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Women and Their Shoes in the 50's

By: Robert Thomson Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Women's shoes and socks of the 50s were the perfect added touch to complete any outfit. Even now, when dressing up for a sock hop or Halloween you have to have just the right shoes to make the outfit a hit.

Flats as well as heals were in during this time period. Saddle oxfords are the traditional shoes to complete any poodle skirt. These were worn to school or a date. The flair of the poodle skirts and the comfort of saddle oxfords would make it a perfect outfit for any dance as well. Oxfords were white and black. They were best worn with white shoe laces as well.

Flats were also popular. The 'ballet' shoe was a common flat worn by girs to school and church. Often they would be worn with white socks with lace that was folded over at the ankle.

The penny loafer was another popular shoe, but for both men and women. Much like the loafers you see today, they had a slit in the top for a penny (sometimes even a quarter- if you were lucky).

Many believe that the most popular shoe of the 1950's was the stiletto-healed shoe. Some being as high as 5 inches, they came in both open and closed (and pointy) toed varieties. They were first seen at the Dior Fashion Show in 1952 and really made a splash for the next decade or so.

Saddle oxfords and oxfords are different. These were also worn by both men and women. Many referred to these as Balmorals, and they came in the same style as saddle shoes, but didn't necessarily have to be black and white, but all kinds of colors.

A really popular high heel shoe was the Mary Jane. These came in a lot of different colors and heights, and had a strap that would go over the top of the foot. These were popular for church socials, school or dances.

Bobby Socks were very popular in the 50s. This is a trend that was started in the 40s. This is the name for the socks that fold over and at about the ankle height. Many times these were used for school uniforms. They were also worn with saddle shoes, loafers and oxfords.