Shoes Part I - Questions to ask yourself before purchasing

So, this first post is going to be about shoes because admittedly. . . One of the very first things that I thought when I was considering doing a WWII Civilian impression was, "What am I going to wear on my feet?"

The right shoes can decidedly make or break the authenticity of your look, so it's a very important decision finding the right ones that work for you. After all, you'll be walking in them all day, whether it be the smooth tarmac of an air show or the rocky terrain of an on site event. You may even decide to build the rest of your impression around your shoes!

There are three very important questions to consider when looking for shoes:

1- Are they comfortable? 

A good indicator is knowing what kinds of modern shoes you are comfortable wearing. Just like today, there were a variety of heel heights and styles. You want to select something that will be comfortable for you to wear all day.

2- Do they work for you environment? 

Not all events are created equal. If you're mostly going to air shows, you can wear almost any type of heel or shoe you like, but at an on-site event things aren't quite so straightforward. It may be rocky or muddy or uneven steep terrain or high grass or. . . Anything! If you know where you will be wearing them and what the location is like, you have a good start to knowing what types of shoes will be the most practical for you.
As an example, I frequent an event that is all of the above horrendous conditions at different times (it even snowed once!). My first time out I took my original 40's black leather heeled oxfords out to wear and spent the whole time worrying and fussing and being extra careful of them. That's no fun at all! Now those are relegated to "nice" events and I wear some decent repro shoes I don't worry about so much for those "iffy" events. Or, if I don't know, bring both pairs and see which I feel like wearing after seeing what it's like.

3- Do they work for your impression? 

Obviously, a basic civilian impression has the most freedom here, especially a US civilian (European civilans had a more limited supply of shoes with rationing and whatnot and their shoes tended to be more practical, but the differences in US and European civilians is a discussion for another time). If you are a "Rosie" type factory girl impression, you wouldn't be wearing a 4 inch heel. A more practical closed toe lower heeled shoe makes more sense. Likewise if you're dressed to go "out on the town" a low boring practical shoe seems most dull. That being said, there are shoes that work fine for both, but that it a personal decision you have to make after seeing the options. If you are doing a military impression, that's yet again a discussion for another time, as they had regulation footwear for most female military personel.

Original WWII era poster  ©IWA London

One more thing! 

I'll touch on this more than once I'm sure, but something to keep in mind when googling for shoes (or anything else WWII fashion related, for that matter), is to be sure to know the DATE of what you're looking at. Bear in mind that the war ended in 1945, so just searching for "1940's shoes" may yield results that are later 40's. After the war, style in general exploded and changed, so a later shoe may not be appropriate. After you get more familiar with era correct shoes, you'll be able to determine just by looking at them. But if you're just starting out, I recommend trying to find CLEARLY DATED photos and museum pictures of originals to look at. In fact, in most places affected by the war, women were wearing prewar shoes most of the time. Rationing made shoes a rare commodity, especially in England where they cost 7 of your 48 clothing points for the entire year. This means it can actually be more applicable to look at late 1930's shoes for a daytime civilian impression, since women were more likely to be wearing their older shoes for everyday.

Up next: "Shoes Part II - Original Examples and Characteristics"  & "Shoes Part III - Let's Get Some Shoes!"

Until then, check out my "Fabulous Fighting Forties" Pinterest board.