Figure 1.--Here is the saddle shoe that appeared in the Sears Fall-Winter catalog. It was clearly presented as an althletic shoe.
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Figure 1.--Here is the saddle shoe that appeared in the Sears Fall-Winter catalog. It was clearly presented as an althletic shoe. |
A HBC reader has an old Sears catalog. It is No. 134 but has no date. From the number sequence and an order form, it appears to be 1915 or 1916. Of interest is the first image of a saddle shoe I have seen. Sears referred to the shoes as "tennis shoes". At the time tennis was not played in what we now called sneakers and tennis shoes did not mean canvas shoes. This ad is consistent with what I have read about te origin of saddle
shoes in that it is an early athletic shoe with a "saddle reinforcement" across the top for support. They were relatively expensive and made in adult sizes.
A HBC reader has an old Sears catalog. It is No. 134 but has no date. From the number sequence and an order form, it appears to be 1915 or 1916. Of interest is the first image of a saddle shoe I have seen. We note photographs of boys wearing saddle shoes in the 1920s, but images from the 1910s are very rare.
The Sears, Roebuck and Co., huge merchandising firm centered in Chicago was founded by Richard W. Sears (1863-1914) and A.C. Roebuck (1864-1948). Sears had begun a career in mail-order business in Minnesota 1886. In Chicago he and Roebuck joined resources and formed a corporation in 1893 as a mail-order business under title Sears, Roebuck and Company. In 1895 Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) bought Roebuck's interest in firm and became president on Sears's retirement 1908. A retail-store system was added 1925. The first foreign store added in Havana, Cuba during 1945 and becane te first expropriated store in 1960. The Sears-Roebuck brought the production of industry to the fartherest corner of rural America, opening the cornucopia of the consumer age to rural America. All the new things that were changing American life danced across their pages. Through it, a huge Chicago warehouse offers to modernize the farms and small towns of the Midwest.
Saddle shoes appeared in the early 20th century, but HBC has not noted them being worn until the early 1920s. A saddle shoe is a oxford style shoe with a contrating colored saddle over the middle. Most were white shoes with black saddles. They were not only worn by younger boys, but was a sporty style for highschool and college boys. The colors have varried somewhat over time. I believe this was primarily an American shoe style rarely worn by British and European boys. The popularity of the style declined in the 1930s, but is revived occasionally such as in the 1950s and early 1960s. The traditional black and white saddle is still worn, but now mostly by younger boys or girls. Older boys wear saddles, but with different color combinations such as two shades of brown.
The ad is captioned, "Tournament Tennis Shoe". The ad copy reads, "Made on the latest style last, first quality drab color calf leather
with tan leather saddle reinforcement across the instep and at heel.
Inside heel counter, leather innersole, red rubber suction cup soles.
Sizes and half sizes, 5 to 11. Shipping weight 2 1/2 pounds.
No, 6H7048 Price per pair..........$5.00
This ad is consistent with what I have read about te origin of saddle
shoes in that it is an early athletic shoe with a "saddle reinforcement" across the top for support. I also note that it is quite expensive ($5.00) compared to the other shoes listed in the shoe section of the catalog. It is listed as a tennis shoe. I would conclude that at the time only more affluent buyers would have purchased these shoes. Tennis at the time was a country club sport and mostly played by the well to do. The earliest image of someone wearing saddle shoes that I have seen was a golfer in 1919 as I have reported earlier. Sizes 5-11
appear to be men's sizes.
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