United States High-top Shoe Chronology: The 20th Century

high-top shoes
Figure 1.--This unidentified American boy wears a suit with a striped pattern, double-breasred knickers suit with black long stockings. He looks to be about 10-years old. The CYKO photo-back post card is undated, but the knickers rather than knee pants suggest the 1910s. We would guess the very late-1900s pr early-10s, in part becaise of the whicker furniture. Notice that the high-top shoes have button fastenings, rather than lace-ups. Button sgoes were still popular jin the early-1900s.

high-top shoes were also commonly worn in the early-20th century as well, especially the 1900s and 10s. And they were still common in the 1920s, but no longer universal. For much of this period, high-tops were more common than low-cut shoes. The popularity had began to decline during the 1920s, although they were still worn. An exanple is Janes Ruffato in 1922. We see lace up high tops through the 20s, but they declined in popularity but did not disappear during the 30s. We do see sneakers done as high-tops, although we are not entirely sure as just why. They persisted longer than regular high-tops, perhaps because they were worn by basketball players. And by this time they were only worn by younger boys. They persisted into the 1950s, but only for todlers and were almost always for some reason done in white. The reason given was that the younger children needed additional ankle support. Another reader writes, "On the subject of white high tops, they were very popular in the summer months for men, women as well as children. Both button and laced styles were worn in the early-1900's before World War I. They declined in popularity as low cuts became available with the exception of very small children as you noted. Now that children are no longer wearing them, adult white high tops are available again from Dr. Martens and elsewhere. It is almost a 'law' that styles originate for adults and are then picked up by children as adults go to another style. On this basis we might expect children to be wearing high tops again, and so on."

The 1900s

The high-top shoes, both have-ups and button shoes, that apperared after the mid-019th century were also commonly worn in the early-20th century as well, especially the 1900s and 10s. For much of this period, high-tops were more common than low-cut shoes. The photographic record clearly shows most school-age boys and many younger chikdremwearing high top shoes during the 1900s. We see this in both studio photohraphy and in the wealth of snapshots that suddenly spring up with the advent of the Kodak Brownie and similar cameras. If you look at a Sears or Wards catalog in the early 1900s you will see that there was a great variety in colors, style details, etc. in high top footwear. Ladies styles had higher heels than the men and looked a little 'fancier'. An author writes, "I have seen comments that you would be 'crazy' not to wear high top footwear during the winter." [Bolen] We begin to see more variety in children footwear during the 1900s. Barefoot sandals were introduced and we see many younger children, both boys and girls wearing strap shoes. The great bulk of American school-age children, however continued to wear high-top shoes. Modern depictions of children in fancy outfits like Fauntleroy suits often show them wearing strap shoes. This was actually not very common in the late-19th and very early-20th century When Fauntleroy suits were the height of fashion. The same is true of sailor suits. Boys dressed up in these outfits commonly wore high-top shoes. The one difference was tunic suits. Boys tended to wear tunic suits in the 1900s with sandals and strap shoes or even go barefoot. At least with summer tunics, wearing high-top shoes with them was less common, although not unknown. Winter tunics suits were more commonly worn with high-top shoes.

The 1910s

American boys in the late-1900s and early-10s rapidly shifted from knee pants to knickers. Footwear does not seem to have changed much, at least initially. Some younger boys wore strap shoes and a few boys wore closed-toe sandals during the summer. Most boys, however, continued to wearhigh-tops. The closure method does seem to have changed. Button shoes were still common, at least during the early part of the decade. The unidentified boy here in a double-breasted knickers suit is a good example (figure 1). Lace-ups became increasingly common by the end of the decade. Here a factor was World War I. The War unexpectently broke out in Europe (1914). This meant the development of practucal, utilitarian styles as Europe's economies shifted from peace time to war production. As this conversion only intensified when what was thought would be a short war turned into a long grueling war of attrition and women entered the work gorce to replace men at the front. Spending time on buttoning up high-top shoes seemed increasiungly frivolous and was was one of the causalties of War, even though America was drawn into the War later (1917). Leather was a critical war material, needed for army boots and horse tackle. It was thus in short supply during the war. After the War the Gibson girl ideal gave war to the Flapper Era and more the more aluring women's footwear of the 1920s. Boys continued, however, to commonly wear high-top shoes, but they became less common with girls, especially school-age girls. And the high-tops that survived the War were lace-ups. We no longer see button shoes at the end of the decade.

The 1920s

High-top shoes were still common in the 1920s, but no longer universal. By the early 1920s as women's skirts became shorter they started to wear lower fashion oriented footwear. The high tops were then avoided as "old fashion" and "granny" shoes by the modern Flappers of the 1920s. The popularity had also begun to decline for childrten during the 1920s, although they were still worn. An example is Janes Ruffato in 1922. We see lace up high tops through the 20s. It was the belief in the 1900s that children needed high top footwear for 'support'. We wonder why if this was true that they were not popular in Britain where sandals and strap shoes were popular. And the situation is even more complicated in Germany where we see both sandals/strap shoes and high-tops. In America there was a major gender differentiation. Sandals and strap shoes never proved popular for school-age boys, but became widely worn by girls. We are not sure why this gender difference developed. The high-tops were marketed as healthy for younger childrten, adding needed suport.

The 1930s

Lace-up high-tops declined in popularity but did not disappear during the 30s. We see some boys wearing them with knickers in the early-30s. By this time they were mostly worn by younger boys, primarily white high-tops worn by infants and todlers. We do see quite a few sneakers sneakers done as high-tops, although we are not entirely sure as just why. They persisted longer than regular high-tops, perhaps because they were worn by basketball players.

The 1940s

A reader writes, "I thought the date of the photograph with the boys in high-tops and eating ice cream on the previous page may have been from the 1940s or early-50s. I have seen catalogs from Macy's and Best & Co. with striped T-shirts s that are similar dating from the late-30s to the 40s."

The 1950s

High-tops persisted into the 1950s, but only for todlers and were almost always for some reason done in white. The reason given was that the younger children needed additional ankle support. Another reader writes, "On the subject of white high tops, they were very popular in the summer months for men, women as well as children. Both button and laced styles were worn in the early-1900's before World War I. They declined in popularity as low cuts became available with the exception of very small children as you noted. Now that children are no longer wearing them, adult white high tops are available again from Dr. Martens and elsewhere. It is almost a 'law' that styles originate for adults and are then picked up by children as adults go to another style. On this basis we might expect children to be wearing high tops again, and so on."

The 1960s

A reader writes, "Growing up in the 1960s I remember one or two boys who wore high-top shoes like the ice cream photograph in the previous page. They were special orthopedic shoes worn to correct pigeon toes or flat feet. I am, however, not certain after all of these decades. But I don't recall my friends or I wearing them."

The 1970s


The 1980s


The 1990s


Sources

Bolen, Bill. Sandals, Mandals, and Mary Janes.







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Created: 12:36 PM 8/14/2013
Last updated: 2:22 PM 8/18/2013