Figure 1.--This boy wears his formal ring bearer suit with saddle shoes. The suit is available with either knickers or short pants.

Beginning in the 1970s, saddleshoes began to be used with dressy outfits for little boys. Thus boys wearing short pants Eton suits and other dressy outfits might also wear saddle shoes. I'm not sure why saddle shoes have made this leep from casual to dressy shoes. Perhaps it was that even little boys, especially in America, stopped wearing strap shoes for formal occasions. Some type of shoe was needed for formal dress. Saddle shoes are even worn as part of a dressy suits for ring bearers and page boys at formal weddings. Certainly the boys probably find saddle shoes preferable to some of the alternatives such as sandals, buckle shoes, and strap shoes.

Chronology

Beginning in the 1970s, saddleshoes began to be used with dressy outfits for little boys. I have ot noted them being worn for dresswear in the 1960s, but have not yet thorougly reserached the topic so thisrequires confirmation.

Reason

I'm not sure why saddle shoes have made this leep from casual to dressy shoes. Perhaps it was that even little boys, especially in America, stopped wearing strap shoes for formal occasions. Some type of shoe was needed for formal dress. Just while saddle shoes were chosen I do not know. The saddle shoe had the ompage as a casual or sporty shoe. Why it should be chosen for formal swear I do not know.

Clothes

Eton suits

Thus boys wearing short pants Eton suits and other dressy outfits might also wear saddle shoes. Boys were less likelt to wear saddleshies with other types of short pants suits, bur for some reason they were deemed acceptable with Eton suits.

Ring bearer costumes

Saddle shoes are even worn as part of a dressy suits for ring bearers and page boys at formal weddings. Certainly the boys of any age seving as ring bearers probably find saddle shoes preferable to some of the alternatives such as sandals, buckle shoes, and strap shoes.