Men’s wear or men’s fashion is rarely given the importance that its opposite gender is given and justly so. Women’s fashion and dresses have more space for play than men’s. In such a scenario, where men’s dresses are seldom given much thought, one can only dare to think how much of thought went into their footwear. The 1950s changed this very thought. It was a time when many and timeless styles of footwear came into existence. They were varied not only in their appearance, but also in terms of the occasion that they were to be worn for. Today we are going to discuss some such styles of the 50s that shaped the fashion of men’s footwear for generations to come.
1950s Men’s Shoe Style
Shoes are the most important parts of one’s attire. The first thing that someone notices about you would be the kind of shoes you are wearing. If you are someone who is into vintage attires and like dressing up in that fashion, then you must have proper knowledge of the shoes that you could wear to fit the dress code. Men are often deprived in these ways, but not this time. We brought to you some of the latest fads of the 50s that will help you pull off that vintage look just fine. Let’s take a look.
1950s Oxford shoes:
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The classics must always be mentioned first. From the very beginning of the century. Oxford shoes were very much in fashion and when they refused to leave the market even after quite some time, it was well understood that it was there to stay. These are lace-up shoes for dressed-up men in formal attire. But the oxford shoes have various types too.
1950s Tone two shoes:
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They were formal shoes. They would have laces that helped them to fit onto the feet of the men properly. They had a pretty sharp appearance to them and were best for official occasions. They usually comprise of brown colors and is strictly the best choice for formal gatherings or official meetings.
The slip-on:
Unlike the previous set of Oxford shoes, these pairs do not have laces that would make them sit on the person’s feet. They rather have an elastic lining on the brim so that feet can enter into the shoe by stretching it a bit. It would however not lack in the charm in any way.
The Casual Oxford shoes:
The predominantly office shoes had a casual side to them too. These left a lot of space for personalization and customization. You can experiment all you want with the texture and color and match your pairs along with the outfit you are to wear. Great way to escape the black and white era.
1950s Saddle shoes:
These styles of the 50s were there from before, but became much more polished during the era. The story of saddle shoes is also something like this. This style was there from the 20s, but only gained a better look in the 50s. There is not much space for play regarding the color of the shoes, but the two-toned style of shoes in the 50s did have your back regarding the eventual and entire appearance. These were a type of shoes that could be worn by men and women alike and hence could be seen being worn by women with dresses while they could speak for a whole another appearance when worn by a man with a suit.
1950s Blue suede shoes:
A deliberate change from the two-tone style, many men shifted their interest from the upright and formal Oxford shoes to a more casual outlook. Blue sued shoes offered just the amount of change people were hoping for. They still had the office hour formal look to them, but not on the levels that they could not be worn for gatherings. Also, instead of the two-tone style where mostly brown and black shades were available, these shoes were available in a versatile range of colors. They consisted of green, grey, and of course brown. They mostly went for deep colors that would perk things up, but yet keep a slight formal undertone.
The 1950s loafers:
When you see a particular style of clothing that has survived the test of time and is still in existence just as it were so many years ago, you know that they do have some caliber in them. Loafers are one of the most comfortable pieces of footwear ever. With time the appearance of the loafers became more and more viable to the markets. They kept the formal vibe of the Oxford shoes, but brought a certain comfort to the table as well. Their convenience in wearing them, which just required you to putting your feet in them and slipping them up, teamed with their subtle versatilities in color made them a good choice back in the days.
Reptile skins and western designs:
The 50s were the years that followed the war years. There is no chance that we do not get to see all kinds of extravagant and luxurious stuff. The shoes in context are not ours for any daily or formal occasion. They are meant for parties, especially the ones held in the evening.
Their hard and rough texture is attributed to the masculine aspect of it. The prints on the shoes were highly inspired by those of belt buckles from earlier decades or centuries.
If you are going to buy vintage goods, make sure that you avail authenticate enough sites. There are market places where you can get these offline as well. But for that, you must be very informed as these areas are fewer in number. The footwear of men experienced its pioneering steps in this era of the 1950s. The very popular converse was something that was introduced around this time and men’s slippers too had a style of their own. A 50s man was easily a more fashionable being than a man of today!