Figure 1.--This brother and sister fora portrait wear matching strap shoes and white kneesocks. We are not sure when the portrait was takem, but would estimate the late 1940s. Click on the image for a fuller discussion.
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Figure 1.--This brother and sister fora portrait wear matching strap shoes and white kneesocks. We are not sure when the portrait was takem, but would estimate the late 1940s. Click on the image for a fuller discussion. |
Strap shoes may have been more popular in France and than any other European countries. As in England they were worn with skeleton suits. There were also commonly worn by boys still in dresses before breeching. In the late 19th century and early 20th century strap shoes with Fauntleroy suits were common. I believe the dress shoe was usually black, the more expensive made in patent leather. Some dress strapmshoes were also done in white. The early 19th century styles were fairly uniform with the bar crossing the foot at about the instep. By the late 19th century strap shoes appeared wher the strap was higher up close to the ankle. Eventually styles emerged with the straps between these two extremes. The width of the cross bar varied widely. We are not sure to what extent these shoes were worn by French boys after World War I. We note a lot of staged postcard images, but fewer actual photographs. The dressy type of strap shoe was called a "soulier". A French reader reports, "Souliers are dressy shoes worn for church on Sunday or other special occasions. This word is not very commonly used today. In the mid-20th century it was commonly used for expensive single bar and "T" strap patent leather shoes. It was also used for closed-toe sandals. For intance: one would say, " Un garçonnet avec de jolis souliers" that means that a little boy was well-dressed with his shoes. In France these shoes are still available, but often in specialty boutiques." The term for more ordinary shoes is "chaussures".
Strap shoes may have been more popular in France and than any other European countries. As in England they were worn with skeleton suits. There were also commonly worn by boys still in dresses before breeching.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century strap shoes with Fauntleroy suits were common. We are not sure to what extent these shoes were worn by French boys after World War I. We note a lot of staged postcard images, but fewer actual photographs. After World War II the popularity of strap shoes appears to decline. W note some younger boys wearing thm in the 1950s, but not commonly afterwards. We note some boys wearing strap shoes in the 1960s, but only play shos, not dress strap shoes.
Stap shoes seem to have been most common for boys from affluent families, but we have little actual information here.
I believe the dress strap shoe was usually black. A French reader tells us that some dress strap shoes were also done in white.
The classic dress strap shoe was made patent leather. This made for an expensive shoe. I am not sure to what extent French boys wore these. A French reade tells us that i the 1940s and 50s thy were always made in patent leather.
The early 19th century styles were fairly uniform with the bar crossing the foot at about the instep. By the late 19th century strap shoes appeared wher the strap was higher up close to the ankle. Eventually styles emerged with the straps between these two extremes. The width of the cross bar varied widely.
The dressy type of strap shoe was called a "soulier". A French reader reports, "Souliers are dressy shoes worn for church on Sunday or other special occasions. This word is not very commonly used today. In the mid-20th century it was commonly used for expensive single bar and "T" strap patent leather shoes. It was also used for closed-toe sandals. For intance: one would say, " Un garçonnet avec de jolis souliers" that means that a little boy was well-dressed with his shoes. In France these shoes are still available, but often in specialty boutiques." The term for more ordinary shoes is "chaussures". A reader tells us, "On the image here this sort of " soulier " was called " Charles IX"."
A French reader tells us, "The dressy strap shoes were worn only for Church on Sunday or other special occasions, often with white kneesocks. The petits garçons modèles during the 1930-50s durung the wek would wear white or brown sandalettes."
Many of the images that we have of French boys wearing strap shoes are post card images. These are images staged for sale. Apparently French mothers in the early 20th cenbtury liked to buy post carsds of children in formal dressy clothes. I believe these cards were usedrather like writing paper today. Some were sold in tourist sites, but others were used just to snd occasional, often family greetings. The question we have is to what extent the children in these post card images reflect the clothing actually worn by French children at the time.
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