The Enchanting History of Men’s Shoes from the 1940s

Shoes have evolved from just being a form of protection for the feet from the ground and harsh weather conditions, to solid fashion statement pieces that can pull an outfit together. Men’s shoes have evolved over the decades in terms of style, functionality and price to the current state where men have a wide array of options to choose. The history of men’s shoes is quite extensive hence we will focus on the period between 1940s and now.

Do you know that the heels worn by women these days borrowed the concept from men’s shoes? Well, the height increasing shoes that men wore traditionally have led to the revival and improvement of elevator shoes to improve their functionality and style.

1940s

In the 1940s, the world wars had a massively negative effect on economies around the world hence materials such as leather were hard to come by. As such, cobblers opted to make shoes with fabric, which was more available than leather hence making shoes affordable to the common folk. However, fabric is not as durable as leather hence fabric shoes wore off in a short amount of time. The plus side to fabric in this case is that it is easily reparable with a few patches and a new sole.

In the late 1940s when economies improved after the war, Oxford shoes become popular. Oxford shoes had thick outer soles and wide toes that were ideal for the wide-legged trousers that men were during this period.

1950s

The 1950s saw to it that men’s shoes got more color palettes other than black and brown. Two-toned brogues were quite popular in this period with most of the brogues coming in brown and white.

Chelsea boots were very popular in the 50s and the vibrant music scene increased their popularity as musicians often wore Chelsea boots and influenced their fans to take up the style. Chelsea boots were highly favored due to their efficiency in fashion in terms of their ability to be worn in both formal and casual settings. Additionally, the elastic strap at the ankles made the shoes very easy to wear and take off at any time.

1960s

The 1960s were a period of liberation in every essence. Brogues continued with their popularity by increasing the range of colors. Moccasins were the highlight of the 60s as young people wore them to every occasion and with every befitting style.

1970s and 1980s

The fashion arena in the 1970s and 1980s was extremely strong and popular, so much so that many trends from this period are coming back in the 2000s. Platform shoes rocked the fashion scene in the 70s with artists such as David Bowie embracing this trend. Platform shoes created the base for the current elevator shoes, which feature an improved concept of the same.

Platform shoes had a large outer sole that made the shoes incredibly large and heavy. The shoes had a thick sole at the front, a gap at the middle of the shoe and an elevated heel at the end.

The 1980s featured vibrant colors and an advancement of the platform shoes.

1990s

The 90s were epic for the fashion industry was highly influenced by the popularity of rock music, more so heavy metal. Men’s shoes in this period featured grunge shoes that are a combination of platform shoes and strappy boots. The shoes were ridiculously large and men paired them with tight leather pants and a leather jacket to complete the rock look.

Later in the 90s men’s shoes were influenced by the popularity of skateboarding. As such, men wore sneakers and trainers with casual outfits instead of reserving sporty footwear for sporting activities only.

2000s

The 2000s have seen the evolution of most comfortable elevator shoes, which are functional enough to be worn any day, anywhere and at any time.