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After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
and the German invasion on European countries, countries got ready for
war. Fashion was now a luxury that many could not afford. The government
reserved and withheld most of their stocks of leather. Fabrics were hard
to come by.
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Classic cream and navy loafer with stitch welt and stacked leather heel. |
American
women were encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and shoes, so that they could
walk more, thus conserving gasoline.
| As
leather was now restricted to military use, so shoe designers were forced
to be increasingly clever. Every imaginable material was incorporated into
shoes, but reptile skins and mesh were the most successful substitutes.
*Blue
suede shoes made with cork soles. |
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*Moccasin-look slip-on
in1947. Tan suede with decorative seam and lace.
King of luxury fashion, Stanley Marcus, was a
consultant to the War Production Board. He told the fashion industry to
promote styles that would remain in fashion, freeing factory space for
labour. Shoppers were advised to buy high quality shoes to last the war. |
Clumpy platform shoes and
wedges replaced slimsoled court shoes and sandals.
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*Walking shoes by Bally,
1941, decorated platform with deep, rounded silhouette.
*Wedge heels by
Ferragamo, 1942. Chisel-toed pair with minimal punched decoration. |
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