Shoes tell the story

A new school year is about to start. It’s been some time since I had to worry about clothing two very fashion conscious girls.

I can’t complain. I was just as bad.

The fashion statement for us grade school kids of the early 50s was ‘the shoes.’ The girls’ footwear was a lot more involved than the boys. Buy the boys some PF Flyers and they were good to go.

The grade school had-to-have for the girls was black-patent Mary Jane’s. These were gloriously fun to look at and at the tender young age of 6 or 7 we would have to be constantly reminded to look were we were going instead of at our feet.

We were mesmerized and did everything we could to make others take notice. Mom applying a thin layer of Vasoline kept the Mary Jane’s nice and shiny for a long time. The socks of choice were either made of thin cotton, for everyday wear and tear, or nylon for dress- up. Of course they were white.

However, there was the day that I managed to get out the door in my Mary Jane’s wearing a pair of wildly colored striped socks before my mother knew it. Unfortunately for me, there was a Kodak moment of this fashion faux pas.

As we approached the teen fashion years of poodle shirts, net petticoats, sissy blouses, tight skirts, triple roll bobby socks and ponytails our concern was still the proper shoe attire. No longer would a simple basic shoe for school apply. The teen fashion-world called for several types of footwear for us girls. For the boys – you guessed it PF Flyers, Keds and in pair of black lace-up oxfords and they were happy. For us girls, black and white or brown and white saddle oxfords were a given, but along came the ever popular penny loafer. Then throw in a pair of the Pat Boone influence of  ‘white bucks.’

 My sister had to have a pair even though these shoes were really high maintenance. She convinced my folks that she would be ever so vigilant in keeping them clean thus she became forever joined to a small bag of cleaning powder. Applying this baby-powder-like substance was the only way to maintain the pearly white that Mr. Boone would be proud of. Another type of footwear was the plain slip-on known as ‘flats.’

The selling feature of these was that there were small clip-on bows or buckles that you could buy. Some of these were plain but some boasted fake diamonds that could give a different look. Between the two of us we had a wide assortment so we could get that needed gussied-up total look. After all we might have had a special boy we wanted to impress.

By the time I graduated high school I had landed a job at Bakers, one of the shoe stores at the relatively new Blue Ridge Mall. I worked as the cashier and delighted in checking out all the new trends.

 I ended up with sooo many pairs of shoes. One day my dad asked if it wouldn’t just be easier to let them pay me in shoes than writing me a paycheck.

But I ask you, how could I resist? I was surrounded by the smell of leather, the new ankle strap high heel, summer sandals, multiple colors of flats and bows and buckles and now fake flowers and of course, the classic plain high heel with the 3 inch heels. These required you to do a balancing act with grace.

Another new trend was the shoes and purses that were made of material that could be dyed to match one’s outfit. These were a must for prom. With graduation festivities on the horizon I decided that I would try another new rage of covering my ‘Senior Day’ shoes with the material that matched my dress. Of course I wouldn’t dream of experimenting on an old pair per suggestion of my dad, I had to have a brand new pair. I labored feverishly, I measured, I cut, I glued. They were stunning, and I knew I was “stylin.”

As for the fifties little boy, it was the newly marketed, black high-top PF Flyers. Those sported a small rubber circle on the side at the ankle with the letters PF boldly emblazon for all to see. To complete the look was, of course, white athletic socks. As the boys turned to teenagers they still wanted their PF Flyers or even a pair of Keds. Their moms’ insisted on a pair of black or brown oxfords, or maybe even a pair of penny loafers take up residence in their closet just in case they could get them is something besides jeans and a tee shirt.

All in all, we kids of the fifties were taking part in styles that would show future generations who we were. I’m proud to be of an age and style that shouted fun, innocence and carefree times.

They say trends have a way of repeating themselves and an example is the flip-flops of today. They first came into style in the fifties, however they were called ‘thongs’ then. Yes I know, that by today’s standards ‘thongs’ are now underwear, and flip-flops are shoes. My youngest informed me of that not too long ago.



 Jan is anticipating her soon to be released book ‘Growing Up With My Best Friend" Please visit her web site www.independencekids1950.com for more information.