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High-top over the ankle shoes were commonly worn by boys and girls during the late-19th and early-20th centuries. We do not yet have a detailed chronology, but we do not notice them in the early 19th century. Photography began in the 1840s, but the way children were commonly posed, we do not have a lot of portraits showing footwear. This changed with the appearance of the CDV in the 1860s. We note children commonly wearing high-top shoes in the 1860s. A good example is John Schwensusen, we think in the late-60s. . but they may have appeared earlier. These shoes looked much like boots. Many of the boys wearing Fauntleroy suits or kilt suits wore this style of footwear. There were two basic types styles of high-top shoes, button and lace shoes. A good example are the shoes worn by Floyd Van Horne about 1915. High-top shoes generally passed out of style in the erly 20th century after World War I. This varied from country to country. We see younger German boys wearing them even after World War II. There were arange of different shoe styles with the high-top shoe.
High-top over the ankle shoes were commonly worn by boys and girls during the late-19th and early 20th centuries. We do not yet have a detailed chronology, but we do not notice them in the 18th century or the early-19th century. People at the time wore boots or low-cut shoes. We do not have detailed information on the transition from low-cuts to high tops. This was not just changes in children';s shoes. Adults also wore-high-tops and as best we acn tell at about the ame time. Photography began in the 1840s, but the way children were commonly posed, we do not have a lot of portraits showing footwear. And Dags and Ambros are much rarer in Europe than America making it more difficult to fillow such fashion trends in Europe. This changed with the appearance of the CDV in the 1860s. And this seems to be about when high top shoes appeared for both men and women as well as children. We thus have a very detaile photographic record, especially in America. We have no idea at this time as to why high-tops suddenly appeared. We note children commonly wearing high-top shoes in the 1860s. Not all children wore high-tops, but they certainly were very common. A good example is John Schwensusen, we think in the late-60s, but they may have appeared earlier. They were the dominant shoe style in America and much of Europe during the late-19th and early-20th century High-tops were very common in the 1910s and 20s. Not all childen wore them, but many did. High-tops began to go out of style during the late-20s and early-30s. This varied from country to country. They seemed to have continued to be worn longer in Germany than many other countries.
High-tops were not initually a child's or male style. They were worn by adults as well as children. This only began changing as adults began wearing lo-cut shoes. We see orthopedists recommending high-tops for children especially younger children for the added support they reportedly needed. These shoes were often done in white for infants and todlers. At the same time we see Soviet aithorities recommendeding that children go barefoot at least during the summr in the contryside. We are unsure about the scintific basis for either clam. Orthopediest in he West may have been influebced by shoe companies. In the Soviet Union, it could have been a matter of limiting demand that could not be met by state shoe enterprises.
We see both boys and girls wearing high-tops. The styles seem very similar as least for the basic child's shoe. And as far as we know, the chrnology was also similar. The more fashionable shis may have had gnder connotations.
There were a range of different shoe styles with the high-top shoe. These high top shoes looked much like boots. Some were heavy shoes, but others were more light-weight shoes. Many of the boys wearing Fauntleroy suits or kiltsuits wore this style of footwear. We see whole pages of mail order catalogs with different styles and colors of high-top shoes. This include two-tone versions. We note a German todler, German boy: Paul Clemens, all dressed up in two tone shoes.
There were two basic types styles of high-top shoes, button and lace shoes. This seems to have been in part a chrnological matter. We see laceups and button shoes in the 1860s, but button shoes become more populat in the late-19th century. Lace-ups generally replaced them dyring the 1910s. At least this was the pattern in America. We are not yet sure about Europe. A good example of lace ups are the shoes worn by Floyd Van Horne about 1915. Note that in the family here you can see the shift from button to lace up shoes during the 1910s (figure 1).
High top shoes were done for both casual and dress wear. We see countless prtraits of boys and girls all dressed up in their best outfits wearing high-top shoes, Thy were also worn for mpre casual wear such as school. The materials used and the weight of these shoes alo affected the use. Children from workinf-cvlass familis might jutt have on pair of shoes. Boys from more affluent shos might have shoes for soecial occassions. Boys from well to do families as well might also have dress pumps for dances and parties.
High-top shoes were the dominant shoe style in both Europe and the United Stagtes for more than half a century. In Europe they were the dominant, but not exclusive footwear style. Good examples are George and Ewan McTherson , we think in England or Scotland. While very common we see other shoe styles like strap shoes and oxfirds. In America this was a little different.. High-tops were virtually universal. The time line seems to have been different from country to country as well as alternative footwear. A major difference would have been the ability of parents to afford footwear. It was very common for both boys and girls to go barefoot during the time fram that high-top shoes were popular. High-top shoes generally passed out of style in the early-20th century after World War I. This varied from country to country. Low-cut shoes replaced them in America during the 1930s. This was essentially the same time that adukts stopped wearing them W see some European boys wearing hihj-tops even after adult were no longer waring them. We see younger German boys wearing high-tops them even after World War II into the 19050s. At this time we only have country pages on America and England.
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