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1920s WOMEN’S DRESS SHOES
Popular forms of women’s dress shoes in the 1920s can be divided into three basic types:
pumps (no straps), ankle straps (mary janes), and T-straps. Closed toes and heels were worn
throughout the 1920s. Peep toes and sandle-style high heels (with either a sandal front or an
open back) did not come into fashion until the later 1930s. The split upper, with the vamp
covering the toes separated from the heel, came into high French fashion in the 1920s, and
eventually worked its way into mainstream American fashion by the 1930s.
Women’s evening shoes in the first half of the decade usually had a fairly pointy toe and a
Louis heel (curved) or Cuban heel (block) of 2” or 2 1/2”; in the second half, the pointed toe
started rounding out and they usually sported a 2 1/2 – 3”Boulevard heel (straighter than the
Louis, but with a slight curve). All these heel styles were thicker/sturdier than today’s thin
high heels. Evening shoes were often made with fabric exteriors (e.g. silk satin, brocade,
velvet, lace) over a leather base; sometimes they were decorated with beading, embroidery, or
shoe clips. It was fashionable to have heels in a contrasting color or decorated with patterns
or rhinestones. Popular colors were gold, silver, bronze, black, pastels, and bright silks.
Women’s daytime dress shoes were made from leather or more durable fabrics like silk faille,
and usually had a heel from between 1” and 2 1/2”. For more casual wear, women wore lowheeled mary janes & oxfords, button up shoes, boots, etc. If you want more info on casual
types of shoes, contact Carrie at alyea@verizon.net.
Where to buy modern shoes that can pass as 1920s shoes:
If you don’t have anything in your closet that looks 1920s, and don’t want to search for
vintage shoes on e-Bay or online vintage stores (with which Carrie can help), your best bet is
character shoes from a variety of dance shoe suppliers: Capezio, So Danco, Danceshuz, etc.
Capezio seems to be priced in the middle, with others cheaper and more expensive. Capezio
also makes pricier versions in their “theatrical” line.
NOTE: Dance/character shoes can fit differently from regular street shoes; you may wish to
try them on in person. Dance shoes have soles for inside flooring, you may wish to put a tread
on the bottom for walking on the street.
A good place to try on and buy dance and character/theatrical shoes is Teddy’s Shoes at 548
Mass. Ave., Cambridge (Central Square), www.teddyshoes.com. If you want to look online, see:
www.capeziostore.com and www.allaboutdance.com. Also, lots on e-Bay.
If you want a color other than the standard black or tan, character shoes can be spray-painted.
I have seen it done with women’s Capezios in metallic paints (gold, silver), and they look great.
I have found one pair of character shoes from Danceshuz that comes in silver, see:
www.onstagedancewear.com search under “Capezio- 2" Heel Character/Tap Shoe.”
Another option for women is Retro-01’s “Flapper” shoe, which is closer to a 1920s shoe than
any other costume shoe I have seen. Plus they come in several colors (black, white, red, silver,
gold), and you can get them for under $30: http://www.amazon.com/RETRO-01-WomensCostume-Halloween Flapper/dp/B000TQ9N30
The shoes pictured on the following pages are from the mid 1920s onward.
1920s WOMEN’S DRESS SHOES
Examples of dress shoes for daytime:
Shoes at bottom right are French.
1920s WOMEN’S DRESS SHOES
Examples of evening shoes in metallic brocades and sparkling black/silver:
1920s WOMEN’S DRESS SHOES
Satin pumps were popular,
and toward the end of the
decade often sported
decorated heels.
Modern day bridesmaid’s
shoes often can pass as
this type of shoe –
you may have something
in your closet which
looks light the pastel
blue shoes at the top right. A fun way to give modern
shoes a 20s look is to decorate the heel. Consider
glitter on a pair of Capezio character shoes.
1920s WOMEN’S DRESS SHOES
Satin shoes with ankle straps, or sometimes T-straps, were very common evening shoes.
1920s WOMEN’S DRESS SHOES
Two pairs with lace covering (upper left is lavender lace), beaded shoes, and velvet Deco pattern.
1920s WOMEN’S DRESS SHOES
These embroidered shoes are likely French styles.
1920s WOMEN’S DRESS SHOES
Two styles from the late 1920s to mid 1930s
Above are two pairs of modern-day, Capezio character
shoes in black. They come in multiple heel heights. If
you wish to paint them a metallic color, you might try
getting them in tan. To the right of them is the
modern day costume “flapper” shoe, which comes in
many colors and is based on the 1930s style pictured
at the bottom right. If you like a lower heel, you are
better off with character shoes. See PDF PUTTING
TOGETHER A COSTUME for links to stores.
If you have a pair of pumps in your closet that can
pass as a 20s shoe, and you want to dress it up a little
more in Deco style, try attaching shoe clips over the
vamp or some kids’ stick-on “gems” to the heels.