or bulb-toed, men's shoes in the first decade of the century were either laced or buttoned, and either style usually was equipped with a cloth tab at the back to aid in slipping the shoe on and off. Often the top half was made not of leather but of a closely woven cloth in buff or gray, which gave the shoe an. especially dressy appearance. A sharp buttonhook was essential for buttoning and unbuttoning high-buttoned shoes. This sounds remarkably uncomfortable today, but the clothes-conscious man at the turn of the century did not demand, or expect comfort from any item in his wardrobe. His shirt collars were high and starched, and his heavily padded suits were buttoned high. But since the laced shoe was somewhat less trouble than the high-buttoned shoe, by 1905 a substantial number of men were beginning to indicate a preference for the laced model finished on the upper part with four hooks on each side to expedite lacing up the shoe. Yet one trade paper noted that the button models were still "very popular among the city trade."
Here you have to understand that the classic balmoral or dress boot whether laced or buttoned was always with uppers made of some sort of softer material than the rest.
An issue of Boot and Shoe Recorder in 1905, the year cuffs first began to be worn on trousers, reported "a new last which is being brought out for the coming season, and which, has been named as typical of high quality Marquis. It is a full toe, has a straight tread, with a fair amount of spring, and carries a regular heel. It is, in short, a good serviceable shape—one which will be in favor for more than a single season." Narrow toes still predominated, however, with black far outranking brown as the proper shoe color. Black glazed kids were being worn that year in all the different lasts and patterns, with both single and double soles. "Shiners" (patent kid, patent colt, and horsehide enamel) were popular in various combinations with dull leather tops.
Among the most desirable leathers in 1905 were box (boarded) calf, Eli calf, gunmetal and Black Diamond calf, French-process chrome calf, old-fashioned wax calf, black and colored cordovans, and willow calf. Storm leather in black and russet and French veal in black and color were being used in 10- and 12-inch bluchers. Two typical shoes in this storm line were a russet French veal 12-inch blucher on the whole-quarter pattern, made with a bellows tongue, having a full double sole to the heel, a half-Scotch edge, 18-square, and large eyelets to the top (this shoe was also shown in black leather); and a 10-inch seamless blucher made in black storm calf, with a double sole, a half-Scotch edge, and a small cable stitch. Recommended for the "snappy dresser" was a French-process chrome calf buttoned shoe with a pebble calf top, a perforated vamp, and a wing tip, made with a wasp toe (a name given to one of the six-odd most popular narrow toes), a double sole, and a military heel: "A very swell shoe for young men's wear."
A new "hygienic" shoe was introduced. Made with a felt innersole to absorb perspiration and ensure flexibility, it was said to be an improvement over the cushion sole in that it did not become hard and crack but remained soft and in place. The material for this innersole was identified as the best piano felting.
"Sidewalk" shoes were another footwear category, the name being chosen to help differentiate between dressier city styles and the storm boots or heavier footwear. Among them was a new last: a narrow toe with a good outside swing and a higher, military heel. Patent colt was the leading leather in sidewalk shoes, and button and blucher patterns were the favorites, the bal having lost some of its prominence in high-grade shoes. The "rivet shank" was a new feature in some sidewalk shoes and was publicized as furnishing an extra support to the arch of the foot.
By 1910 the oxford, or low shoe, was on the market and was being widely advertised. Most of the early oxfords were laced, although some had three buttons. Among the most popular leathers were patent, velour calf, and Australian glazed kangaroo. Heels varied from a broad low style to a medium heel and a semi-military heel. The blucher tie predominated, a fancy perforated diamond or wing tip was very popular, and the bulb, or freak, toe was fashionable now that almost all trousers had deep cuffs. Although the oxford was a broader and much more comfortable shoe than earlier types, it was not to be accepted by the general public for almost ten years. Like the high starched collar, the high shoe was to linger on despite the fact that as early as 1907 men's suits had begun to lose their overstuffed look and take on shapelier, more youthful lines. For the next several years, the oxford would be worn almost solely by the avant-garde dresser, who in this proper period was in the minority among American men.
1910-1920
By 1915 the oxford was being widely advertised. That year a full-page advertisement in the Boot and Shoe Recorder featured 3 of the 131 styles the Regal Shoe Company carried in stock: a russet calf oxford with a fawn cloth panel, a black calf blucher oxford, and a black calf with a black rubber sole and a black rubber heel. At this time both high and oxford shoes often featured new invisible eyelets for which "no metal tip" shoe laces had been designed. They were advertised as "guaranteed not to rust, pull off, fray out, look tinny, nor catch in the clothing. Always look new."
A 1913 survey of fashions seen at winter resorts in the South noted the increasing popularity of the oxford along with that of the knickerbocker suit. An especially fashionable outfit worn by one Palm Beach man consisted of a knicker suit of rough herringbone silk and thin wool, a hat of soft leghorn, and white buckskin oxfords trimmed with brown calf. Reviewing this survey, & Men's Wear writer expressed a desire to see a gradual acknowledgment of the comfort of the various English lasts ("which our grandfathers wore"), which he judged to be far superior to "our modern, misshapen conception" (Mar. 6, 1918). These English lasts had strongly rounded tips and appeared in many forms, from medium-stout fancy country shoes to full brogues for all-around use.
The Increasing popularity of the oxford was accelerated in 1919 by the serviceman returning from World War I, who much preferred it to the high shoe. The well-dressed man of the postwar period was comfort-conscious as well as clothes-conscious and, in the opinion of one fashion reporter, paid greater attention to the appropriate shape of boots and shoes for various occasions: "Those for formal day or evening usually have a true formal look to them. They present a long, plain, severe appearance, with a narrower toe than made for informal use. The stouter, less ceremonious foot covering has a truly sensible appearance in its straight last and common sense width of toe and the various kinds for sporting use appear a study of comfort. Town shoes are, in the main, rather modest, with a plain tip across the toe, or maybe it is a bit newer to have this toe punctured in some inconspicuous pattern. Full brogued shoes and those otherwise elaborately punched and recognized as belonging to country dress are often brown and white or black and white buckskins trimmed with brown or black calf. When the warm weather comes these lounge shoes will be equally popular in and out of town" (Men's Wear, Apr. 9, 1919).
Within the next few years, the college man (a fashion influence to be reckoned with in the era of "flaming youth") would turn to laced oxfords, and the high shoe would be gone except as worn by the diehard who also preferred a high starched collar.
Now, I want to share with you gents something truly amazing. Below are some of the actual pictures of the footwear offered in 1915 straight from Brooks Brothers catalogue. They are very important in realizing as to what was being sold by Brooks back in the day and you for yourself can also visually see how well that coincide with the history text explained above (& below).
This first one is depicting Spats and Gaiters
You should note that spats were extremely in vogue up till 30s and then they rapidly fell from favor in place of newer shoe styles. They were deemed “excessive” all of a sudden and the only remaining venue was that of formal day wear.
The next one is about formal footwear day and evening
Here the thing to not is that patent leather was used back in those days as “correct” for both day and evening footwear. Soon after the 20s the daytime use of patent leather as formalwear fell off from popularity and it never regained its strength there again. One of the big reasons for this movement was the Duke of Windsor (a prominent style icon of the time) almost exclusively wore plain black oxfords with his formal daywear clothes. Now that many not be the only reason to summarize the demise of patent leather from day use but certainly is one of the biggest contributors.
Below Balmoral and Blucher boots in assorted leathers
Oxfords
Casual footwear
Note the full balmorals white buck boots #16K28! The Two tone Style #16K25 is one of those simple but rare models of two tones that is never seen today.
1920-1930
By 1924 fashion scouts covering the Palm Beach winter season reported that white flannel trousers were replacing white linen knickers, white shirts were still being worn by more than 50 percent of the fashionable men, and white shoes were by far the favorite footwear. Most of the white shoes had heavy black and varnished rubber soles. "The white shoes with tan wing tips and straight tips are in high favor with the best dressed man. The soft leather or buckskin shoes are seen in a very small number" [Men's Wear, Mar. 19, 1924, p, 8]. According to a survey of the shoe preferences of 300 of the best-dressed men vacationing at Palm Beach, the all-white shoe accounted for 20 percent of the shoes being worn; white with a tan wing-tip toe cap, for 19 percent; white with a tan straight-tip toe cap, for 14 percent; tan wing-tip, for 7 percent; white with a tan saddle strap, for 7 percent; tan straight-tip, for 7 percent; white with a tan toe cap and strap over the vamp, for 7 percent; and white with a black straight-tip toe cap, for 5 percent.
In late summer in 1925, fashion scouts covered the scene at Newport, Rhode Island, the most fashionable American summer resort. Blazers were being worn extensively, and with so many of the younger men wearing the new Oxford bags, the wide-bottomed trousers introduced in the United States that spring, many shoes not only featured a wide toe last but showed more extroverted styling as well. A reporter covering Newport for Men's Wear asked the following question:
"Supposing some shoe manufacturer came along and tried to sell you a white buckskin shoe with a bright red saddle strap and a loose, narrow, bright red ball strap across the toe of the shoe, what would you say to that manufacturer? You would say, 'Jazz!' wouldn't you?
"It all depends on who starts a style whether it is smart or 'jazz,' If someone of no reputation featured such a shoe you would still say it was 'jazz.' But supposing some store with a reputation for having only correct merchandise featured such a shoe, what would you say? 'Jazz'? Not on your life. You'd be all wrong! For if Brooks Brothers featured such a shoe it would be unquestionably a new and correct shoe.
"'How come?' you ask. Because if they featured such a radical shoe it would be sold to and worn by the men who make a new style correct.
"Well! They have featured such a shoe and I saw at least a half-dozen of the best dressed men at Newport wearing it. The artist has illustrated the shoe and if you think your shoe department is going to be up-to-the-minute next year on the new and correct shoes for men without this red idea in sport shoes, you've got another think coming to you. Next issue we will illustrate another new sport shoe coming to the front, the white buck shoe with the diminutive wing tip and side strap" (Sept. 9, 1925, p. 61).
Meanwhile, on the campus at Princeton University, generally considered the headquarters for the country's best-dressed students, undergraduates favored the tan shoe over the black shoe in all styles, in some cases by a ratio of 3 to 1.
An article in the Boot and Shoe Recorder on March 7, 1925, described several of the fashion trends that had appeared or were about to appear in men's footwear:
"Styles for men do not center around any particular pattern. The vogue for broad-bottomed trousers insures the sale of broguey types to the younger men and shoe men are almost unanimous in their views that as long as the young men express their favor for loose-fitting trousers the place for the broad-toed and heavy-looking oxford is warranted.
"In sharp contrast to the clothing trend's relation to the shoe for younger men, the movement for lightweight, and in some cases featherweight styles, has gained more impetus than heretofore. It is a general opinion that the vogue for men's lightweight styles is one that must be brought about gradually. It is obvious that there are ever so many more manufacturers placing an extreme lightweight style before the retail shoe merchants this year than last. Almost without exception every shoe firm making men's footwear had samples made, which indicates a growing trend for this type of shoe when compared with the progress of a year ago. Last year there were few houses putting out a lightweight pattern and the development is a healthy indication.
"No doubt the history of the light tan movement for men, which was commenced a few years ago as a measure to increase per capita consumption, can be used as a parallel to the present lightweight shoe case. Light tan oxfords for spring and summer wear were not introduced overnight. It took a few seasons before they were worn to any marked degree by men, and perhaps we can use that knowledge as a guide for anticipating the rapidity of progress for the lightweight shoe. Meen regarded the sharp change from the dark brown and reddish brown hues to the yellowish tan tones as too marked. But they gradually saw the 'light,' with the result that the light tan oxford is the ideal style for spring and summer. In fact, light tan shades are with us to stay. Likewise the contrast between those heavy-looking types, which have been men's style leaders for some time, and the very light-appearing featherweight pattern, is also very marked. One manufacturer has made a wise move to overcome this feature by making a shoe that ranks just between the featherweight and heavier type, both in appearance and structure.
"There is every indication that marks the lightweight-shoe-for-man-movement as a healthy measure to bring about a greater per capita consumption which will consequently benefit the entire trade. There's no question but that it would be an ideal condition to have men buy a distinct shoe for spring and summer and regard it as solely a shoe for mild seasons, consequently resulting in the retail shoe merchant selling a heavier oxford or shoe for fall.
"The wider toe last has been used extensively in the manufacture of patterns for spring and summer wear, yet the styleful effect does not border too much on the broguey effect, due to the fact that the edges are closely trimmed. The wider extension employed on welts of shoes for the young men desiring the extreme brogue models, is missing in the new patterns. The effect is very good; it gives a broad and roomy shoe for a man, carrying plenty of style, which is brought about mostly by the skillful finishing of the closely-trimmed sole edges, rather than by broguey lines,
"Stitchings, mostly in double rows, are used in many styles. There seems to be a tendency to break away from the practice of applying several rows of closely placed stitchings. Pinkings are very smart; finer designs being employed on many new styles. Pinkings extending along the vamp to the quarter are generously used. Tips are being perforated in lighter designs on shoes for street wear, but, of course, sport types call for heavy perforations."
The writer predicted that 1925 would be a big sports shoe year, expecting that the influence of the new biscuit-color flannel trousers for young men would have a favorable effect on sports shoes:
"One manufacturer, who always does a splendid trade on men's sports, has designed a shoe to match the biscuit trousers. It is a wide toe model with tan calf wing tip and elk vamp. The elk matches the biscuit shade very well. Black calf with elk is shown in many new sport models. The crepe sole is used very much, and is favored over any other type. White buck is also used in many sport types. It contrasts well with tan calf, which is used for tips, backstays, etc.
"The reception of the tie is a debatable question, but probably its place is in the classification for lightweight shoes. Some designers have taken a long step forward in trying to combine the most style possible in ties. A broad, almost square, toe tie is one of the latest developments in this tie. It's built over a brogue last."
Meanwhile, in some of the larger American cities the young man who favored the newer, more extreme fashions was choosing the patent-leather oxford with side gores for street wear. The stylish but more conservative man who favored a highly polished appearance found it in an oxford of shiny leather.
Even with so many new ideas in styling and the fashion influence of the young, a national survey taken in 1925 revealed that the ratio of oxford sales to those for high shoes was 4 to 1. Unlike American women, who accepted fashion changes with alacrity, men sometimes ignored new fashions and clung to the old and familiar.
Chosen as a shoe for the 1925 man who wanted "a fair dash of style" was a tan oxford with a medium-round toe and fine pinkings. Yet despite the growing popularity of tan leathers, black oxfords continued to sell. Their sale was credited to the fact that the conspicuous tones of the light-colored shoes made them out of place in the evening for the man who wanted to be appropriately dressed.
A Men's Wear reporter noted in 1925 that, in his opinion, "the exacting workmanship necessary to manufacture high styles in women's footwear is just as much present in the patterns selling to men. Oxfords fit much better around the ankles than heretofore. Details, like finishing the heel, attaching the tongue to the lining beside the lace stay, are indications that steady development in style lines is being made. Development in comfortable-fitting qualities is evidenced by the prevailing types of wide, round and roomy-toed lasts,
"Blucher patterns are more attractive than ever before. Pattern makers have put considerable style into the lines. The presence of spring in the last allowing the toe and sole to swing slightly upward, adds much to the general appearance of the lines. It also serves to insure a better fit across the ball of the foot, off-setting creasing which very frequently develops when there is no toe spring."
A movement to increase men's per capita consumption of shoes took shape in New York in 1925 when committee members of the Joint Styles Conference recommended that retail shoe merchants and their salesmen put greater stress on the importance of "talking changing shoes more often" to their customers. Recommendations were as follows:
"Besides the importance of dressing for the occasion, it is of vital importance to shoe men who have their customers' interest conscientiously at heart, to see that they and their shoe fitters know the importance of changing shoes as often as one changes hose or underwear. It is a known fact that shoe linings absorb perspiration, the acid from the body, and retain the poisonous element more than hose or underwear and therefore must be left off to be ventilated and exposed to fresh air. Blisters and callouses and even infections are caused by wearing the same pair too often and for proper foot comfort and sanitation one should have enough pairs of shoes to change frequently. This important health idea, plus the importance of wearing shoes for the occasion, if properly fostered by retail shoe merchants, will sell more pairs of shoes for them and work to the real advantage of the consuming public."
A Men's Wear fashion reporter, taking stock of what he judged to be some of the smartest men's footwear on the market in mid-decade, remarked: "All of these boots and shoes are void of that heavy or puffed effect at the toe. The rise is gradual from toe point to instep" (July 8, 1925). Among the styles he liked were an American custom-made shoe of white buck with brogue tips and facings of red mahogany brown calf; an American handmade custom shoe of reddish tan Russia leather with a full brogue finish and a slight extension sole; an English handmade shoe, for summer town or country wear, of brown buck with tips and so on of russet Russia leather* ("One of the best readymade shoes I've ever seen!"); an American custom-made gaiter boot of patent leather ("Today it is considered smart for winter evening dress"); an English handmade boot with lowers of patent leather and uppers of brown buckskin, having small bell-turned buttons of shaded mother-of-pearl ("This is a strictly dress boot for day wear that should never appear with informal day attire of any kind"); and an American custom-made boot with lowers of patent leather and uppers of heavy kid ("This is a model perfect in its shape, a pivot last around which varying fine fashions have fluctuated for more than a hundred years").
*It is important to note that whenever they spoke of Russia Leather they were referring to the specific treatment process of the leather through which it achieved a distinctive look and aroma and not so much the leather itself as how it is mostly understood today.
Paying a return visit to Palm Beach in 1926, Men's Wear reporters noted the popularity of the cocoa-brown buckskin shoe that had been worn by the Prince of Wales during his visit to the United States in 1923. Brown was an outstanding resort-wear color that year, and among the fashion sketches made was one that showed a particularly smart Palm Beach outfit: "A symphony in brown—brown leghorn hat, tobacco brown belted jacket, biscuit flannel trousers with a pair of Prince of Wales cocoa brown buck shoes."
In 1928 Men's Wear recommended that the retailer not ignore the element among the younger generation in his locality that "resembles to a large degree the Broadway type. They may spend the evenings in the drug stores and pool parlors, or else they may pass their spare hours in making a round of the homes of their fair young lady friends in rickety Fords or shining Packards. But still they have this desire to spice up their dress, and if you count upon their patronage to supply you with your daily bread and butter, it is necessary that you be progressive, and keep up with the latest styles worn by the lads along the Great White Way" (Dec. 5, 1928). A survey of the styles favored by the more affluent Broadwayites showed a great variety of shoes; among them the wing tip had risen in popularity from 8 to 14 percent. Whereas there had been little change in the relative number of broad-toe, or balloon, shoes as a class, there had been a distinct increase in the blucher model of this last. The margin of black shoes over tans continued to rise, but that year's 71 percent for black to 29 percent for tan was considered to be about the greatest spread that could be expected. The report concluded 011 this note: "An interesting thing to note in footwear is the number that wore spats. As you can see, it is a remarkably large number 11 percent. Beige and medium light grey are the two prevailing colors,"
A report on fashions worn at a Princeton University house party weekend in May of that year revealed that wing tips had risen slightly in popularity and that most Princetonians favored sports shoes of plain white, white with a black or tan saddle strap, and white with a black or tan wing tip.
Since progressive menswear shops in key American cities made it a rule to send their buyers to Palm Beach each winter to study the fashions being worn there, they were well aware in 1928 that the plain white buck shoe was preferred by the smartest men at exclusive clubs. As a Men's Wear reporter put it, "This shoe as worn by the majority has a heavy black rubber sole, or if the sole was originally of some other color, it is almost invariably varnished black, giving a neat and finished appearance to the footgear.
"Numerically, the wing tip shoe is far in the lead, if the various styles in this type are taken together, and one of the wing tip styles, as a single type, is in second place.
"The very latest style in footwear for men is the Deauville sandal of white leather with a design woven in a darker leather, but as yet this has not appeared to such an extent that it could be included in the survey."
By 1929 shoe manufacturers and retailers agreed that the way to sell more shoes was by "styleage" rather than "mileage," A speaker at the annual convention of the National Shoe Retailers Association in Chicago deplored the fact that the proprietor and the salesman in the shoe store were responsible for having taught the customer, when making a purchase, to think of how long it would wear instead of how it would improve his appearance or fit into his wardrobe. Almost simultaneous with this lament was the introduction of what the trade called "hot dogs": colored kid oxfords in blue, green, and red. Produced by a number of leading manufacturers, these eye-catching shoes were to be exhibited to shoe merchants throughout the country in order to promote lightweight footwear for summer.
The most newsworthy developments in 1929 were considered to be happening in the sportswear division. There were, for example, all-snakeskin shoes, although some critics expected that these, like alligator shoes, would prove to be too heavy and insufficiently porous for summer wear. There was certainly no question but that comfort was one of the chief factors in promoting satisfaction with shoes.
"Because of the continuous walking hither, thither and yon upon the campuses, the first requisite is that shoes be comfortable," said the preface to a survey in Men's Wear (Nov. 20, 1929) on shoes worn by college students in various sections of the country in the fall of 1929. At Princeton and Yale, considered to be the two most fashion-conscious universities, the popularity of the plain-toed all-white buckskin, especially the shoe with a black sole that had been so popular among fashionable men at Palm Beach in the winter of 1928, could not be overemphasized. Other survey findings showed that wing-tip shoes, especially in a deep mahogany color, were still in first place, the semipointed toe continued to be favored by the great majority of undergraduates, and the saddle-strap sports shoe retained its popularity in both black and white and brown and white. Among Mid- western students wing-tip shoes had gained in popularity, and dark brown shoes were being worn in great numbers; of the sports shoes, the white shoe with a brown wing tip was preferred. At universities below the Mason and Dixon's line, the popularity of the wing-tip shoe had more than tripled in twelve months; heavy English-model blucher shoes also showed a marked increase. In the Far West, straight-tipped shoes in black were great favorites with students, and wing tips were being worn by about one out of six students. Black was the favorite shoe color, followed by tan in dark shades. A notable increase had been registered in wing-tip sports shoes, which were now worn by one of ten rather than one of fifty students; almost all these shoes were black and white. The heavy blucher (in reality, the army trench shoe with hobnails and steel caps) continued to be popular with upperclassmen at the University of California at Berkeley.
1930-1940
While during the Depression years many shoes were worn with holes in their soles, there were also well-groomed shoes in sufficient numbers to give the fashion press something to write about. Although the national economy was sagging, some fortunes remained intact, and it was to this well-shod minority that the fashion press turned its attention.
In 1931, for instance, a Palm Beach style survey found that "a higher percentage of men were seen at Palm Beach this season wearing well groomed, smart sports shoes than ever before. It is safe to say that practically every man at Palm Beach this season had at least two pairs of sports shoes. The influence of this class has done much to accelerate the mass acceptance of sports shoes and in turn put money in the shoe dealer's till" {Men's Wear, Mar. 25, 1931).
Getting down to specific preferences, the survey noted: "Although the two-color wing tip shoe is still the leading style, it has registered a decline of nine percent in the past year. Notice that four out of five men wearing this type of shoe preferred the brown trim as against the black,
"The all-white buckskin continues to step forward. The total of 27 percent, an increase of six percent over last year, is made up of 17 percent plain toe, six percent straight tip, and three percent wing tip. The rubber soles of these shoes are invariably finished with black enamel. Not a few have red rubber soles, but the sides are blackened.
"Two-toned shoes with straight tip trims are also more popular than they were a year ago, so an increase in the demand for this model can be anticipated during the next six months. Here again the brown trim is an overwhelming favorite. Practically nine out of ten men wearing this type of shoe preferred the tan or brown trimming and only a small minority had black strappings on their shoes.
"The grey jacket and tan flannel trouser combination has no doubt tended to increase the number of brown buckskin shoes worn this year. Many of the men favoring this ensemble choose brown bucks. Although there has been a more widespread popularity of this style, it is believed that the movement of this style to mass acceptance will be gradual. Practically all the brown buckskin shoes had rubber soles with dark brown or black enamel on the sides. It is very significant that the majority of all two-toned shoes had brown trimmings."
A survey of men's clothing stores with shoe departments reported in Men's Wear on April 8, 1931, showed that $5 was the roost widely carried price line, favored in 40.7 percent of the stores. The $10 shoe was in second place, accounting for 36,05 percent. (The prices in the stores surveyed ranged from $2 to $35.)
By the spring of 1932 the brown buckskin shoe favored by men of fashion was reportedly gaining public favor. Although it was intended originally for country wear, it was expected to be seen on city streets that summer. One trade writer described the rising popularity of this shoe with so many references to fashionable resorts that, to someone reading his report today, it hardly seems possible that it was written at the depth of the Great Depression:
"The brown buckskin shoe has been accepted to such an extent by well dressed men in England that no wardrobe is considered complete without at least one pair of these shoes. Men at Newport were wearing brown buckskin shoes last summer, while at Meadowbrook and Piping Rock they were favored so strongly last season by the polo crowd that it seemed that every man who really 'belonged' was wearing brown buckskin shoes. From Palm Beach came reports in February that the very smartest dressed men at the Seminole Club and other fashionable places were wearing brown bucks, not only for golf, but for general daytime wear. Wealthy members of the so-called horsey set that spends the season at Aiken showed a preference for this type of shoe in February and March" (Men's Wear, Apr. 20, 1932).
The writer concluded that both wing-tip and plain-tip styles of brown bucks were correct arid could be worn properly in town with tan, brown, olive, or gray gabardine jackets and odd trousers ("Many of the men attending hunt meets on Long Island are quite partial to the brown jacket and grey trousers combination with brown buckskin shoes").
In the meantime, although the vogue for white buckskins continued, it was anticipated that most sports shoe business that year would be done in the brown-and-white wing model and the all-white buckskin shoe. In two-tone wing-tip shoes the trend was moving away from the black-and-white combinations.
In 1934 Apparel Arts, as an incentive to shoe sales, published a photographic review of the correct shoe for the occasion, noting that "an important point is that additional sales may often be attributed to the intelligence of a salesman who is abreast of the fashion trends":
"A typical shoe for business wear is this conservative custom oxford with spade sole trim, in black or brown. Its simplicity and freedom from detail fit it for wear with any type of business clothes and are in keeping with office environment. Since the business shoe is not subjected to rough usage, it can be comparatively light in construction,
"This classic fully brogued oxford is characteristic of shoes which are classified as being for street wear. Note how both the sole and upper of this shoe are heavier than seen in the business shoe. In design, as well as in construction, it is in agreement with clothes of the tweed and rough worsted type with which it is usually worn.
"A plain toe blucher oxford of brown buckskin with thick crepe rubber soles—representative of shoes for country wear. Worn with country clothes, it is naturally sturdy in construction. Incidentally, this shoe may be worn in the plain blucher model and, in fact, is currently considered correct with the elimination of the extension tongue.
"To be classified among shoes for active sports wear is this full brogued golf oxford with heavy leather soles and steel spikes riveted through the is coming into wider vogue than ever.
"Suitable for formal day wear is this patent leather oxford with cap toe, worn with white linen spats and the correct clothes for daytime weddings, public ceremonies and other occasions of formal day wear. It is also correfct for semi-formal evening wear. Its lighter construction and freedom from detail are in keeping with the purpose of the shoe" (vol. V, no. 1, 1934).
By the mid-thirties spats had all but disappeared from the fashion picture except for formal day wear. Derived from the heavy cloth gaiters worn by Britishers with knickerbockers in the country, spats came into vogue in the United States with the advent of the oxford and remained popular throughout the 1920s. For wear with business suits, spats were made of buff, gray, black, or dark brown box cloth with side buttons. They slipped over the wearer's shoe and were fastened with a buckle and strap underneath the shoe.
In April, 1934, Esquire featured the latest variation on the plain white buckskin shoe: a white buck with red rubber soles and heels, made without a lining. It was presented as a particularly stylish shoe for resort wear and spectator sports. In fact, red rubber soles reappeared in the fashion pages of Esquire in June, 1934, this time attached to a pair of white bucks with brown calf trim. In December of that year, a trade writer reported that the Prince of Wales had ordered from R. R. Bunting of London and Paris a pair of white buckskin shoes trimmed with brown, and the reader was informed of the following styling features: "The line of the Derby front is cut very straight, or to a point, with perfectly plain stitching, doubled around the cap and on the saddle."
In November, 1935, Esquire published photographs of what was almost a complete shoe wardrobe: "The virtual absence of black prevents our calling this a complete shoe wardrobe, particularly in view of the current fashion for black shoes with brown clothes, but here at least are the salient features in the season's best models: beaver velour type treated sheepskin slippers with heavy soles, Russian calf riding shoes, oil grain hiking and shooting shoes, calf polo or hacking boots, calf field boots, black hunt boots with mahogany colored tops, oil grain waterproof moccasins, calfskin brogues, long grain blucher calf shoes with imitation stitched tip, and brown reversed calf semi-brogues with square custom toe," To make this a complete shoe wardrobe the following should be added: "Evening pumps and one or two pairs of black shoes on a town last, plus a pair of patent leather dress oxfords."
By the mid-thirties, Norwegian-model shoes had been adopted by well-dressed Americans. Variations of the shoes made by hand by Norwegian fishermen during their off-season, they first became popular in London, where American tourists discovered them. Soon two variations were being seen at fashionable American winter resorts: a slip-on style with a moccasin front that was called "Weejuns" and a laced style with a moccasin front that was known as the Norwegian-front shoe. The July, 1936, issue of Esquire showed Weejuns of brown polished calf and a pair of brown-and-white Norwegian shoes.
During the last half of the decade increasing emphasis was placed on lightweight summer clothing, and soon shoe manufacturers adopted the concept of seasonal changes, particularly in summer footwear. Shoe men remembered that textiles often make satisfactory substitutes for hides, and outer sole. Since it is intended for an active sport, it must be both comfortable and durable. Note the wide, comfortable toe and the adequate swing in the last, insuring an easy fit and avoiding crowding.
"The patent leather pump with light flexible sole—for formal evening wear. This is correct for any formal evening occasion where the tailcoat is worn. Its suitability to the occasion for which it is intended speaks for itself, and it might be mentioned that the pump, which has lost none of its dignity by 1936 huaraches and espadrilles were vying for attention at American summer resorts. Inspired by Mexican peasant footwear, huaraches had woven straps of leather over the top and only a single strap toward the rear. Brought from the Basque country, the espadrille was a casual slip-on with a top of canvas or other fabric and a rope sole (or a sole of rubber or other material made to resemble rope).
"Comfort is the big watchword of the new summer shoes," wrote a trade writer in 1936, when many summer shoes were not only lightweight but also perforated to make them cool. The perforated shoe was already an established fashion in the South and West by the early 1930s, and by 1936 men in the East and North were also wearing these air-cooled shoes with their lightweight summer suits. Giving a more detailed account of these shoes, the writer said: "They are cut to the minimum in serviceable weight; they are made with plaited leathers or with fabric for the sake of comfort, freedom and ventilation. Their soles will be flexible leather or rubber. Many are being made with 'stuck-on' soles to eliminate surplus weight. Indians, mountaineers, North and South, have been consulted for ideas to add utility and comfort, and perhaps a fresh style note" (Men's Wear, Mar, 11, 1936).
Although all-white shoes, with or without perforations, continued to be the favorite summer shoes, many perforated shoes gave their wearer not only cool comfort but a splash of "hot" color as well. A prime example was a yellow chamois blucher with a red sole.
"Wash and wear clothing will be of great importance and will call for lighter colors or combinations in shoes," continued this 1936 article. "The new ideas in fabric shoes (footwear styled in Palm Beach or other summer-suiting fabrics to match clothing) fit well into the town-style picture." Among stylish examples of the fabric footwear of the thirties were a white sailcloth oxford trimmed with white calf and a beige sailcloth trimmed with brown calf. Both shoes had leather soles. Handsome shoes fashioned of Palm Beach cloth included one finished with brown leather piping at the toe cap and around the top edge and another finished with brown patent leather.
By the mid-thirties sandal styles ranged from beach types to near oXfords; they came in many leathers, including smooth and reversed calf, in trimmed models and in combinations such as brown calf on white reversed calf or buck. In 1936 Men's Wear published a photograph of the film director Mervyn LeRoy wearing brown sandals with a tweed suit, although the reader was advised that, when correctly worn, sandals were "strictly a beachwear style. On the Riviera the well dressed men wear them with a pair of sailcloth or linen slacks and a knitted sports shirt, always at the seashore and never with lounge suits in town. This is a point the merchant cannot overstress in selling sandals to the customer. Correctly sold and worn, sandals mean extra sales. If this job is incorrectly done, there lies a danger of sandals competing with sports shoes." Three years later Men's Wear reported: "The growth of sandal business is enormous. Men are not satisfied with one pair, and these shoes are being retailed at very reasonable prices, thus making them very popular."
Moccasins were more important than ever, and the retailer with a customer who normally refused to consider novelty footwear was assured that he could make a lifelong convert by selling him a well-made moccasin. As a Men's Wear journalist said, "There has evolved a real man's shoe for a man's purposes in every conceivable situation and for every need,"
By the spring and summer of 1938 toes were more rounded, ventilated shoes were registering greater gains, and the status of the all-white shoe was being questioned by some buyers, who considered it inappropriate for wear with lightweight suits in the new synthetic yarns and washable fabrics. Meanwhile, all-gray, trimmed gray, and two-tone gray oxfords were selling well in the Central West and South, although their sale in the East was extremely limited.
Moliere boots became popular for spectator sports or simply for a country squire look. Slightly more than ankle-high, these boots, usually in reversed calf, were often featured in the thirties. Pigskin, a new leather for men's shoes, was first used in the United States in the Moliere model. By the end of the decade, however, the Moliere had been supplanted by the chukka. or desert boot, a sports blucher, usually with two eyelets, that covered the ankle.
A double-page spread in Esquire in 1938 demonstrated the enormous variety of shoe styles from which the American man could choose. For beachwear there were red espadrilles and yellow goatskin sandals; for resort wear, reversed-calf monk-front shoes, blue canvas shoes with rubber soles, and brown-and-white shoes with crepe soles and heels; and for the beach club, brown-and-white Norwegian moccasins.
That year there was a trend toward shorter vamps in the new spring shoes. A Men's Wear writer observed that it was now possible to make a man's foot look smaller by proper shoe proportioning, based chiefly on the principle of the shorter tip and shorter vamp. The tip was shortened in both straight and wing designs. The broader toe, an established style that had been dominant in men's shoes for several seasons, also helped give a short effect. Bluchers also had a new look that was a compromise between the rounded "raglan" models and the square cut of earlier seasons,
Esquire in November, 1939, featured a shoe and socks wardrobe. Prominently displayed were bluchers, half brogues, monk-front shoes, Norwegian shoes, and chukka boots. Their fashion importance was enhanced by the fact that trousers were now narrow in cut and were worn short.
Below are some shoe wardrobe pictures or illustrations from 1930s.
Pay close attention to the two different types of pumps depicted. Note the plain tip black oxfords for formal wear and finally the reptile skin slippers at the back.
1940-1950
"University undergraduates dress like normal people, only more so," observed Esquire in September, 1940. To prove this contention the editors showed Ivy Leaguers in Shetland sports jackets, covert slacks, Harris Tweed topcoats, and such shoes as brown calfskins with red rubber soles and fringed tongues, white-and-brown or white-and-black saddle-strap slip-ons, chukka boots in the monk-front style with a strap and buckle over the instep, and brown reversed calf with a moccasin tip and a thick crepe sole. Thick soles on sports shoes were becoming commonplace both on and off campus not only in the chukka boot but also in plain-toe bluchers and laced moccasins. Many shoe advertisements in 1940 and 1941 promoted "double-soled protection" or "overweight sole." Shoes were described as "smooth and suave to see, plenty husky underneath."
In November, 1943, during World War II, when fashion was restricted by the reality of ration coupons, Esquire attracted its fashion-conscious readers with a spread of shoes that included this "patriotic" model: "a simulated wing tip that conserves material by dispensing with the usual extra layer of leather for the perforations." War Production Board restrictions on wearing apparel affected shoes, and composition soles were being used to conserve leather.
After the privations of the war, men were in a mood to dress up and express themselves. In the spring of 1948 Esquire launched the "bold look," an appearance of husky self-confidence that affected every item in the American man's wardrobe. Hefty, thick-soled bluchers, wing-tip moccasins, and brogues were perfect complements for broad-shouldered, aggressively patterned suits, widespread shirt collars, and ties with Windsor knots.
After a temporary dip in popularity the white shoe made a strong comeback with the introduction of the slip-on white moccasin in 1948. Christening the shoe the "Cat-Cay" after Cat Cay in the Bahamas, Esquire recognized it as embodying the bold look for resort sportsmen and in its November issue featured it in white reversed calf with a strap over the instep and a red rubber sole that could be black-enameled: "Not only obviously good-looking but the deep soles are ridged to give you the firm and soft footing you normally get from specially built sports shoes." The Cat-Cay enjoyed a popularity that continued well into the next decade.
Now with all this history on this side you should have a much better grasp of how some of these styles were used in their respective times. Whenever a certain style rose to prominence whose place did it took and what was it preceded by. I have not gone in further detail with my own comments mainly because it is quite detailed as it is and If there are some questions that you have after reading this section point them out and we will be sure to discuss them in good old forum fashion.
END OF SECTION I OF THIS POST
