Figure 1.-- American boys continued wearing lace-up shoes in the 1920s, but we no longer see button-shoes. Many boys wore them to school. The high-tops were lace ups. High-tops began to disappear in the 1930s, except white ones foir babies and todlkers.

We note large numbers of American boys wearing high-top shoes. We are not sure when the style first became popular. We do not notice them in the first half of the 19th cenyury, although admittedly our archive is limited. They were almost iniversal for boys and girls in the secviond half of the century, especially by the 18709s. Our information on the early-19th century is very limited. High-tops seem the mopst common shoe type in the second half of the 19th century. They were also commonly worn in the early-20th century, especially the 1900s and 10s. For much of this period, high-tops were more common than low-cut shoes. The popularity began to decline in popularity during the 1920s, although they were still worn. An exanple is Janes Ruffato in 1922. We notice two types of high-top shoes, button shoes and lace-up shoes. They were worn by both boys and girls. There were two different types of high-top shoes, button shoes and lace-up shoes. Both came in many different styles and some different colors. We have not yet done much work on high-top shoes, but it is an important topic as they were very commonly worn by American boys in the late-19th century and early-20th century. We have not yet worked up the chronology, but we see button shoes in the 1870s through the 1900s, but were much less common in the 1910s. We see lace up high tops through the 20s. they declined in popularity but did not disappear during the 30s. A reader writes, "I wore brown high top shoes to school in 1941 and 1942 together with my older cousin's hand me down knickers. I didn't like them, but my uncle who was in the army said that he was wearing them, so that made it ok. My grandmother gave them to me on my 5th birthday. I don't remember how many other boys were wearing them, but I do not think they were very commony, especially with older boys. My cousin who was two weeks older then me was also wearing them. I don't remember any girls wearing them, but I've seen pictures of girls wearing them during the war years." I began school a few years later in 1949. I never wore high-tops or recall seeing other boys wearing them. White baby/toddler high tops were an exception and still fairly common in the 1950s. Another reader writes, On the subject of white high tops, they were very popular in the summer months for men, women as well as children. Both button and laced styles were worn in the early-1900's before World War I. They declined in popularity as low cuts became available with the exception of very small children as you noted. Now that children are no longer wearing them, adult white high tops are available again from Dr. Martens and elsewhere. It is almost a "law" that styles originate for adults and are then picked up by children as adults go to another style. On this basis we might expect children to be wearing high tops again, and so on."

Chronology

We note large numbers of American boys wearing high-top shoes. We are not sure when the style first became popular. We do not notice them in the first half of the 19th cenyury, although admittedly our archive is limited. They were almost universal for boys and girls in the second half of the century, especially by the 1870s. Our information on the early-19th century is very limited. High-tops seem the most common shoe type in the second half of the 19th century. They were also commonly worn in the early-20th century as well, especially the 1900s and 10s. For much of this period, high-tops were more common than low-cut shoes. The popularity had began to decline during the 1920s, although they were still worn. An exanple is Janes Ruffato in 1922. We see lace up high tops through the 20s, but they declined in popularity but did not disappear during the 30s. Another reader writes, "On the subject of white high tops, they were very popular in the summer months for men, women as well as children. Both button and laced styles were worn in the early-1900's before World War I. They declined in popularity as low cuts became available with the exception of very small children as you noted. Now that children are no longer wearing them, adult white high tops are available again from Dr. Martens and elsewhere. It is almost a 'law' that styles originate for adults and are then picked up by children as adults go to another style. On this basis we might expect children to be wearing high tops again, and so on."

Practicality

Hihj top shoes were not exactly easy to slip on even for adults. The button shoes were the most complicated, but even the laces with so many eyelets took a little time to navigate. For the ladies, however, comfor and ease were commonly not the major converns with fashion. Style often trumps ease and comfort. As both men and ladies were wearing high-top[s it was only natural that children would begin wearing them as well. It was the belief in the 1900s that children needed high top footwear for 'support'. We wondered why if this was true that they were not popular in Britain where sandals and strap shoes were popular. And in Germany we see large numbers of children wearing both sandals/strap shoes amd high-top footwear is a lot harder to put on and take off children's feet, especially if there are a lot of eyelets involved. Because of this, we wonder if they will be as popular for children in the future as they were during the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Buckles or zippers could speed up the process. But that could change if some 'expert' does convince people that they are required for support or some other reason. They are worn by some adultsas can be seen on eBay and elsewhere. [Bolen]

Support

I recall in the erea before tennis shoes for younger boys I wire white high-top sjoes in the 1940s. I always assume that younger children needed the extra suport. A HBC reader, however, makes an important point. "Regarding high-top shoes, I don't know about others but as a pre-schooler in the mid-1940s I wore high tops: first white, then, when older, brown. And I hated them. I think it was because parents were told that young children "needed the support for their ankles." This seems ridiculous to me now, since if it were true, then before shoes were invented, all children would have grown up with ankle problems."

Modesty

The high-top shoes at least for women and girls fit into the Victoriann concweens over modesty. High top shoes were worn with high-neck dresses and blouses with long sleeves for the tops and long, full skirts for the bottoms. Thus the only part of the woman's body south of the face that could often be observed was a glimpse of her shoes. Women clothes tended to be loose and meant to cover as much as possible to ensure a high degree of modesty.

Closures

There were different ways of closing high-top shoes. We notice different ways of closing high-top shoes. They were worn by both boys and girls as well as adults. Both came in many different styles and some different colors. We have not yet done much work on high-top shoes, but it is an important topic as they were very commonly worn by American boys in the late-19th century and early-20th century. Available photographs are not always clear enough to show the closing method. The two major methods were lace ups and buttons. Laces and eylets had been used for some time. Lacing and buttoning hiogh-tops seems rather trdious. They made for dturdier footwear than what was worn earlier in the 19th century. A high button featured a row of small buttons that fastened an extra flap of leather over the front of the shoe. Due to the buttons being so small in size and many in number, a button hook was used to assist putting on and taking off the shoes. Button shoes appeared about 1870s and were worn into the 1910s. The invention of a specialized sewing machine enable manufacturwrs to attach buttons with more ease and at a faster rate needed for mass production. The button shoes this became a fashionable style. Some photographs show lace ups at the bottom and a different methos at the top. The top portion may be hooks rather than laces. We are at this time still just beginning to develop information on the closing methods. Hopefully HBC readers can provide more information here.

Personal Experiences

A reader writes, "I wore brown high top shoes to school in 1941 and 1942 together with my older cousin's hand me down knickers. I didn't like them, but my uncle who was in the army said that he was wearing them, so that made it ok. My grandmother gave them to me on my 5th birthday. I don't remember how many other boys were wearing them, but I do not think they were very commony, especially with older boys. My cousin who was two weeks older then me was also wearing them. I don't remember any girls wearing them, but I've seen pictures of girls wearing them during the War years." I began school a few years later in 1949. I never wore high-tops or recall seeing other boys wearing them. White baby/toddler high tops were an exception and still fairly common in the 1950s.

Sources

Bolen, Bill. Sandals, Mandals, and Mary Janes.

Created: 4:49 PM 3/7/2012
Last updated: 6:43 AM 6/22/2015