Figure 1.-- .

I can remember wearing short grey pants with grey long sock when I was in grade 5. In high school I wore long pants grey shirt and tie short socks. I can still remember being the odd one out as my new high school uniform cost so much I had to keep wearing my T bar sandals to school. As we did not have to much money I still had to wear short pants and T bar sandals when I was home or when we went out on the weekend. In the late 70s & 80s this kind of sandal was not seen very much, only in sizes for small children.

Grade 5 --1959

I can remember wearing short grey pants with grey long sock when I was in grade 5. I was 9 years old and it was 1959. At that time I only had brown shoes. When Summer came all the other boys had sandals like the picture I have enclosed. My Mother ended up buying me a pair of Harrison Idaho T Bar sandals made by Clarks Shoes. I am not sure where the name cam from. At that time all the boys wore brown sandals and the girls wore the same kind of sandal but in the colour blue. The sandals had a thin center strap and a chessel toe. I remember that they were popular with us boys. The most popular thing about them were the cut outs on the toe . As our feet stayed cool in summer. They were called "enclosed toe T bar sandals". [HBC note: This is interesting because the term "T-bar" was never used in England where they were called "school sandals". This shows the American influence in Australia resulting from World War II. The term "T-bar" was an American term.] I wore short pants, like most of the other boys, untill I went to high school.

High School--1960s

I started high school in 1962 I was 12 years old. In high school I wore long pants grey shirt and tie with short socks. A lot of boys wore long pants at high school I think it was how much money their fathers could afford. I liked short pants and long socks myself. I can still remember being the odd one out as my new high school uniform cost so much I had to keep wearing my T bar sandals to school. As all the other boys were wearing black shoes. Only the girls were wearing the T Bar sandals in blue. I can still remember having to wear my sister's blue T bar sandals to school as mine had worn out any we could not afford to buy new ones. From 1962-66 while I was in high school I kept wearing the Harrison Idaho T bar Sandal all the time till I left. A lot of the other boys said that I should get my self some shoes as I was the odd one out but when it came to summer I saw some of the other boys wearing sandals as they kept our feet cool. I left high shool in 1966.

Homewear

As we did not have to much money I still had to wear short pants and T bar sandals when I was home or when we went out on the weekend.

Personal Opinion

At first I did not really like the sandals, but after a while I got to like them as they were comfortabl. The cut outs on the toe kept my feet cool in summer. I kept wearing the T bar sandals till I was about 15 years old, but only at home.

The 1970s-80s

In the late 70s and 80s this kind of sandal was not seen very much, only in sizes for small children. In the 90s they started to come back again. Not many boys wore them at that time but now you can see boys and girls wearing them all the time. Most schools in Victoria and New South Wales have them in there school uniform boys brown and girls blue or black . The only State I have seen them in is Victoria & New South Wales in Australia. You can buy them in NSW & Victoria in most shops in sizes from size 2 to a large size 9E. My children wear them to school and it brings back old school memories to me.

The 2000s

I was in Victoria last week and saw a pair in the shop window. They were in my size so I bought them . So now I have a pair of my own and my son and daughter have a pair too we all like to wear them.

Created: May 18, 2002
Last updated: June 29, 2002