Figure 1.--We are not yet sure about 1850s footwear. The appearance of the CDV in the 1860s provides a detailed look at footwear for the first time in the photographic record. Many boys wear long pants so we are not sure about the footwear in quite a number of portraits. There are so many CDVs, hoever, that we know a great deal. We see boys wearing high-top shoes in the 60s. We note both button shoes and lace-ups. This CDV portrait is undated, but we can tell by the tax stamp that it was taken during the Civil War era. Th boy is wearing button high-top shoes. The studio was W.J. Smyth, New Berlin, New York.

We still do not see high-top shoes in the early-19th century. People at the time wore boots or low-cut shoes. There was a graual shift away fom buckle shoes which came to be seen as old fashioned, perhaps asociated with the French Revolution. It was the same basic trens which was responsible for the shift from knee breeches (associated with the French aristocacy) to mlong pants. These changes occurred in France first, but because France was sio important in fashion, spread to other countries. Peasants and workers might wear wooden hoes in Europe. A reader writes, "Jefferson started the style of laced shoes and in fact they were often called "Jefferson's" after he was the first president to wear them and which he referred to them as 'democratic' shoes. The heavy low cut buckled shoes like Washington wore became unfashionable after the French Revolution.. They were replaced by 'classical' styles including flimsy slippers which did not last long if worn outside." We do not have detailed information on the transition from low-cuts to high tops. The condition of roadways with manure and mud which were better handled by high-top shoes. Even in towns, there were often no sidewalks or very limited such amenities. This of course does not explain why high-tops appeared in the mid-19th century as this condition was a problem earlier. We do not know what indicidual or company came up with the idea of high-top shoes. This seems to have occurred at about the same time that shoe makers shifted from making 'straights' to curved/crooked an eventually left and right shoes. And then we begin to see machine made shoes which appeared durin the Civil War when sturdy footwear was needed by the armies in great number. Here the less industrailized South was never able to provide its adequately soldies needed footwear. And it was not only men that benefu=itted from these developments. A reader writes. "Women demanded better qualify shoes like men had. This was facilitated by the development of new sewing machines which produced shoes for the men fighting in the Civil War. Thus, longer lasting footwear were available for women's use. I have also read that women wanted to go outdoors more and participate in sports and the flimsy 'classical' slippers were not suitable." What is clear is that the new CDVs show high-top shoes. This was not just changes in children's shoes. Adults also wore-high-tops and as best we can tell at about the ame time. Photography began in the 1840s, but the way children were commonly posed, we do not have a lot of portraits showing footwear. And Dags and Ambros are much rarer in Europe than America making it more difficult to follow such fashion trends in Europe. This changed with the appearance of the CDV in the 1860s. And this seems to be about when high top shoes appeared for both men and women as well as children. We thus have a very detaile photographic record, especially in America. We have no idea at this time as to why high-tops suddenly appeared. We note children commonly wearing high-top shoes in the 1860s. Not all children wore high-tops, but they certainly were very common. A good example is John Schwensusen, we think in the late-60s, but they may have appeared earlier. They were the dominant shoe style in America and much of Europe during the late-19th century. Most of the studio portraits taken in the late 19th century show children wearing button high-top shoes.

The 1800s

We still do not see high-top shoes in the early-19th century. People at the time wore boots or low-cut shoes. There was a graual shift away fom buckle shoes which came to be seen as old fashioned, perhaps asociated with the French Revolution. It was the same basic trens which was responsible for the shift from knee breeches (associated with the French aristocacy) to mlong pants. These changes occurred in France first, but because France was sio important in fashion, spread to other countries. Peasants and workers might wear wooden hoes in Europe. A reader writes, "Jefferson started the style of laced shoes and in fact they were often called "Jefferson's" after he was the first president to wear them and which he referred to them as 'democratic' shoes. The heavy low cut buckled shoes like Washington wore became unfashionable after the French Revolution.. They were replaced by 'classical' styles including flimsy slippers which did not last long if worn outside." We do not have detailed information on the transition from low-cuts to high tops.

The 1840s

Photography began in the 1840s, but the way children were commonly posed, we do not have a lot of portraits showing footwear. Dags are much rarer in Europe than America making it more difficult to fillow such fashion trends in Europe.

The 1850

Ambros appared in the 1850s. Thus we do not have the problen of destinguishing between 1840s and 59s Dags. We have found some children wearing high-top shoes in Ambros, a format that definited dates to the mid-1850s. The way most Dags were were posed, footwear often does not show or is not clear. Ambros poses were very similar to Dags. Thus we have not yet found a lot of clear images of high-top shoes. But we have found some. Baed on prevalence, we would say ghat low-top shoes were probbly more common. We are still assessing this. The long pants the boys wear are another problem in assessing footwear. The popularity of high-top shoes in the 1860s, suggest to us that high-top shoes appeared to have been growing in popularity. And this assessment is based largely on out American archive. We have no idea at this time if American trebds reflected footwear trends in Europe. Eyropen Dags and Anbros or much less cimmon than American photigraphic images. This seems likely, but needs to be cinfirmed.

The 1860s

Our ability to follow high-top trends changes with the appearance of the CDV in the 1860s. The condition of roadways with manure and mud which were better handled by high-top shoes. Even in towns, there were often no sidewalks or very limited such amenities. This of course does not explain why high-tops appeared in the mid-19th century as this condition was a problem earlier. We do not know what indicidual or company came up with the idea of high-top shoes. This seems to have occurred at about the same time that shoe makers shifted from making 'straights' to curved/crooked an eventually left and right shoes. And then we begin to see machine made shoes which appeared durin the Civil War when sturdy footwear was needed by the armies in great number. Here the less industrailized South was never able to provide its adequately soldies needed footwear. And it was not only men that benefu=itted from these developments. A reader writes. "Women demanded better qualify shoes like men had. This was facilitated by the development of new sewing machines which produced shoes for the men fighting in the Civil War (1861-65). Thus, longer lasting footwear were available for women's use. I have also read that women wanted to go outdoors more and participate in sports and the flimsy 'classical' slippers were not suitable." What is clear is that the new CDVs show high-top shoes. This was not just changes in children's shoes. Adults also wore-high-tops and as best we can tell at about the same time. And this seems to be about when high top shoes appeared for both men and women as well as children. We thus have a very detaile photographic record, especially in America. We have no idea at this time as to why high-tops suddenly appeared. We note children commonly wearing high-top shoes in the 1860s. Not all children wore high-tops, but they certainly were very common. A good example is John Schwensusen, we think in the late-60s, but they may have appeared earlier. A problem here is that many boys wear long pants in the 1860s and this often covers most of the shoes. We notice both button and lace-up shoes and are not yet sure which ae more common. A good example of lace-up shoes is unidentified New York boy during the Civil War era (1864-66. Anad an exa,=mole of button shoes is Augustus Davies at the end of the decade.

The 1870s

They were the dominant shoe style in America and much of Europe during the late-19th century. Most of the studio portraits taken in the late 19th century show children wearing button high-top shoes. There were ninor stylistic changes, but basically the footwear worn did not change significanntly fir the rest of the century. We see very few school-age children eaing anyrging byt high-top shoes. Both boys and girls wore them.

The 1880s

The 1890s

High-top shoes dominate foowear in the 1890s. We note primarily button shoes, but there were alsomlace up. We note shoes with lace-ups and eylets at the base, but posts for the vertical a part of the shoe. We note an unidentified American boy with these shoes in the 1890s.

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Created: 4:19 AM 12/30/2013
Last updated: 4:19 AM 12/30/2013