Figure 1.--French postcards often showed boys wearing strap shoes. We are unsure as to how common this actually was. A French reader writes, This is a French postcard " Bleuet " sold in Belgium. Of course it isn't a girl but a charming little boy. Note his short pants . After World war I, boys were more and more dressed in very short pants--especialy for Church on Sunday and other formal occassions.

The styles were less standard than in Britain and included styles with single bars, "T" straps, double bars, and a variety of others. We note many images of French boys wearing sandals as a casual dress style. Most of the images we have collected of French boys wearing dressy strap shoes, however, come from postcards leaving us unsure as to the extent that they were actully worn. Here we have some complications inthat some styles of sandals are also considered shoes, such as strap shoes. They are essentiaslly the same, but often seen as a shoe for dresswear and and csandal for play or casual wear--event though the style is the same. The material, however can vary. the single-bar sandal or strap shoe was rimarily a dress shoe. As a dress shoe they were black Some French boys also wore them as a casual shoe beginning about the 1930s. Worn as a caual shoe they could be various colors, including white. Although not as commo as in England, Frech boys also wore school sandals. They wer qute a flexiblde style. HBC has noted them at schools, worn with suis, as well as by Boy Scouts. The open-work sandal was widely worn in France beginning about the 1920s. I'm not positive about the chronology. Cerainly I did not see these sandals before World War I. I have noted them in the 1930s, but believe they may have appeared earlier.

Single-bar

The single-bar sandal or strap shoe was primarily a dress shoe. As a dress shoe they were black Some French boys also wore them as a casual shoe beginning about the 1930s. Worn as a caual shoe they could be various colors, including white. 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. As in England, after World War I (1914-18), strap shoes began to be worn as play shoes. Unlike England, older boys comtinued to wear them in the 1930s-50s. Pictures of boys at school show French boys in both strap shoes and single "T" bar type school sandals. While English boys commonly wore the "T" bar type, only very small boys wore them without the "T"bar.

T-strap

Although not as commo as in England, Frech boys also wore school sandals. They were qute a flexiblde style. HBC has noted them at schools, worn with suits, as well as by Boy Scouts. This is the style known as school sandls in Britain. They were much more popular in Britain, but we have seen quite a number of French boys wearing them through the 1960s.

Open Work

The open-work sandal was widely worn in France beginning about the 1920s. I'm not positive about the chronology. Cerainly I did not see these sandals before World War I. I have noted them in the 1930s, but believe they may have appeared earlier. They were most popular after World War II. They were primarily worn for casual wear, especilly during the summer. Both boys and girls wore them, I'm not sure if they were stylistic differencs. They came in several differnt colors. The basic design was a "T"-strap sandal, but with with with many starps instead of solid leather in places. Originally these sandals were leather, but different materials have been used.

Sport Sandal

The open-toe sport sandal that became popular in America during the 1990s has not yet caught-on in France.

Roman Sandal

Created: December 27, 2003
Last updated: December 28, 2003