1950's: The Wild Ones

Teenagers were once again the focal point. Films such as Rebel without a Cause were influential in how teenagers dressed. The Beatnik culture, inspired by authors such as Jack Kerouac, was in vogue. Leather, Levi’s, and Converse sneakers helped create the look. Along with the famous poodle skirts and ponytails, saddle shoes, penny loafers, and colored sneakers were popular with teenaged bobby-soxers. Sandals, ballet slippers, and other casual footwear became increasingly fashionable, as pool parties and other casual outdoor activities became popular.



Constant rounds to barbecues, cocktail parties, and other social events all required dressing up. Classic, simple shoes were the predominant styles of the 1950's, Christian Dior’s New Look influenced fashion, but so did the conservative elegance of Coco Chanel. Charles Jourdan introduced a new kind of shoe style, The stiletto heel – a tall, slim heel with a metal spike embedded in the centre for strength, and with strappy sandals and flat ballet pumps were the main base styles. Italian shoes had an extra elegance and refinement in shape and design and pointed toe which caused many a bunion, came in from the middle of the decade . Which left permanent dents in floors, while heel repair shops enjoyed a booming business from cracking heels. in 1951. As time went on the goal was for the slimmest possible heel, eliminating earlier "chunky" styles. Embellishments returned with a vengeance and shoes were made in a variety of shapes and material. Designers such as Roger Vivier worked to challenge the conventional ideas of silhouette and construction. The pump was the basic shoe, but its toes might be cut, the vamps curved or cut in enticing Vs, or the heels molded into a variety of shapes. Every color of the rainbow was used; shoes were intended to match an outfit perfectly. 

Leather was popular after the war rations ceased, but it was being rivalled by new, synthetic materials. Plastics began to replace leather for women’s shoes as early as 1958, and by the late 60’s, the vast majority of shoes were made of a material other than leather.

The Fifties - Women's Shoes

In Italy’s post-war boom, the shoe factories made many technical and design changes. The light, elegant sandal was the most distinctive creation of the Italians, and the race to slim down the heel began. Women’s shoes of the 1950’s were arched, sophisticated and cut away to reveal the maximum of the foot. These were perched atop narrow delicate heels that only diminished in width as the decade wore on. An advertisement for classic Mary Jane ankle strap pumps for girls. 1958. In 1950, heels for women were all fairly high. By 1954, however, there were a variety of heights for different occasions and times of day. 

In the late 1950’s, lower squat heels began to rival the stiletto, which had reached staggering heights. Flatties with no heel and a flimsy sole were also popular, but mostly for indoors or for wear with trousers. The spool heel, so called because of its resemblance to a thread spool, was very popular in 1952, and although its large diameter went out of fashion quickly, the circular heel shape remained. The court shoe also remained, though it was cut very low at the sides and top of the foot, and was almond toed. Gradually, these almond shapes became more pointed, but by 1958, Dior cut the point off these shoes completely to produce the new wedge shape. 

In 1955, Givinchy introduced a new shaped court shoe cut straight across the instep, and called it the opera pump. This pump had a lower heel and a wider toe. Sandals and mules were still important in the 1950’s. In 1951 the mules and sling back sandals showed the heel of the foot. 

The stiletto heel arrived in 1955, with a heel so narrow it appeared pointed. This heel was added to court shoes and pumps, punching holes in sidewalks and hotel lobby floors all over New York until the fashion died out. It was still worn in 1960, but in a much lower and less dangerous form.

At the beginning of the decade, colour and fabric were of little importance to shoe fashion. Shape was everything. The fabric was usually a smooth leather or soft suede in black or brown. For evening, colours were brighter and the uppers were usually of satin. 

In 1954, a craze for all things Oriental hit the west, and Turkish slippers in deep hues appeared. These were often embroidered and decorated with gold beads. Though the craze quickly died, the colours and fabrics of the 1955 lines show how influential the mood had been. For schoolgirls, the Mary Jane was a very popular style. The shoe had a low heel, and usually had an ankle strap.

The History of Shoes: Superstition

Left Foot - bad luck

The left foot has always been considered bad luck; either for the owner , as in putting your left foot out of the bed in the morning; or for others such as the left foot starting a march. This was a serious warning of foreboding to the enemy and clearly showed no mercy would be given. In ancient Greece men involved in a hazardous enterprise often went with the right foot shod and the left bare. An oracle warned King Pelias to beware of the man with one sandal, when Jason arrived in this predicament, the King recognised his doom. Perseus wore only one shoe when he went to cut off the head of the Gorgon. One shoe off and one shoe on meant, death or glory.