What 1940s outfit could be complete without the perfect pair of shoes? In the 1940s, shoes were, like everything else, very practical.
1944 Embellished Toe Heels
Shoes were very chunky by today’s standards, with a blunt toe box, stacked square heel (2-3 inches), thick decorations like bows and flowers, and thick wedge or platform soles in the late ’40s. Since WWII efforts required all available leather, 1940s shoes were commonly made of heavy fabrics, straw, cork, rope, and reptile skins. Colors were brown, black, olive green, and light tan during the war years, with a splash of patriotic reds, whites, and blues in the summer.
1944 Reptile Skin Pumps
Rationing was in effect during the war, and women could not purchase more than 3 pairs of leather shoes in the USA. In Britain, women had up to 40 coupons to spend per year with shoes costing around 5 coupons each. Leather soles with fabric or alternative material shoes were not restricted.
What set women’s 1940s shoes apart from other decades were the handful of styles that were very popular. The following ten styles were the most common during the forties and are still readily found today. After reading the article, be sure to check out the 1940s style shoes page to shop for your very own pair of forties shoes.
1940s Oxford Shoes
1940s Black Oxford Shoes
For day wear, the stacked heel lace-up Oxford was the shoe that could be worn with anything. They were sturdy, practical, long lasting, and comfortable enough to wear around the house, when running errands, and for working jobs. Everyone had at least one pair in brown or black. They were minimally decorated with only some accent materials, such as patent leather or reptile skin, on the toes and heels and small holes called broguing that perforated the vamp or sides. The heels were 1.5-3 inch Cuban or medium-stacked-leather heel shapes. The vamp was quite high on the foot, covering as much skin as possible. As the decade moved to thinner styles, the vamp moved down as well.
1940s reproduction Oxford shoes by Royal Vintage (also in brown and white)
Today, heeled Oxfords have been back in style for a few years. Even the heels are stacked like they were in the 1940s! Pick up a pair to wear with your 1940s day dress or your everyday jeans — they look great with both!
1944 Walking Oxford Shoes
Slingback Shoes
1940s Slingback Shoes
The sling-back shoe was another daywear style, as well as an evening pump. It had a rounded front, sometimes with a small peep-toe opening, and a strap attached with a buckle around the back of the heel. Evening shoes had taller heels, while day shoes could be as low as 1/4 inch. They were usually plain shoes without decoration or detail.
The beauty was in the simple, understated elegance of showing off a woman’s heel. They were considered a sexy shoe and well loved by pinup girls and Hollywood starlets. Shelly Winters infamously referred to this style as a “fuck-me” shoe, not because they attracted men, but because this was a phrase she said while prying the tight heels off her aching feet each night.
Many women took issue with wearing slingbacks and peep toe heels because they exposed stocking seams. Peep toes remained small for this reason, and slingbacks were usually worn in evenings when long skirts hid backseams. Eventually, manufacturers made reinforced heel and toe stockings to solve the problem.
Sling-backs have never left fashion since the ’40s. What makes new styles more forties than others is the chunky square heel, thick straps, plain dark colors, and a possible small peep toe.
1948 Sling-back Wedge Shoes
Slip In Pumps
1940s Two Tone Pumps
Spectator Pumps by Royal Vintage
The Donna shoes. The most comfortable 40s inspired heels in many colors and widths.
Non-strap pumps were worn as well, in the same style as the sling-back. Pumps and sling-backs were often decorated with various types of bows attached onto the front of the shoe, and could also be decorated with perforations and cut outs. The two tone combination was a trendy way to make pumps more casual and sporty. Brown and white was very popular, with black and white becoming more common as the decade progressed.
What makes 1940s pumps so “vintage” today is once again the stacked heel and blunt toe but also the amount of material. Notice how high the sides go up and the toes are covered. Most modern pumps barely have any material covering the foot. Pumps in the 1940s were modest even while being pretty.
“Baby Doll” Pumps- 1948
The baby doll pump emerged as part of the New Look after 1947. It had a round toe, low vamp, tall heel, and very small, if any, platform sole. It was what we have come to know as pumps today.
1940s Peep Toes
1940s Peep Toe Shoes
Besides the wedge, the peep toe shoe is by far the most “forties.” 1930s shoes dabbled with exposing skin with cut outs and brogue perforations, but the ’40s were the first decade to expose the toe. Expose might be too strong of a word. There was a small hole at the toe of the shoe but the toes were hardly seen. A visible toe would have been just too “sexy” for the conservative values of the day. The small peep toe was just enough to be cute, but not vulgar.
Royal Vintage 1940s repro “Nita” Peep Toe Heels
Trendy peep toe shoes today tend to be larger open toe designs. To be authentic, try to find small peep toes and other elements of ’40s shoes with adorable but large decorations, such as bows and flowers.
1948, Colorful Peep Toe Heels
Ankle Straps and Mary Janes
1940s Ankle Strap Shoes
For the evenings, shoes often had straps around the ankle or across the foot. The latter was called a Mary Jane style, and it was also a common daywear design. The high ankle strap was mostly an evening style. Ankle straps could be attached to pumps, peep toes and wedges. The style that favored the sexy ankle strap also favored less materials. Deeper cut-outs on the side of the shoe, multiple thin straps, an exposed heel, and a larger peep toe all added to the sleek nighttime romantic design.
Both Mary Jane strap and ankle strap shoes are very easy to find today. As long as the heel is thick and decoration minimal, it will be right in line with the 1940s.
1948 Black Suede Strappy Heels
Wedges & Platforms
Summer Wedges in Peep Toe Slingback and Ankle Strap Styles
The most iconic of all 1940s shoes must be the wedge or wedgie shoe. The thick sole with raised heel was certainly sturdy, yet also sexy since it raised the heel and shaped a woman’s leg nicely. They could be casual or formal and combined with many other iconic ’40s styles, such as a sling-back strap, peep toe, ankle strap, or laces. Fabric covered the wooden wedge heel and matched the upper material too. Formal shoes could also have a wedge heel when made of all black patent leather or suede. Wedge heel heights were mostly low or reasonable walking heights. They were a favorite shoe for the entire decade.
Platforms began in the late 1930s as a beach shoe with a thin 1/8 to 1/2 inch sole. When Carmen Miranda became a movie star, so did her beloved platform shoes. American women jumped on the fad from 1945 till 1948. The British caught on in 1947. The French, however, had been wearing them with ultra tall soles for most of the decade. The typical platform height was only an inch or two at the most. When paired with a 3 inch heel, the overall raise of the arch was only an inch or so, making them appear tall yet still easy to walk in.
Since then, wedgies and platforms have come in and out of fashion. They became popular in the 1970s and again in the early 2000s, although the heels tended to be much higher.
Espadrilles
1940s Espadrilles
1944 Braided Beach Espadrille Sandal
During the summer, straw wedge espadrilles became a big hit. They had a closed or open peep toe and laces that would wrap up the vamp or were up and around the ankle. The material was a woven straw that didn’t always cover the wedge or platform sole, exposing wood or cork underneath.
Today’s wedge espadrilles tend to be styled on later decades, with thick laces wrapped up the leg and tied in a big bow. The 1940s versions had thinner laces and tied lower on the foot. Even so, many pin up styles embrace the modern espadrille and make it look very vintage!
1942 Espadrille Shoes
Sandals
1940s Sandal
Last but not least is the vintage 1940s sandal. It is different from the pump and strap shoes only in that it was designed for warmer summer use. Sandals featured the least amount of material, yet true to the ’40s, they still had a chunky appearance with a thick sole, large decoration on the vamp and wide Mary Jane, X- or T-straps. Sandals were often peep toe but could also feature large cutouts on the vamp, allowing for air to circulate.
Straw or woven fabric, called the California construction method, was used to make sandals in bright colors: red, blue, yellow, green. They almost always had a thick platform sole. The idea was that the platform would sink into the sand but keep the foot dry.
Classic retro sandals are coming back in fashion. I recently found two ’40s style sandals on a shopping trip to my local shoe store. Keep an eye out for wedge sandals and espadrilles this summer.
1940s Sandals- 1947- Thick Soles, Wide Straps
Saddle Shoes
1940s Saddle Shoes
Saddle shoes were sporty white lace-up Oxford shoes with a darker colored panel in the middle of the shoe, usually in brown, black or navy. The sole was low with a very small heel and thick rubber matching tread. It was a casual shoe worn by mostly youth and teens, although many women enjoyed wearing them at home, too. They wore them with dresses, skirts and pants and a pair of white bobby socks folded down. Fashionable teens had to make new shoes look dirty — clean shoes were out of style!
Today’s saddle shoes are almost all black and white, an iconic style of 1950s shoes. Saddle shoes for men come in all sorts of color combinations with a few lines carrying saddle shoes for women, too. Stick to the classic two tone colors and avoid bright pinks, greens and yellows to be more authentic looking. Shop women’s saddle shoes.
1940s Saddle Shoes and White Anklet Socks
Loafers
1940s Penny Loafer Shoes
Like most casual 1940s women’s shoes, loafers were a style of shoe borrowed from the men’s line. They were flat or very low heeled, easy to slip into, very comfortable, and trendy — especially with teens. Many women first started to wear loafers while working factory jobs during the war. They were so comfortable and practical that they became stylish footwear after the war, too.
The penny loafer style featured a strap with a slit in the center placed across the vamp and over the tongue. Teens put their pay phone coins in the slot, thus giving it the “penny loafer” name.
Today’s penny loafers are unchanged from the 1940s. Classic styles still exist and indeed are coming back into fashion again with some updated options, too. For women who can’t wear heels, the classic loafer is the perfect 1940s style shoe to wear.
1940s Loafers, Loafers and More Loafers
More shoes
Cute 1940s Winter Boots
These are just 10 of the common styles of 1940s shoes for women. There are, of course, other styles like slippers, moccasins, and winter boots that I didn’t cover here. If you need help learning about shopping for any style of 1940s shoes, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me for help.
