It's Spring (At last)

Time to think of sandals (and socks)

Lotus 1946

Brevitt 1947

Joyce 1949

Selby 1953

Advertising Winners

Consciously or not there are poses and angles that win year in year out.

Rayne Rhinestone Sandals July 1966

Picture by Getty Images

Rayne Ankle Boots Autumn/Winter 2017

Lotus Brogued Courts: As Seen In...

Lotus tan court shoes c1945

Typical war time indicators are the different coloured woods in the stack heel, the fact that it's under side hasn't been varnished. The scant lining materials - cloth under the vamp, no heel piece and the leather for the sides and insole very thin.

Tan court shoes were a popular choice during the war years and into the 1950s when resources were scarce. Tan will go with any colour even black. Lotus weren't the only company to consistently show this style in thier adverts.

Advert November 1943

Style variations were subtle and restricted by the austerity rules. The details of the broguing often hid imperfections in the leather or were there to join small pieces of leather. The height of the vamp varied, high during the war, lower afterwards. The heel height was restricted to two and a half inches despite the illustrations in the adverts suggesting 3 or 4 inches.

Advert January 1945

Shortages began with rationing in 1940, but by 1943 with what was left of the manufacturing industry going all out for D-Day shoes became almost impossible to find. The adverts consistently told their customers that the style illustrated might not be available and if that was the case to choose from those available (and like it).

Cartoon in Punch 1941

The austerity rules were relaxed at the end of 1945 but there were still shortages of materials and labour which were to last up to the early 1950s. However, the shoe companies began to advertise new styles and colours even if they weren't making them yet. But the tan court shoe continued....

Advert 1945

Slippers for Christmas

Daniel Green slippers were as ubiquitous in the 30s,40s and 50s as LED torches and Ipads today.

December 1930

Pale Blue slipper

December 1939

Ruched Slingback

Mid 40s

Chinese Slipper

Red slippers 1950s

Chrysanthemum mule

Joyce of California: 1940-1949

In a decade where comfort was the number one concern of most women, Joyce made the grade.

December 1940

November 1940

September 1941

September 1941

JAnuary 1942

May 1943

May 1944

August 1944

January 1945

August 1946

March 1946

December 1947

December 1947

August 1948

July 1948

October 1949

This article first appeared on Vintage Chic. 29 June 2010

Rayne: As Seen In...

Vogue GB September 1953.
The new pointed toe and Jordan heel.

In 1953 the heavy, practical styles of the 40s began to give way to something more feminine, heels were still substantial but as the illustration shows the idea of a stilleto heel was already in the designer's mind though the technology was still a year or two away.

Vogue September 1953.

In brown calf with silk pleated inset.

Rayne Spotting 1: Thriller 1975

Carol Lynley (the legs) is harrassed in the Thriller episode; If It's A Man Hang Up, first aired April 1975

Advert Vogue 1975, one of an excellent series with Edward Rayne up before the judge.