Shoes of 1941 – all kinds!

Lately I’ve found myself shoe shopping, or rather, I would be shopping if only the current fashions suited my needs – unfortunately I seem to like almost all shoe styles up until the late ’90s and very few since then.

If only shoe designers could satisfy themselves with reproducing the back cataglogues in a range of heel heights, I would be happy.

Current shoe fashions are romancing the late ’70s to about 1981 with very flat or very high heels, and I rather wish their progress could go a bit quicker because once the early ’80s styles come around it all gets a lot better. Yesterday I noticed a pair of animal print stilettos in Wittner so I live in hope.

In the meantime I thought I’d go virtual shopping in a favourite mail order catalogue from 1941. Which of these styles do you like? There seems to be no shortage of pretty but practical shoes and even some of the slippers are charming. I’m particularly loving the lace up shoes and the ones with cut outs, and who of us doesn’t need a pair of silver dancing sandals?

5 comments

  1. Try looking for a pair of “perfect red” heels, you know, not too orange, not quite merlot. It’s like the world has gone mad and committed itself to beige, purple and turquoise in a platform, in dead baby goat. My kingdom for deep red leather or satin!!!!

  2. I totally agree with you Nicole. I have been looking for a scarlet (dark red but not burgundy) pair of medium heels with a retro look (ideally a bit 1920’s). I have found styles I like but they invariably have 10 – 20 cm heels which I find completely unwearable. As for silver heels, I saw a pair in a dance wear shop that looked similar to the pair in your catalogue. Those ballroom dancing ladies know how to glam it up in shoes that you can wear (and dance in) all night!

  3. I have been lamenting the current state of footwear this week! I certainly don’t want purple and/or turquoise dead baby goat (hehe, well said Mel), but I’ll happily take those draped silver sandals, and the stripey ones!

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