WANT – Bata Shoe Museum

Perfect Pair

Desire, Design and Depression Era Footwear

OCAF_Government_Partner

WANT

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Crash

All that Glitters

Making Do

Objects of Desire

Polished

The New Leisure

Co-Eds

Techni-color

Co-Respondents

Exoticism

Stoking Desire

Novelty

Wedge

Classical Revival

Future Footwear

War

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CRASH

On October 24, 1929, the United States stock market crashed ushering in a decade of darkness and turmoil. As global economies tumbled, want proliferated—want of employment, want of security, want of escape. The desires born from want drove an explosion of cultural creativity from film to fashion. Some creative endeavors offered distraction from the troubling times, while others stoked desire in the hopes that by encouraging consumption the economy could be redeemed.

Many of the most innovative shoe designs in the history of Western fashion were created during this decade of want. Famed shoe designers Salvatore Ferragamo, André Perugia, and Steven Arpad played with the architecture of footwear creating uplifting platforms and wedges and as well as futuristic novelty heels and revealing peep toes that reflected escapist Hollywood glamour and well as new conceptions of fashionable femininity.

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1929

The United States stock market crashed on October 24, 1929. Within five days, the stock market had lost 14 billion dollars.

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1931

The Empire State Building opened. It was the tallest building in the world and was seen as a beacon of what humans could achieve. It was built, in part by Kanyen'kehà:ka iron workers from the Kahnawake community in Quebec.

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1932

“Brother Can you Spare a Dime” by Bing Crosby became the number 1 hit song in the U.S. reflecting the dire circumstances many of the unemployed faced.

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1933

30% of the Canadian and 24.9% of the U.S. labour force was out of work. The Dust Bowl began in both Canada and U.S. devastating farmers and forcing many off their land. Hitler also becomes Chancellor of Germany that year.

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1934

As the Depression deepened, increasing numbers of women sought employment

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1936

The board game Monopoly was introduced. It was one of many inexpensive amusements that became popular during the decade.

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1936

Jesse Owens won four gold medals for the U. S.. His success flew in the face of the racist ideology promoted by the Nazis.

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1937

On July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart went missing in the Pacific Ocean while attempting to fly around the world.

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1938

Superman made his first appearance in Action Comics No. 1.

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1939

The World’s Fair opened in New York on April 30. The theme was the “World of Tomorrow”, but before the close of the fair, World War II had begun.

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WAR!

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland starting World War II. Canada joined the war effort four days later.

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ALL THAT GLITTERS

Counterintuitive given the dour economic outlook of the age but gold and silver footwear proved to be a frugal choice. Many advice columns from the early years of the Depression suggested that the only evening shoes any woman needed was a single pair of gold or silver shoes because metallic footwear could be worn with ensembles of any colour.

I. Miller. American, 1930s. Collection of Nazim Mustafaev, Shoe Icons

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“Even if you have to starve, wear good-looking stockings.”

– Ethel Ehlen, Fashion Editor for the Washington Post, November 4, 1936

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SHEER EXPENSE

Keeping up appearances was important in the 1930s and for women that meant wearing stockings in good repair. However, the sheer stockings called for in fashion were delicate and easily ran. They were also expensive. An expert speaking in 1934 noted that “Women spend sums on hosiery that are far out of proportion to their incomes and their expenditures for other items of apparel, many of them denying themselves necessary food to keep up with the silk stocking standard.” She added that the average woman got only one week’s wear out of a pair of stockings and that the average working woman spent 10-20% of her week’s wages on stockings. This was an expense that many women found frustrating and often economically impossible so careful mending was required. Most stockings in the 1930s were made out of silk, cotton or rayon. ‘Nylons’ would not become commercially available until 1940s.

Stockings, 1930s, Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Ben Goldberg and Deborah Carroll.
Duldarn Mending Kit with Twelve Balls of Rayon, 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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MAKING DO

The Great Depression reversed the fortunes of millions worldwide. In the United States, income levels dropped 40% between 1929 and 1932 and by 1933 U.S. unemployment was at 24.9%. Canada faced even greater challenges, with unemployment reaching 30% in 1933. During these trying times, people had to find ways of making do and their efforts were reflected in their shoes. For many, this meant wearing their footwear for as long as possible even after it had gone out of fashion. In the effort to keep up appearances, shoes would also be polished and resoled.

Dorothea Lange "A Sign of the Times -Depression -Mended Stockings -Stenographer", circa 1934. Photonegative, 3 x 4 in.© The Dorothea Lange Collection, the Oakland Museum of California. Gift of Paul S. Taylor.

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This pair of well-worn shoes is very similar to the shoes worn by the stenographer in Dorothea Lange’s photograph on the previous page. Woven leather ‘sandals’, as they were called, first became fashionable in the 1920s. Although the style persisted into the early 1930s, by the time this photo was taken they were no longer fashionable.

Bata. Czechoslovakian, late 1920s – early 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Bol Kristian.

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In the 1930s, women seemed to heed the advice of fashion experts to have one pair of metallic evening shoes in their wardrobes because metallics functioned as a neutral and went with everything. Many extant evening shoes from the period are indeed gold kid and the majority show evidence of heavy use. The owner of this pair seems to have reattached the buckles, and if she had wanted to revive their gold finish, she could have purchased a Cinderella Gold Slipper shoe polish kit specifically designed to return the sparkle to golden footwear.

Aufouie Deluxe shoe. French or Belgian, c. 1930s. Cinderella Gold Slipper shoe polish kit. American, c. 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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The owner of this pair of day shoes was both frugal and fashionable. Footwear made from exotic skins was the height of fashion in the 1930s. This pair achieves this effect by using less expensive textile woven to give the appearance of reptile skin. Like many extant shoes from the 1930s, these are very well worn. The owner had them resoled and despite heavy wear the uppers were well-maintained. In 1942, in the middle of World War II, the wearer died in childbirth.

Th. J.de Bont. Dutch, mid 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Hillegonda Dellenbog.

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OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Despite the Depression, fashion flourished in the 1930s. Those who could afford it bought entire ensembles, while others on tighter budgets turned to less expensive accessories such as shoes to update their wardrobes. Footwear design in the 1930s marked a radical departure from the 1920s. One of the most dramatic changes was the increased exposure of the female foot. Peep-toes and strappy sandals became popular for both day and eveningwear.

"Princess Nathalie Paley," Edward Steichen, Vogue © Condé Nast.
Credit: Edward Steichen, Vogue © Condé Nast

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The trio of elegant evening shoes was made by the luxury Swiss shoe brand Bally in the mid-1930s. Each design incorporates elements of Art Deco design reﬂecting the interplay between architecture and fashion popular at the time. Although all three have closed-toe vamps, the fact that each features cutouts or strapping means that they would have been referred to as sandals.

Bally. Swiss, 1935—36 Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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This unusual evening sandal feature a number of interesting details. Low heeled evening shoes were quite popular in the 1930s but few had the elegant faceting seen here. The gilt-kid applique work also adds visual interest to this sandal.

Unknown maker. European, mid 1930s. Collection of Nazim Mustafaev, Shoe Icons

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This evening sandal incorporates many aspects of late 1930s glamour. The exuberant shell-like ornament that rises up on the sides of the foot was perhaps designed to make the wearer feel like Venus emerging from the sea. In 1939, Bally was awarded an exhibition prize for this shoe.

Bally. Swiss, 1939. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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“Feet are as important as hands in summer fashions.”

– LaCross Nail Polish advertisement, 1938

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POLISHED

In the 1920s, fashion exposed unprecedented expanses of the female body. Legs were revealed by shorter hemlines and arms were bared by sleeveless shifts. In the 1930s, the trend continued. After centuries of disuse, toe-revealing sandals for both day and eveningwear returned to women’s fashion. Leg-revealing shorts also appeared. With all of this new exposure came new grooming responsibilities. Shaving or depilatory creams were recommended for the removal of all exposed body hair and feet required beautification through pedicures and nail polish.

Illustration by Babs Rawlings, Vogue © Condé Nast, June 1 1933.
Credit: Babs Rawlings, Vogue © Condé Nast

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Sandals came into fashion in the 1930s and could be worn morning, noon, and night. Structurally, this evening sandal from Bally is very similar to more pedestrian sandals. However, the use of silver kid and a diamante buckle transform it into an elegant evening shoe.

Bally. Swiss, 1935. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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As the fashion for sandals grew, toe nail polish and pedicures gained in popularity. 1930s nail fashion called for white ‘moons’ at the nail bed and whitened tips for both hands and feet. This manicure set features remover, polish and the whitening required to create the moons. It was also recommended that women remove all of their leg hair and specially designed razors were marketed to them. Both manicure sets and razors represented relatively small expenses that were seen as both a necessity and an indulgence.

Longlex Manicure. English, 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum

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These two sandals were designed for wear during the day. The leather example would have been appropriate for a wider range of daytime activities, from luncheons to strolling, while the rubber-soled sandal was more appropriate for beachwear and play. Both sandals were made by Bally in 1933.

Bally. Swiss, 1933. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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"You know it strikes me these days that now is the time to have more time. Haven’t you found it so?… There is more time, if not more pennies for leisure of various kinds."

– Washington Post, 1933

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THE NEW LEISURE

As unemployment soared in the early years of the Depression, the United States government tried to lift the mood of the nation by reframing this new idle time as the New Leisure. Workweeks were limited to forty hours and citizens were encouraged to visit national parks, free campsites, and public beaches on their weekends off. Central to the New Leisure was the encouragement of exercise for health as well as recreation, leading to a boom in the sale of lower cost play shoes from fashionable beach platforms to rubber swim shoes. Sneakers too became increasingly popular at this time.

Cover, Paul D'Ome, Mademoiselle © Condé Nast, January 1 1938. Credit: Paul D'Ome, Mademoiselle © Condé Nast

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High, cork platform shoes had been a part of European beachwear since the 1920s and only grew in popularity in the 1930s as the fashion spread to North America. This Bally example features painted cork soles and is very similar to the pair worn by the model on the Mademoiselle cover.

Bally. Swiss, 1937—1939. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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Despite all of the bare feet being exposed by the newly fashionable sandal, swimmers were still encouraged to wear rubber bathing shoes when going into the water.

English or American, 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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Wood, like cork, was also a popular material for sandal soles in the 1930s. This pair was purchased by a young American woman in 1934 while she was on vacation in Vienna with her family. The donor remembers the exact date that she acquired them, July 26, 1934, the day after the fascist leader of Austria, Chancellor Dollfu, was assassinated and her family rushed to leave Austria. Although World War II did not ofﬁcially begin until 1939, tensions in Europe were high. Once war broke out, wooden-soled shoes became more prevalent as wood, unlike leather, was not rationed. To make walking more comfortable, many soles were hinged.

Unknown maker. Austrian, 1934. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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Despite the economic woes of the 1930s, an increasing number of young women in the United States and Canada entered university. Perched on the edge of adulthood, co-eds were encouraged to play, and this was reflected in their dress. Saddle shoes, which referenced men’s spectators, were ubiquitous on campuses, while fads like roller-skating also became popular. In 1937, Life magazine reported that college men wanted ‘girls who were good sports.’ Society in the 1930s considered women’s principal role to be wife and mother and this idea influenced their education. University was seen as a place to meet the ‘right’ man and what was meant by ‘right’ was often connected to racially motivated concerns embodied in larger cultural ideas of eugenics — the supposed ‘science of controlling human genetics through breeding.’ University students in North America were overwhelmingly white, privileged, and Christian, and the finding of ‘better’ marriage partners so that ‘better’ children could be raised was motivated by problematic ideologies that became devastatingly destructive in countries such as Germany.

Bumps a Daisy, 1933. Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images

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Saddle shoes were one of the deﬁning forms of youthful feminine footwear in the 1930s. They ﬁrst became popular in the 1920s and by the 1930s they were ubiquitous. Life magazine even put a pair on the cover of their 1937 issue devoted to higher learning. This single was made by Bally and features a crepe rubber sole.

Bally. Swiss, 1929. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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Although roller skates were invented in the eighteenth century, they were not popularized until the nineteenth century when a roller-skating craze swept across Europe and North America. In the 1930s another roller-skating craze hit and everyone was swept up in the fun. Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire even did a roller-skating movie called Shall We Dance in 1937. Roller skates in the 1930s featured metal wheels and could be adjusted to ﬁt a wide variety of shoe sizes.

Kingston. America, 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Perlette Hollander.

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Daytime footwear for women in the 1930s often incorporated decorative details that added visual interest to the design. This red suede peep toe features menswear-referencing kiltie tassels. However, rather than being decorated with traditional brogue-like detailing, these tassels feature more modernist punch work.

Treadeasy Deluxe. American, 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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The leather tassels on the laces of this ankle boot adds a touch of lux to the design while the white stitching adds visual interest. e-like detailing, these tassels feature more modernist punch work.

Swiss. Bally, 1930s. Collection of Nazim Mustafaev, Shoe Icons

Bally, Nazim

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The large fan-like ornament that rises at the throatline adds a bold visual statement to an otherwise simple heel.

Bata. Czech 1939. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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TECHNI – COLOUR

Colourful shoes were embraced by consumers who were interested in being thrifty as well as fashionable. New footwear, while an expenditure, was one way of updating an outfit that had to be worn repeatedly such as a suit. Daywear grew in importance during the Depression as increasing numbers of women entered the workplace. Married women's employment rates in the U.S. jumped from 28% to 35% while single women's also saw a marked increase. Although women were paid less for their work, there was hope that part of their income would be spent on fashion, which in turn would lift the economy and provide more jobs.

Cover, Georges Lepape, Vogue © Condé Nast, March 1 1932. Credit: Georges Lepape, Vogue © Condé Nast

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Israel Miller owned one of the most luxurious shoe shops in New York City in the 1920s and after his death in 1929, his enterprise continued to hire the best designers such as André Perugia and Steven Arpad to create exclusive shoes. This multi-coloured day shoe was sold by Miller in the 1930s and would have been versatile with a range of outﬁts.

I. Miller. American, 1930s. Collection of Nazim Mustafaev, Shoe Icons

I. Miller; Nazim

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This trio of prototypes was made by the famous French brand Herault for their slightly lower-cost line Preciosa. In addition to being colourful, each model has interesting detailing. It is not known if these prototypes made it into production but they certainly were in keeping with the fashions of the moment.

Preciosa. French, 1932—1936. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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This deep forest green shoe with elegant detailing was made by the Canadian shoe manufacturer the Empress Shoe Company. The enterprise had been proﬁtable in the 1920s and sold luxury shoes to Eaton’s Department Store. The high quality of their footwear continued into the early 1930s and can be seen in this shoe. In 1933, at the height of the Depression, the company declared bankruptcy and in 1936, just weeks before his daughter’s wedding, Allan Alfred Mark, the founder of the company, committed suicide, a victim of the devastation wrought by the Depression.

Empress Shoe Company. Canadian, 1930—1933. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Wendy Bateman

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CO – RESPONDENTS

The New Leisure also called for men to have casual footwear and the most popular leisure model in the 1930s was the two-toned spectator. The style had been around since the nineteenth century and connoted leisure and play. Worn outside of the context of leisure, spectators were seen as a bit flashy and suggested a ‘player’ of a different sort. In England, these connotations were captured by their alternate name, co-respondents. In British divorce cases, infidelities were committed with ‘co-respondents’ and the word lent a whiff of raciness to the style.

Getting to Grips, a publicity photograph of MGM films stars Robert Young and Joan Marsh rehearsing, 1930s. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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This particular shoe was worn by the famed Hollywood actor Bela Lugosi who ﬁt the model of a ‘player’ perfectly. Lugosi was married ﬁve times. His third marriage lasted only four months and the co-respondent named was none other than the Hollywood star Clara Bow.

Alan McAfee Ltd. English, c. 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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EXOTICISM

Problematic fantasies about ‘Others’ have long been central to Western culture. In the 1930s, the suggested splendor of these ‘far away’ places influenced everything from film to fashion. Intrinsic to these dreams were ideas of excess and luxury that were often linked to the lavish use of ornamentation. In fashion, certain structural conceits were also revisited again and again as a means of signaling the ‘exotic’ including the repeated use of the upturned toe in footwear design.

Poster for Mata Hari starring Greta Garbo. Artwork by Gosta Aberg, 1931. Printed by A.B. Offsettryck, Stockholm. Private Collection/DaTo Images/Bridgeman Images

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Renowned French shoe designer André Perugia became famous in the 1920s after he began working with the French couturier Paul Poiret. Like Poiret, Perugia frequently infused his work with ‘exoticism’. This shoe, with its problematically named ‘Aladdin’ toe and striking use of silver kid, black leather and teal suede was designed for the silent ﬁlm star La Spinelli in the 1920s. As with many of Perugia’s designs, this shoe was ahead of its time and inspired imitation in the 1930s.

André Perugia. French, c. 1927. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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This evening shoe is more fantasy than function. The exaggerated ‘Aladdin’ toe and heavy embellishment, which includes sequins and gold and silver kid appliqué, reﬂects 1930s conceptions of ‘Oriental’ excess. The use of red and green glass beads on either side of the vamp gives the impression of eyes and are vaguely suggestive of Chinese Shang Dynasty Taotie masks.

Marouf. French, 1930s. Collection of Nazim Mustafaev, Shoe Icons

Marouf Shoes; Nazim

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Although the architecture of this shoe is relatively tame, the materials used to make it are the embodiment of 1930s exoticism. The vamp is made from lizard skin and the heel is covered in crocodile skin. Exotic skins became popular in the 1920s after innovations in air-conditioning made it possible to transport skins such as Indian snake, Javanese lizard, and Brazilian alligator to Europe and North America where they could be tanned and used for shoemaking.

H. Leoncino. French, early 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of J. Riu.

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STOKING DESIRE

In the 1930s, Hollywood films offered weary audiences an inexpensive escape from the pressures of the real world. In air-conditioned theatres, movies stars with their lavish fashions and luxurious lifestyles allowed moviegoers a few hours of escapism that stoked desires for better times. Hollywood was central to the promotion of fashion in the 1930s. Fans paid close attention to what and ‘who’ the stars were wearing and to capitalise on this, many fashion designers were touted as ‘designers to the stars.’

Jean Harlow in Dinner at Eight, 1933. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images

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André Perugia, designer of some the 1930s most desirable shoes, counted many famous women among his clientele. The Hollywood star Jean Harlow wore the mule version of this design in MGM’s publicity material for the 1933 movie Dinner at Eight. This shoe from the same line did not come with any information about who the original purchaser was but the fact that they were well worn suggests that they were a prized feature of her wardrobe.

André Perugia. French, late 1920s to early 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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Salvatore Ferragamo ﬁrst rose to fame making footwear for Hollywood ﬁlms and subsequently, Hollywood celebrities. In 1927, he returned to Italy but he remained the ‘shoemaker to the stars’ and continued to craft exceptional designs for many of the most famous women of the silver screen. This golden platform sandal was designed in 1938 for Carmen Miranda, a ﬁlm star who was almost as famous for her love of platforms as her musical and acting skills. The cork platform was covered in a mosaic of golden glass.

Salvatore Ferragamo. Italian, 1938. Collection of the Ferragamo Museum, Courtesy Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Florence.

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One of the most famous shoes of the 1930s was Ferragamo’s iconic Rainbow Platform that he designed for Judy Garland in 1938. From its Streamline Moderne architecture to its exuberant colour in velvety suede, the Rainbow Platform was the perfect shoe for the rising star whose most famous ﬁlm, the Wizard of Oz, featured her singing “Over the Rainbow”. It was one of the ﬁrst Hollywood pictures produced in Technicolor.

Salvatore Ferragamo. Italian, 1938 Collection of the Ferragamo Museum, Courtesy Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Florence

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NOVELTY

As the 1930s progressed, shoe designers and shoe retailers capitalized on “the active and growing interest in shoes as the highlight of the costume.” Novelty, particularly in the shape of heels, became a focus for many shoe designers as avant-garde art movements — Surrealism above all — began to influence style. Elsa Schiaparelli was the most prominent 1930s fashion designer to incorporate the bizarre humour of the Surrealists into her clothes. One of her most famous creations, the Shoe Hat, was a soft sculptural hat in the shape of a high heel made in collaboration with the artist Salvador Dalí. For her footwear, Schiaparelli sought out shoe designers who were equally daring in their subversion of the codes of female dress. André Perugia was among her favourites.

Hat shaped like a shoe, and jacket with an appliqué in the form of a lip; designed by Schiaparelli, 1937. Vintage property of ullstein bild. Photo: ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images

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Designer Steven Arpad created perhaps the most radical shoe designs of the 1930s for French couture houses including Balenciaga and Schiaparelli as well as American shoe companies Delman and I. Miller. Arpad was inspired by the volutes in classical architecture when designing this shoe yet his ﬁnal creation was utterly contemporary.

Steven Arpad. American; Balenciaga. French, 1939. Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection, 1947 (2009.300.1395a,b)

Balenciaga, French 1939

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WEDGE

Famed Italian shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo created some of the most innovative shoes of the 1930s. His interest in fit and comfort led him to design the wedge, which he deemed to be orthopaedically correct. This quest for comfort unexpectedly sparked a fashion trend. Although fashion-forward women welcomed this new form of footwear, men reportedly gave wedges a cool reception. The slender heel had long been central to the construction of desirable femininity and in men’s erotica the heel reigned supreme throughout the 1930s regardless of shifting footwear fashion. The division between the fashionable female and the desirable female that was playing out in footwear design at the end of the 1930s would only grow stronger after the world headed to war in 1939.

"Ferragamo wedges," Lusha Nelson, Vogue © Condé Nast, January 1. Credit: Lusha Nelson, Vogue © Condé Nast

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Ferragamo designed this black and gold wedge in the late 1930s. Ferragamo’s wedges were often constructed using layers of cork and he often highlighted this fact by making them a design feature. One way that he did this was by covering each layer in a contrasting material.

Salvatore Ferragamo. Italian, 1930s. Collection of Nazim Mustafaev, Shoe Icons

Ferragamo. Italian, 1930s

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Almost immediately after Ferragamo debuted the wedge, other shoemakers and manufacturers jumped on the trend. This is one such example. The stacked, gilded wedge is a direct quote from Ferragamo, as is the peaked toe. This mule seems to be oozing luxury but they were probably sold at a lower price than Ferragamos. The dripping effect created at the topline was actually achieved through the applique of the black suede of the upper over an underlay of gold kid, the reverse of how the design ‘reads.’

Luigi Bufarini. Italian, 1939—1940. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum

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This wedge-heeled boot with its ﬂame-like cuff is one of Ferragamo’s most famous designs and remains as strikingly modern today as it did in 1938-1939. The interplay between matte black suede and shiny silk lining surely gave this boot visual interest when it was worn.

Salvatore Ferragamo. Italian, 1938—1939 Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the Italian Government, 1954 (2009.300.1489a, b)

Ferragamo, Italian, 1938-38

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Want End Text

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CLASSICAL REVIVAL

In 1938, platforms took the fashion world by storm. Although elevating footwear had been worn at beaches since the late 1920s, it wasn’t the end of the 1930s that platforms became the footwear of choice for day and night as Women’s Wear Daily noted in 1938. The platform was in some ways a revival of the high, cork-soled Spanish chopines fashionable centuries earlier. Yet despite these historic roots it seemed markedly avant garde rather than anachronistic. Platforms quickly became potent markers of up-to-the-minute stylishness and offered a highly visible means of updating one’s look.

"Elsa Schiaparelli dress," Horst P. Horst, Vogue © Condé Nast, June 15. Credit: Horst P. Horst, Vogue © Condé Nast

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This shoe, with its high, slender heel and ‘slap-sole’ was created by Italian shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo at the end of the 1930s. Its design elements are a pastiche of late 16th and early 17th century footwear styles from high platform chopines to slap-soles which were shoes with an extended sole to keep heels from sinking in the mud. In Ferragamo’s hands, however, these elements were transformed into forward-looking footwear.

Salvatore Ferragamo. Italian, 1930s. Collection of the Ferragamo Museum, Courtesy Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Florence

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Ferragamo lavished this platform sandal with highly ornate silver ﬁligree. In the 16th century, upper-class Spanish women’s chopines were frequently decorated with precious metals and gems. This platform, likewise, was only for the wealthy as they were priced at $100 USD in 1938.

Salvatore Ferragamo. Italian, 1939-1940. Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the Italian Government, 1956 (2009.300.1505a,b)

Ferragamo, Italian, 1939-40

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Ferragamo’s designs were often imitated at the end of the 1930s. This Ferragamo-esque platform is not as ﬁnely made as a real pair by the master shoemaker but certainly would have satisﬁed a ‘want’ at a lower price point. Although platforms were often criticised as being too large and clunky, advertisers countered with claims that their bulkiness made women’s feet seem petite and graceful.

Unknown maker, c. 1939. Collection of the Bata Shoe Musem.

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Ferragamo became famous for his platforms, wedges, and heels but he also offered women lower-heeled choices including this avant-garde red and gold mule.

Salvatore Ferragamo. Italian, 1938. Collection of the Ferragamo Museum, Courtesy Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Florence.

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François Pinet was one of the most famous luxury shoe manufacturers in the nineteenth century renowned for his use of floral embellishments and delicate design. After Pinet’s death in 1897, his company carried on making fine footwear including this futuristic pair called the “1939 Folly.” Although this shoe was the height of fashion for 1939, the floral fabric and scalloped gold kid applique give the shoe a somewhat ruffled appearance at odds with its modern structure.

François Pinet. French, 1939. Collection of Nazim Mustafaev, Shoe Icons

Pinet, French, 1939

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In the midst of high heels, wedges, and platforms, many women wanted flat shoes and some designers offered compelling new designs. The decorative detailing along the slim wedge and on the flap of the low black shoe offers an unexpected artistic flair to this otherwise bold design.

Seymour Troy. American, late 1930s. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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FUTURE FOOTWEAR

Throughout the 1930s many expressed hope for a better future which they believed would be achieved through science and technology. This utopian ‘World of Tomorrow’ was the theme of the 1939 New York World’s Fair and in honour of this, Vogue asked nine men from a range of fields unrelated to fashion to predict what people would be wearing in the year 2000. The footwear that some of these men imagined included shoes with startling architecture constructed out of exciting new materials made by the most visionary shoe designers of the decade. Despite the optimism for the future promoted by the fair, war broke out before it ended.

"Lorganza Barre pantsuit," Anton Bruehl, Vogue © Condé Nast. Credit: Anton Bruehl, Vogue © Condé Nast

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This glamourous shoe, featuring carved wooden heel that rival Streamline Moderne sculpture, and uppers in brilliant red silk and gold kid was sold by Delman. It was probably designed by Steven Arpad. In the 1930s, it was common for prominent shoe designers including Roger Vivier, André Perugia, and Arpad to create uncredited designs for a wide range of shoe labels and fashion houses. The heel on this shoe is strikingly similar to those worn by the model in the 1939 Vogue spread depicting fashion of the future. That pair is credited to Seymour Troy, another shoemaker for whom Arpad most likely supplied designs.

Probably Steven Arpad for Delman. American, c. 1939. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum.

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Another remarkable shoe designed by Steven Arpad is this example created for Balenciaga. At ﬁrst glance, the shoe seems entirely futuristic but it is in fact grounded in the past. The arched stilts are reminiscent of both ancient Roman viaducts and stilted bathhouse clogs called qabâqib worn for centuries in the Ottoman Empire.

Steven Arpad for Balenciaga. French, 1939. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection, 1947 (2009.300.1394a,b)

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This green suede shoe is another example of novel footwear design in the 1930s. Although many designers were trying to reimagine the future of footwear by creating inventive prototypes, the majority of these creations were not put into production. The vision of the future that the designers of these shoes imagined was irrevocably shifted when war broke out in 1939.

Unknown designer. late 1930s. Collection of Nazim Mustafaev, Shoe Icons

Unknown designer, late 1930

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WAR

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 marking the start of World War II and the profound devastation that was to follow. In North America, as men went off to fight, women were encouraged to do everything in their power to help the war effort. Wartime propaganda in Canada and the United States promoted images of strong, ‘sensibly’ shod women patriotically taking up ‘men’s work’. Many answered the call. By 1943, over seventeen million women were employed in the United States alone. Newspaper articles praised the ‘rush to sensibility’ as women chose squat ‘military heels’ and ‘wedgies’ for daily wear. Fashionable platforms made of unrationed materials were limited to evening attire, promoted as uplifting ‘treats’ with the potential of buoying the domestic economy.

Designed for Living poster by Sascha Maurer, 1940s. Photo by Swim Ink 2, LLC/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

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In World War II, there was grave concern about gas attacks and gas masks were produced for both military and civilian use. Those who could afford their own looked for models that they could carry with them. Although this gas mask was created to protect against terrifying gas attacks, its design and that of its container still reﬂected the Streamlined Moderne aesthetic of the period.

Swiss, c. 1939 - 1945. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of the Estate of Sonja I. Bata.

swiss, 1939-45

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Canada entered the war along with Britain on September 10, 1939. The United States joined in 1941 after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. As men went off to ﬁght, women also assisted the war effort. The next three shoes reﬂect this participation. The boot was worn by a woman in the Canadian Women’s Army Corp (CWAC). The low, black shoe was worn by a woman in the British Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and the white high heel was a United States Women’s Army Corp (WAC) model.

Canadian Women's Army Corp boots worn by Patricia Merriott Fish. English 1942 -1945 British. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gifts of Hilary Lee.

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Women’s Auxiliary Air Force shoe worn by Mary Kirby. English, 1942 -1944. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Mary Savigny.

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Women’s Army Corp dress shoe. American, 1944 Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Edward Maeder.

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With the advent of World War II, platforms, wedges, and low heels remained the footwear of choice for many women. In France, wedges and platforms were decried by the Germans as immoral and Parisian women wore them as a form of sartorial protest during the Occupation (1940 – 1944). This wartime winter boot was made in France. Like other wartime footwear, it was crafted out of vegetable fibre and rabbit fur, materials not required by the war effort.

Unknown maker. French, 1940 - 1945. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Pierrette Desy

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Toronto: Bata Shoe Museum Foundation, 2023

All items from the Bata Shoe Museum collection unless otherwise specified. Exhibition, text, and images copyright © 2023 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada.

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