The Golden Age

 The period between 1900—1910 is often called the Edwardian Era after Queen Victoria's successor, King Edward VII. Sophisticates of the day also referred to this time as the Belle Epoque, or "The Golden Age," as there was a definite leaning toward classical aesthetics. 

In the 1900's, maybe because women's legs were never shown and feet were only partly seen when sitting down,  stockings and shoes were not given much attention. The well-off wore silk stockings in dark colors and handmade shoes and boots with fairly pointed toes and only moderately high heels, curved and known as Louis' heels. Silk or fine kid was used for the more dressy styles and sometimes had small buckles or silk bows decorating the front. Shoes were neat and elegant and complemented the outfit in matching or quietly toning colors. Everyday shoes were quite practical.

This period began as rigid and restrictive in both dress and nature. Though this appeared to continue on in this manner until the beginning of the First World War, one can see a marked lightening in line and texture at the beginning of the new century. The major change in women’s fashion came with the disappearance of first the crinolines, giving way to the new bustle and then the disappearance of the bustle itself. By 1900, the silhouette was much softer, in the more natural S-shaped curve.

Men’s fashions changed only slightly throughout the entire period, primarily in the area of casual and sport clothing.  It is during this period in which the fashion influence of the world began to shift from Europe. The nouveaux riches in the United States began setting trends in dress and footwear that were exported to England and the European continent. The toes of men’s footwear were one of the few things that changed throughout this period. In 1885, there was a change to a pointed toe, but only seven years later, broad toes came back into fashion. Finally, by 1906, men were offered a variety of styles. Pointed, rounded or oval toes were all available for sale to the fashionable man. A pair of typical side-button tan spats, probably dating from the teens. Heels on men’s shoes remain at the one-inch height, and were of stacked construction. This height still remains for mainstream dress wear today. 

At the beginning of this period most women were wearing boots and cloth topped shoes. By 1885,  however, shoes predominated again, though boots were still worn by many, especially for driving. The open tab derby had been renamed the Gibson, but the only significant change was the wide laces. Most shoes in 1900's were dark colours, but in the summer white suede or canvas were popular. In the 1890’s yellow made an appearance as a popular colour for shoes, and later ivory satin was accepted. Suede became a popular fabric for shoes in 1910. In the 1890’s, heels were remarkably high, sometimes reaching more than six inches. By 1901, however, the heel lowered to a more reasonable height and three inches was objectionable. Cuban heels made their first appearance in 1904. These stacked leather heels at a height of two and a half inches became popular in 1910.  By 1910, pumps with small heels had come into fashion for daytime wear. In the evenings, high cut shoes were worn, with straps to hold them onto the feet for dancing. Naked extremities were still considered indecent, so only Boudoir shoes were seductive, made from satin and silk, with tulle bows.

Early in the decade, all the fussing with the top portion of the body also caused people to develop a preference for narrow feet, believed to be a sign of breeding and gentility. Both men and women regularly wore shoes that were a full size too small. Some women even opted to have their little toes removed to achieve narrower feet. Day shoes were typically boots. Evening shoes were more diverse, with the popular style for women a court shoe with a small, Louis heel. These were often embellished with embroidery or metallic thread and glass or jet beading on the toes—often the only part peeking out from a voluminous skirt. Evening boots were often made from soft kid or satin, with rows of beaded straps embellishing the shin. 

Cobblers still made a great deal of shoes during this period. Many people, especially men, often  had just one pair that lasted for several years. As the industrial revolution reached a fever pitch, however, factories began to steadily gain over individual craftsmanship. Soon, only the very rich could afford custom-made shoes. On the other hand, factory-made shoes meant lower prices, and shoes became an accessory, something easy—and affordable—to change…

The Great War (1914 to 1918) changed people's lives in dramatic ways. Men went off to fight in Europe and women were left at home to run the factories. As women's independence increased, so too did their levels of activity and their desire for practical shoes. 

Shoes and clothing were collected as part of the war effort and people were encouraged to be less frivolous. Clothing became more utilitarian, taking on a tailored, mannish appearance. Hemlines began to inch up as wartime shortages made fabric scarce. Even the nicest theaters declared eveningwear "optional but unnecessary." Lace-up boots came back into fashion, valued now for their practicality. Men's and women's shoes still tended to look similar. 

A variety of materials were used in shoe construction, including leathers mixed with colored canvas or gabardine to form two-toned "spectators." Some leathers were reversed to form suede and were used with a kid or patent finish. Both day and evening pumps were often decorated with removable buckles in cut steel, silver filigree, diamanté, or marcasite.

Fashion took a dramatic turn when the war ended. As interests changed, so did clothing.  Sportswear was increasing in popularity and such fashions were soon incorporated into everyday dress. U.S. Rubber developed the first sneaker, called Keds, in 1917. The word "sneaker" was coined quite literally because the rubber sole made the shoe stealthy — all other shoes, with the exception of moccasins, made noise when you walked.

The History of Shoes: Superstition

Shoes - good luck
In the main shoes were thought to bring good luck. This may relate to times in the Middle Ages when footwear was expensive and the common practice was to bequeath your footwear to members of the family. The saying "Following in your father's footsteps" is thought to have arisen from this custom and implied the good fortune. Traveling carried with it many pearls and subsequently many rituals were practiced to avoid an ill fate. It was customary in many places before setting out on a long journey to drop an old shoe outside the front door. Throwing shoes after someone going on a journey was also thought to bring good luck. Confetti thrown at wedding is thought to be a remnant of this custom. Tying old shoes to the wedding car would give the strength of the shoe's character and bring good luck to the couple as well as chasing off evil spirits. Bare in mind too, at times in the Dark Ages, the strong smell of human odor was considered itself to deter the workings of evil. An old greeting to the bride and groom was "a happy foot" also when traveling to the wedding it was customary for the bride to kiss fellow travelers. It was the custom for travelers to join the wedding party and not bring bad luck on the couple.