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We note boys in many countries wearing closed-toe sandals in the 1950s. There were very substantial differences among countruies, especially between America and European countries. We note sandals being offered by the Sears catalog in the early 1950s. An example is the 1950 catalog. This was the double bar style which curiously onlt had a half center strap rather than the more common full center strap. While we see them in the catalogs, we do not see many American boys wearing them. I do not recall bots in the 50s wearing them nor do I note them in the photographic record. We do note that closed-toe sandals, especially school sandals were very common in England. The most popular style was the "T"-strap school sandal, but we also see double-strap sandals. They were also worn in Scotland. We also see them worn in various European countries such as France and Germany. As in Britain, they were often worn to school. The most common style in most countries was the single bar with a center strap like the British school sandal. Here we see German boys on their first day of school in 1952. One wears closed-toe sandals in a rather adult style (figure 1). We also notice many Dutch school children wearing sandals in the 1950s. A good example is a Dutch school class. We also notice French boys wearing English style school sandals at school, we think n the early 1950s. They are not nearly as common as in Britain, but we notice a few boys wearing them in many schools during the 1950s.
The British-style t-bar strap sandals weem to have been especially popular in several European countries during the 1950s. They were most popular in England where they were called school sandals. We see them, jowever being worn in several diffrent countries.
Many of the images we have noted suggest that school sandals were a middle-class style. Most of the children wearing them seem to come from prosperous families. This was perhaps less so in Britain where boys from a wide social class sprectrum wore them. Even in Britain, however, during the 1950s this style seems to have become less popular with working-class families. This trend became even more pronounced in the 1960s.
We note boys in many countries wearing closed-toe sandals during the 1950s. These seem to have been especially popular in England. They were worn in other countries as well, but often on a seasonal basis. There were very substantial differences among countruies, especially between America and European countries. Sandals seem quite popular in Europe, but much less so in America. The popularity of various styles varied from country to country as did gender conventions. Hoisuiery convebntions also varied by country. Here a fator was climate.
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