Figure 1.--These unidentified siblings lived in Texas, but had their portraits taken while visiting relatives in Cordelle, Oklahima during summer 1910. They look to be about 3-10 years old. The photograph was a postcard-back studio portrait. It looks like a low-cost studio. They are all dressed up for the portrait. The girls wear hair bows, white dresses, white long stockings, and black strap shoes. The younger boy wears a sailor suit with an ill-fitted dickey (shield). Notice he is barefoot. We think his older brother is also barefoot, but this is less clear. We see this a lot during the 1900s-10s, boys dresed up, but barefoot. Such portraits were strangely very rare in the 19th century. We do not think kmore hildren were going barefoot in yhe 1910s. Perhaps attitudes were chabging about going barefoot or kmore low0invome perople were hving portraits taken.

There were important changes in American boys' clothing during the 1910s. The most significant is that boys began wearing knickers rather than knee pants that were commonly worn in the 1900s. Footwear trends were less changed, although new styles appeared. Boys continued wearing high-top shoes, although laceups genrally replaced button shoes. Notice the high-tops the boys on the previous page are wearing (figure 1). We see low-cut shoes, but the high-tops were much more common. High-tops continue to be the principal shoe type worn by boys. We see American boys wearing sneakers in the 1910s, but they were just beginning to become popular and they were seen as a casual style. Most boys wore leather shoes to school, although we seem some boys going brefoot to school. Sneakers were seen as a decidely casual style. Ultimately sneakers would predominate, but not in the 1910s. We still see ankle and instep strap shoes in the 1910s. We also see sandals. At school we mostly see boys wearing high-top shoes. Girls footwear at school was more varied. The ankle straps disappeared after World War I. We continue to see boys appearing barefoot for relatively formal occassions, at least duting the early part if the decade. The Texas boy here wearing a sailor suit in 1910 is a good example (figure 1). Notice the girls are wearing stockings and strap shoes. What is not clear to us is if going barefoot was more common, but for some reason simply appears in the photographic record at this time.

Types

There were important changes in American boys' clothing during the 1910s. The most significant is that boys began wearing knickers rather than knee pants that were commonly worn in the 1900s. Footwear trends were less changed, although new styles appeared. There was no one standard style in th 1910s. We still see older styles, but mixed with new styles. Boys continued wearing high-top shoes, although laceups genrally replaced button shoes. Notice the high-tops the boys on the previous page are wearing (figure 1). We see low-cut shoes, but the high-tops were much more common. High-tops continue to be the principal shoe type worn by boys. We see American boys wearing sneakers in the 1910s, but they were just beginning to become popular and they were seen as a casual style. Most boys wore leather shoes to school, although we seem some boys going brefoot to school. Sneakers were seen as a decidely casual style. Ultimately sneakers would predominate, but not in the 1910s. We still see ankle and instep strap shoes in the 1910s. We also see sandals. The ankle straps disappeared after World War I.

Schoolwear

At school we mostly see boys wearing high-top shoes. We see some low-cut shoes, but high tops were the most common. Girls footwear at school was more varied. We see many low-cut strap shoes.

Gender

Children in the 19th century tended to wear very similar looking footwear. With the new century, this begins to change. And this begins to become more notable in the 1910s.

Bare Feet

We continue to see boys appearing barefoot for relatively formal occassions, at least duting the early part of the decade. This is something we begin to see in the 1900s. We are not seeing that going barefoot was new, that was standard during the 19th century. What is new is having studio portraits takenwhile barefoot. That is something we do not see to any extent in the 19th century. We are not sure why we suddenly se it in the early-20th century. e do not think it reflects more children going brefoot. Perhaps more loe-cost studios opened. Perhps going barefott for some reason suddenly ws seen as less casul. We are justvunsure. Perhaps readers will have some insights here. We do note that this was ighly regionl, much more common in the South than other regions. It was not unknown in other regions, but much more pronounced in the South than other regions. Here climte was a factor as well a income, but even so not sometung we seein the 19th century. The Texas boy here wearing a sailor suit in 1910 is a good example (figure 1). Notice the girls are wearing stockings and strap shoes. Girls also went barefoot, but not as commonly as boys, especually when dressung up. We see lots of images of girls going barefoot in family snapshots and school portraits. Girls going barefoot while dressing up while not uncommon, was much less common than was the case for boys. What is not clear to us is if going barefoot was more common, but for some reason simply appears in the photographic record at this time.

Created: 5:16 AM 11/7/2015
Last updated: 11:36 PM 8/23/2016