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There were a range of conventions associated with strap shoes. These comventions have varied over time. There were until after World War I no age connotations at least for children and until after World War II no gender conotations. There was a practical aspect to both strap shoes and sandals for younger children. Many boys do not lear to tie their shoe laces until they are about 5-6 years old. The button or clasp closures are something the children could handle befor mastering the intricacies of tieing shoe laces. In the 20th century we see motly younger boys wearing strap shoes. This was mostly boys up to about 8 years old. This as the age boys went on to their boarding prep schools. They might wear sandals to these schools, but not strap shoes. Sandals were of course very similar to strap shoes, but the absence of that center post seems to have made a big difference to the boys. Of course once the strap shoe began to be seen as a girl's shoe style than boys no longer wanted to wear them. Strap shoes were also worn for formality in which case some of the age gendr conventions were relaxed. We see strap shoes being wirn with kilts for firmal occassions. This was not the normal footwear worn with kilts. There were also social class aspects. We note images of the royals and aristocratic children wearing strap shoes. While sandals were worn by a wide range of social classes, strap shoes seem more associated with the upper class and affluent middle class. Of course these are the groups most likeky to be involved in formal occassions.
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