Figure 1.--Here is one of the styles in the children's shoe page from the 1923 Montgomery Ward catalog, page 213. This is the casual, play double-bar style. The ad copy read, "Solid Leather. For the Entire Family. Because quality means so much to you, we consider it first -- just as we did in this solid leather Barefoot Sandal .

This is the casual, play double-bar style. The ad copy read, "Solid Leather. For the Entire Family. Because quality means so much to you, we consider it first -- just as we did in this solid leather Barefoot Sanda . Heavy stitchdown leather soles. State size wanted. For Men sizes 6 to 11 $2.19 For Women and Boys sizes 2 1/8 to 8 1.59 For Children sizes 11 1/1 to 2 1.19 For Children sizes 8 1/2 to 11 1.10 For Children sizes 3 to 8 .98 Postage 8 cents extra" This was a common style by the 1920s. It first appeared in the 1900s and had become fairly common by the 1910s. This sandal was made in a wide range of sizes. The HBC photographic archive suggests, however that while girls of all ages wore these sandals, most of the boys wearing them were younger boys. We also think that tghere were also social class connotations. We mostly notice children from affluent families, including middle-class families, weaing them. They are less common with working-class families. At first the double-bar, or barefoot sandal as Ward's calls them, was introduced as a casual style. We note, however, that Ward's by 1923 had a dress, ptent leather shoe in the same style.

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Created: 10:07 PM 9/2/2005
Last updated: 10:07 PM 9/2/2005