Okay so I’ve been crazy obsessed lately with what people actually wore back in the day, like really wore, not just what fancy museums show. And shoes? Man, that seemed like a good place to start. The 1940s kept popping up everywhere, WWII era and all. I knew heels got chunky and leather was scarce, but what were the must-haves? Like, walk-down-the-street-everyday shoes? My books and Google searches felt kinda vague, just showing fancy stuff.

So I decided to get my hands dirty. First stop: digging through real old photos. Not the posed ones, but the snapshots. Family albums online, street scenes, people working in factories… I spent hours zooming in on feet! It was harder than I thought – shoes are small, photos are grainy. But patterns started showing up. There were these lace-ups that looked super practical, chunky heels on women walking to work, and these slip-on things… loafers maybe? I saw ’em everywhere!
Ran into trouble though. Couldn’t tell the styles apart properly. Like, what makes one lace-up different from another? Needed proper names. Found myself down a rabbit hole of vintage fashion forums – those folks know their stuff! Scrolled through page after page, screenshotting discussions about construction details. Learned terms like “spectator” and “peep toe” weren’t just made-up!
The big break came when I stumbled upon scans of actual 1940s women’s magazines and shoe catalogs. Goldmine! Not just pictures, but descriptions and prices too. Saw how companies pushed “practical” styles hardcore because of the war. Leather rationing meant weird materials sometimes, like fabric uppers or cork soles. Saw the three main types pop up constantly in the ads:
- Oxfords/Lace-Ups: Seriously, everywhere. Sturdy leather (when possible), laced up tight, flat or low heel. Looked like the workhorses for both men and women. The catalogs really pushed these for “active wear” and work.
- Platforms/Wedges: Okay, the platform soles were way thicker than I expected! Often made with cork or stacked leather since rubber was needed for the war. Added height without needing super high heels. Definitely a popular style in the magazine fashion plates.
- Loafers & Slip-ons: This one surprised me with how common they were. Simple, slip on, often with a little decorative strap or saddle detail (like the Penney Loafers). Saw tons in those candid street photos on people just running errands.
Got so excited I tried finding a pair to actually wear! Found some reproductions online, ordered some repro spectator Oxfords. They looked great, felt kinda stiff… walked around the block and my feet were killing me after ten minutes! Guess they don’t make ’em like they used to, or maybe my feet are just soft. It was… humbling. Saw exactly why sturdy construction mattered then, even if it was less comfy by today’s standards.
Oh, and the price comparisons blew my mind! Saw ads where decent Oxfords cost like $3.98, which seems crazy cheap. But then you look at the average wage back then… yeah, shoes were still a pretty big purchase for most folks. Really puts the “make do and mend” attitude into perspective – you fixed those soles because buying new wasn’t easy! Just wild stuff. Feels like I scratched a tiny bit of the surface, anyway.
