“Give a girl the right pair of shoes, and she can conquer the world” — Marilyn Monroe
Shoes reflect our personality, our fashion sense, our role in society and our mood on any given day. Without a word they say, soccer mom, corporate executive, medical technician or ‘going nowhere..doin’ nothing.’ Last year in the U.S. over 350 million pairs of shoes were sold, and while “new” shoes comprise the majority of those sales, retro and vintage shoes (1960-1980) are gaining in popularity with nearly 20 percent of the market. For the Baby Boomers the styles from this era are a vivid memory. For those of you who arrived on planet Earth more recently, here is a brief history lesson..
The 1960s stand as one of the most influential decades in U.S. history. Our young people fought for freedom both at home and abroad. A once staunch government was transformed into “Camelot., 400,000 young people gathered in a rain soaked field to make music history at Woodstock. Man walked on the moon and some our most beloved leaders fell victim to an assassin’s gun. Yet somehow in the mix, America experienced the longest uninterrupted period of economic growth in history.
With extra money to spend and mass production on the rise, fashion stepped in to grab a share of the wealth. Aided by the growing exposure to movies and television, women from all age groups and walks of life were buying the shoes they saw worn by their favorite celebrities. From the bejeweled sandals and muted tone high heeled pumps worn by Jackie Kennedy to the “kitten heel” (1.5-2 inches in height) popularized by Audrey Hepburn, the images set before us by the media dictated what we wore.
The “Flower Power” mentality of the mid-60s gave birth to the psychedelic pump. Turquoise, fuchsia and hot pink were the colors of the day, both solid and in swirling designs. Boots, popularized by one-hit-wonder Nancy Sinatra in her song “These Boots were Made for Walking”, became a must-have for every woman’s shoe collection, ranging from ankle boots to over-the-knee boots and (of course) mid-calf Go-Go boots.
For casual wear the black and white saddle shoe was replaced by a new square-toed version in vibrant colors and the black patent leather shoe of the 50s came in blue, red, orange and green. There were sandals for every occasion as designers experimented with style, fabric, shape and color. From the Hippie culture to high fashion models, the sandal stood as one of the most popular shoes of the 1960s.
The 60s gave way to the 70s, barely noticed by the shoe designers. The espadrilles, sandals, oxfords and sneakers of the previous decade still filled store shelves. But all of that was about to change.
In 1977 former “sweathog” John Travolta, took a stroll down a Brooklyn street, while the Bee Gee’s sang “Stayin’ Alive,” and the world witnessed the birth of the Disco Age. Within one week of the release of that film, stores across the country sold out of the platform shoe. While they had enjoyed a modest run as early as 1971, the platform now became THE shoe. Worn by both men and women, they quickly turned from a teen fad to a fashion statement worn by all ages.
The popularity of the platform gave way to mules and ankle strap shoes as we approached the 80s. Beatle boots and grungy tennis shoes became popular with the rock subculture and the Scandinavian clog became the top selling shoes of 1981.
Today’s collectors watch for shoes in mint condition, with values varying based on the designer. Online shops like ModCloth.com and Etsy.com offer both authentic and reproduction shoes, or if you prefer the experience of hands-on shopping check out some Central Indiana shoe havens. In downtown Indy: Queen Bee Vintage, 111 E. 16th, North side Indy: The Toggery, 810 Broad Ripple Ave. and South side Indy: Gypsy Vintage, 2028 E. Southport Rd. on the upper level of the Southport Antique Mall.
Now, if you’re ready to conquer the world………let’s go shoe shopping! Until next time ….Linda
Irvington resident Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-429-7887 or lkennett@indy.rr.com