Figure 1.--Here a German boy wears straps shoes for his first day of school. Substantial high-top shoes were more common for boys this age, but we do see a number of boys wearing strap shoes as well as sandals to school. |
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German boys wore stap shoes for a range of different occassions. Color and material here may well be a factor as to how the shoes were worn, but we have little information here. We see some boys wearing strap shoes as part of dressy or formall occassions. We also see them being worn for play. Quite a number of boys appear to have worn strap shoes as a kind of casual, leisure shoe. We have seen this in other countries, but not to the extent we have noted in Germany. In other countries strap shoes were more commonly a dress style. In Germany we see children wearing strap shodes as a dress shoe, but large numbers of children seem to have worn them as a casual shoe. Here the material use could be a factor. We also see boys wearing both strap shoes and sandals to school. An example is an unidentified boy in the early 1920s. The conventions here have varied over time.
Strap shoes are often seen as a style for younger boys, but in fact usage was much motr complicated. We see some boys wearing strap shoes as part of dressy or formall occassions. In Germany we see children wearing strap shodes as a dress shoe. A good examople are two older brothers in 1925. Large numbers of children also seem to have worn them as a casual shoe. Here the material use could be a factor. Strap shoes were done in diffeent materials. The dressy strap shoes were done in a high-quality leather, but usually not patent leather. A good example is two brothers in 1933.
We also see strap shoes being worn for play and casual wear. Quite a number of boys appear to have worn strap shoes as a kind of casual, leisure shoe. We presume boys who wore strap shoes to school woulkd play in them after school. Some mothers may have had them change into an older pair so theu woukd have aood pair for school, but we do mnot know how common this was. We have seen this in other countries, but not to the extent we have noted in Germany. In other countries strap shoes were more commonly a dress style. Boys might wear leather strap shoes for play, but we see other materials. Some strap shoes seem to be canvas or other inexpesive material.
These shoes outdoor activity shoes were for older boys and youths. They were essentiually the same as the play shoes younger boys and girls wore. They were a summer style for warm weather. Older boys were of course involved in more strenous activities, but apparently the shoes held up. They were not as common as the ones worn by younger children, but we do see some older boys and even teenagers wearing them. They do not seenm ti have had the same girlish or little boy image that the shoes now have. They were worn for camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities rather like American boys would wear canvas rubber-soled sneakers. We see boys in youth grouos wearing them, including the Hitler Youth. This was most common in the junior DJ division. But we even see boys in the Reich Labor Service (RAD) wearing them, apparently before their uniforms were issued.
We also see boys wearing both strap shoes and sandals to school. Here we mostly see younger boys wearing the strap shoes to school. They seem quite common iun first day portraits. We have, however, noted a few boys in their younger teens or close to their teens as well. An example is an unidentified boy in the early-1920s. The conventions here have varied over time, but most of thge impges we hve found were pre-World War II images. .
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