Changes in High Heels



Still worn today, all ladies in America and other nations, have at least one pair of high heels. What has changed is the height of the heel and a mandate that wearing high heels was required.

Shoes for ladies in the late 1800s and into early 20th century, had a medium height heel, nothing very tall especially with their wearing long dresses.

With dress length shorted in the roaring twenties, now there could be changes. Because ladies now felt freer not wearing long dresses, having in the 1920s a low-heel with a t-strap across the top of the foot kept the shoes on and became popular.

With the 1930s, dress length were a bit longer, and the shoes were solid, no t-strap and the heel medium height. By the early 1940s and the WW 2 years, many ladies worked in factories, so needed very steady shoes with a medium height. Some style changes included having low heeled oxford shoes, wedge scandal and the platform heel.

Come the 1950s, the stiletto high heel became popular and required to wear outside and inside the home. This slender heel made the lady’s legs look nice but hard to walk in.

With miniskirts in the 1960s, shorter tiny width heels were popular and required wearing in public. Then in the 1970s and disco dancing and fashions, the thick shorter platform shoes became popular again.

In the 1980s low heels in bright colors were part of a colorful outfit also. Chunky heels and shoe straps were popular in the 1990s.

As you see, styles repeat, as did the tall stiletto heels in the early 2000s. They were popular even wearing slacks or jeans. In the 2010s, high heels on boots was the thing to have for ladies, worn with skirts or pants.

Photo: 1940s Oxford steady shoe and heel.

Related FamilyTree.com Blogs:

Our Ancestors’ Strange Practices

Feet and Toes

Baby Shoes

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