Figure 1.--Here we see an American boy wearing a knee pants sailor suit with white long stockings and double strap shoes. Shoes like this were most common with affluent families. The portrait is undated, but looks to have been taken in the 1910s. At the tome most American boys were wearing knickerts, but some younger boys still commonly wore kneepants. This was probably a light blue sailor suit, but there were other colors.

We note American boys wearing a range of different footwear. Footwear in the 19th century seems similar in both Anerica and Europe. We have only limited information on the early 19th century. We note mostly high-top shoes in the late 19th century. Some younger children wore low-cut strap shoes. Going barefoot was probably more common in America. We notice various styles of strap shoes and sandals in the early 20th century. They were at first worn by both boys and girls. Here there were social class factors involved. Sandals became less common for boys after World War I and the early 20s and do not reappear as a major style for boys until sports sandals in the 1990s. American and European footwear styles begin to significantly differ after World War I. The Briish school sandal never became popular in America. nerican sneakers did bot become popular in Europe until the 1970s. We do see American boys wearing sneakers in the 1920s. They were discouraged at scgool until well after World war II, but eventually become the primary style for children., especially boys. Most boys wore low-cut leather shoes by the 1920s, although high-top shoes were still worn in the 1920s.

Chronology

We note American boys wearing a range of different footwear. Footwear in the 19th century seems similar in both Anerica and Europe. We have only limited information on the early 19th century. We note mostly high-top shoes in the late 19th century. Some younger children wore low-cut strap shoes. Going barefoot was probably more common in America. We notice various styles of strap shoes and sandals in the early 20th century. They were at first worn by both boys and girls. Here there were social class factors involved. Sandals became less common for boys after World War I and the early 20s and do not reappear as a major style for boys until sports sandals in the 1990s. American and European footwear styles begin to significantly differ after World War I. The Briish school sandal never became popular in America. American sneakers did bot become popular in Europe until the 1970s. We do see American boys wearing sneakers in the 1910s and they begin to become more common in the 1920s. They were discouraged at scgool until well after World war II, but eventually become the primary style for children., especially boys. Most boys wore low-cut leather shoes by the 1920s, although high-top shoes were still worn in the 1920s.

Types

The basic types of footwear are sandals, shoes, and boots. Boys have worn all three types. We note boys wearing sandals in the early 20th century, but they were not very popular except for younger boys. We note sandals becoming more popular in the late 20th century, espcially in the 1990s. Most American boys wore shoes in both the 19th and 20th centuries. Buckle shoes were an early style. High top shoes dominated in the late 19th century and were widely worn until after World War I. We note both button shoes and lace up shoes. Low cut styles began to become more popular in the 1920s. There were many different styles, including loafters, oxfords, and saddle shoes. Styles were similar to those in Europe. One major exception was sneakers at first made with canvas whch appeared in the 1910s and became an important style in America during the 1920s. Most footwear types were inherited from Europe, sneakers and saddles shoes seem an exception. They did not, however become a fashion statement until the 1960s. Boots were of lesser importance, although some styles like cowboy boots were at times popular with boys.

Barefeet

American boys in rural areas commonly went barefoot during the 19th century, at least during the summer. There were a varietu of regional and social class factors involved. Going barefoot was common for American boys in the 19th Century and was still quite common, especially in the southern sates and rural areas. It declined as America became more urban, especially after the 1940s. A Texas reader reports that kids went barefoot in summer in rural Texas in the late 1960's. While going barefoot has declined substantially in America, some youngsters stillnmgo barefoot in the summer--especially at summer seaside and lakeshore resorts and camps. Often they do so at shopping malls or just "around the neighborhood". Legal constraints and the possibility of law suits have acted to discourage the practice as had the popularity of sneakers.

Created: 9:43 PM 12/14/2006
Last updated: 4:06 PM 9/28/2007