Figure 1.--This little boy wears white strap shoes. They were not nearly as common as the black strap shoes. We habe no information on this photograph, but it looks like a wealthy British family taken in the early 1960s. |
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The most common color for strap shoes was of course black, especially for strap shoes worn as part of dressy outfits. There were, however, strap shoes made in several other colors. The colored strap shoes, especially red and blue, were popular for play shoes. Brown shoes were often used as a school shoe, but not by boys--at lease the single -bar style. White shoes were another formal style, but not nearly as common as the black strap shoes. Except for red shoes we have not noted bright colors being used for strap shoes. Our information on the color of strap shoes is still very limited, but we have begun to collect some information on the various colors used for strap shoes.
We mostly see black strap shoes in the 19th century. A good example is Rebecca Solomon's portrait of a idealized Victorian family (early-1850s). The boy wears black ankle strap shoes. Strap shoes for formal occasions were mostly black and made of patent leather. Less expensive shoes were made in other leathers and eventially other materials. Black shoes were primarily used for formal occassions and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when people dressed more formally. We have not noted black strap shoes being worn as a play shoe, although we do notiove dark blue ones..
Strap shoes have been made in different shades of blue. The most common was a dark blue looking almost black. This shoe could be used as a formal shoe as it looked so much like a black strap shoe. It was, however, also used for a play shoe. We have also noted a light blue strap shoe. This was normally used for younger children. It might be used a a play shoe, but for the most part in affluent families. or in formal outfits where a boy was wearing light blue shorts. These outfits might be worn in weddings or other formal events. We have rarely noted strap shoes does in bright blues like royal blue.
Brown was also as a color for straps shoes used for play. In this case they were not used for dressy outfits--even for casual dressy events. Brown shoes were also wudely used as a school shoe at many girls schools--but not boys schools.
Less common than black were red shoes--normally done in a bright red shade. These red shoes were motly for younger boys and for less formal occasions then formal black and white strap shoes. Here social class factors were influential. Some mothers from affluent families used red strap shoes as a kind of play shoe, but by the 1960s we have noted them being used as a kind of casual dressy style. Red shoes being done in the double strap style.
Some strap shoes were also made in white. We have noted these being worn in the southern United States more than in the northern states at least for boys, although double strap sandals seem more common than single strap shoes for boys.
We have noted other colors but they are relatively rare and for the most part worn by girls.
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