Figure 1.--This cabinet card portrait shows brothers Lorn and Clair of Minneapolis, Minnesota with their spaniel pooch, Rover. The boys wear double-breasted, knee pants suits. Their high-top shoes have lace-up closures. Button shoes doiminated the second half of the 19th centutry, but we begin to see more lace--ups by the turn of the 20th century. The studio was the Snyder Bros. in Minneapolis. Click on the image to see a closeup of the footwear.

There are several different types of footwear closure. The most common methods in modern times is laces, especially for boy's footwear. Many American boys hae rarely worn anything but lace closures. There are, however, severaal other methods wich have varied depending on the type of shoe, country, the chronology, gender, and age. Other types of footwear closures include buttons, buckles, clasps, velcro, and even zippers. Button closures were especally important in the second half of the 19th century. They became cloe to universal in America and were widely worn by men and women as well as boys and girls. We are not sure at this time why they were so populr. Wih high-top styles they were esir to put on than shoes secued with laces. Buckel shoes were poplar in the 18th century. We do not see them again to to any extent until sandals and various kinds of strap shoes began to be worn in the 20th century. This was especially the case for women anf girls. I recall shoes in the 1950s that had a kind of clasp closure. They did not prove very popular. Velcro began to be used in footwear, mostly for younger children in the 1970s. For some reson we do not see this very much any more. Wesee ippers being used, mostly with boots and boot like shoes, but this is a fairly minor usage. Not all foowear is made with closures. Wooden clogs, flip-flops, and loafers do not have closures, but most footwear has some type of closure to help secure footwear on the foot.

Created: 10:11 PM 5/29/2017
Last updated: 10:11 PM 5/29/2017