SO, you've done all of your research and you're ready to go shoe shopping!
Let's pop on down to Belk and grab a pair!
If only it were that easy.
Actually on very very rare occasions, you may find some decent shoes at a retail shop. I have a pair that, though they came from a thrift shop, are modern "Sofft" brand shoes that are decently accurate (and croc embossed leather to boot!). But I'm here to talk more about options outside of that. There are more than you might think!
Tips on Identifying Originals "in the field"
Obviously, the very best way to have authentic looking shoes is to get actual shoes from the era. It gets bit tricky to distinguish some vintage shoes from one another, and truthfully some shoes from the 60's by all accounts look like shoes from the 40's. Just like today, it seems as though shoe stores still sold "out of style" older looking shoes for older people that still dressed that way! Or maybe shoes just didn't change that much. Either way I have seen "later" shoes that are passable as 40's. The important thing is to rely on your own judgment and research when shopping. A good tell for vintage shoes is the INSIDE. If it has a modern looking inside, with lots of colors and insole shaping and such, they're modern. Shoes from the 40's typically have a very simple liner that may or may not be stamped with a maker or shoe store, sometimes in gold foil. Most of the time this label has long since worn off, and you're left with a thin leather liner piece (usually the same color as the shoes) at the bottom, or no liner at all! This DID continue on into the 50's and 60's, with insoles getting more decorative and colorful, and makers marks getting more complicated. A good tip would be to make a little album of original pictures or notes that you can reference on your phone. That way, when you're out shopping and you think you've found something that will work, you can whip out your reference images and compare.
Places to shop!
Thrift Shops/Antique Stores/Flea Markets
By far the cheapest way to find some good shoes is to purchase secondhand. It is also the most time-consuming. HOWEVER, it's also the best way to pick up most of what you'll need for a civilian impression, so it my well be worth it to go bargain hunting! Goodwill's shoes are always the same price no matter what, local thrift stores tend to be the least picked over by vintage fashion wearers, especially if they're ones that only people "in the know" know about. Ask around! Antique Stores will be a bit more pricey, but also a bit more curated. You'll be more likely to actually find real vintage shoes, but may have to pay $10 more for them. Flea Markets are a bit hit or miss, since they're a little bit of everything. In my experience, people who specialize in clothing don't go to Flea Markets as much to set up, since it's a lot to transport for less money to be made than say, collectible glassware or furniture. That doesn't mean you should rule them out!Etsy/Ebay
Same rules as thrift and antique store shopping apply to etsy and ebay shopping, only you have to be more careful. In short, a search for "1940's shoes" will turn up a lot of shoes that are not. Just because a listing claims shoes are 1930's or 1940's does not mean they are. Some people list things that are vaguely 1940's style, some people tag things as 1940's because the shoes are not a definitive style and they want to include all the options, and. . . some people don't know what they're talking about. Don't get me wrong! Most sellers deal in all eras of clothing, so they're simply not into one particular era enough to be able to distinguish between them easily. But it does mean you have to question whether something is authentic even when it's seemingly trustworthy.Dance Stores
A good basic shoe for reenacting is a "character" shoe that is made for theater, ballroom, and swing dancing. In fact, swing dancing shoes especially are even made to look 40's! The most basic option is called a "character shoe" and makes for a decently priced plain black shoe. Also, being dance shoes, they are made to be quite comfortable! The only downside to these is that, being made for dancing, they have smooth bottoms for dance floors and wouldn't be very suitable for grassy/rocky on-site events (unless they are made with "street soles"and are labeled as such). Also, not all character shoes have a very authentic look, but most are quite good. They have T-strap styles as well that, though they would have been going out of style in the US at the time, are still very nice (especially for early war events or non-American impressions). |
| Sansha suede Flemenco shoes $54.25 from Discount Dance |
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| Theatricals "Baby Louis" Character shoes Downside- faux leather Upside- good price $24.55 at Discount Dance |
Aris Allen in particular has some very good swing dance shoes that are actually modeled after originals!
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| Aris Allen 3 Buckle Velvet $69.95 at Dance Store. Also comes in brown. |
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| Aris Allen Mesh Peep-Toe $59.95 at Dance Store. Also comes in all black and all white. |
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| Aris Allen Velvet and Mesh Mary Janes $64.95 at Dance Store. Also comes in black and white and indigo and white. |
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| Aris Allen Peep Toe Nubuck Mary Janes $79.95 at Dance Store. |
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| 1930's style Aris Allen Velvet Oxford $54.95 at Dance Store. Also comes in black, tan, and fuchsia. |
More options. . .
"Vintage Inspired" Online Stores
Pinupgirlclothing has some cute vintage inspired stuff, but most of it is more 50's, 60's. These are pretty good, and come in some cute colors.
Ruche Clothing is also another "vintage inspired" clothing store. Their stuff is a little modern for the most part, but they have a few options.
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| Orange Faux Leather Barelle T-Strap Platform $68.00 at PinupGirlClothing. Also comes in blue, and black. |
Ruche Clothing is also another "vintage inspired" clothing store. Their stuff is a little modern for the most part, but they have a few options.
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| Harrow Faux Leather Lace Up Oxfords $59.99 from Ruche. Also available in nude. (No longer available) |
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| Trish Leather Ankle Strap Pumps $62.99 from Ruche (no longer available). They also have the same heel in blue at ModCloth. |
ModCloth probably has the best selection of 40's-esque heels out there. So many!
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| Swedish Hasbeens wooden heeled clogs "Blogger Meet-Up Heel" (left) $148.99 and "Lend a Branch Heel" (right) $218.99 |
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| Miss L Fire very fancy heels. "Should've Scene Her" (left) $195.99 and "Sneak A Peep Toe Heel" (right) $172.99 (No longer available) |
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| Sweet Peep Toe Heels "That Girl Is BoysenberryHeel" (left) $119.99 and "Drop of Flavor Heel in Rosewater" (right) $72.99 (No longer available) |
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| Close Toe Oxford "Kudos Were The Days Heel" (left) $69.99 also navy (no longer available) and "The Best of Times Heel in Noir" (right) $34.99 also grey and navy |
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| Chelsea Crow Green Heels "Right Here Heel in Lime" (left) $59.99 also green, red, brown, navy, black, and grey "Take a Little Dip Heel in Lime" (right) $69.99 also orange and tan (no longer available) |
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| Both Very Era Appropriate Heels "Stop Sign and Look Heel" (left) $179.99 (no longer available) and "Dance Instead of Walking Heel" (right) $37.99 |
Bear in mind that with most of these online "vintage inspired" stores, their stock is going to change, so these may not be available for long. Unlike the dance shoes and Remix Vintage, which change over very infrequently. Speaking of Remix Vintage. . .
Remix Vintage
Remix Vintage is THE place to get authentic shoes. They're beautifully made, leather (yay!), and the most accurate replicas around. They're also pretty pricey (though not quite as pricey as some of the options above). Niftily enough, they do have a 1940's section and a 1930's section so you don't have to wade through all of the non-vintage. Also, they do run sales (and by sale I mean sometimes $100 cheaper than normal!) on certain styles or colors and you can occasionally find them on ebay.
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| "Highlander" 1940's style shoe. $178.00 |
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| "Rita" 1940's style shoe. $162.00 Removable bow. Comes in black, pink, ivory, red, yellow, and luggage brown. |
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| "Bloomsberry" 1930's style shoe. $194.00 Comes in navy, red, ivory, light metallic gold, and black patent leather. |
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| "Kate" 1940's style heel. $198.00 Comes in blue/ivory, black/taupe, red/taupe, yellow/brown, dark brown/taupe, and sand/brown. |
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| "Meadow" 1940's style wedge heel $188.00. Comes in dark antique brown, red, and taupe |
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| Classic "Saddle Shoes" $98.00 |
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| "Sydney" 1930's/40's style pump $192.00 |
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| "Twin Strap Slingback" 1940's style wedge $172.00 Comes in bone/brown, black suede/black leather, black suede/red leather, red/black leather. |
There are so many more! I don't personally own a pair, as I don't have the change lying around to buy them, but as soon as I do I'm getting some! Also, I've seen several reviews raving about them.
Whew! So many options! I hope this has helped some on your quest for some WWII accurate shoes. I want to finish by saying that if you find a pair, online or otherwise, and aren't sure about how authentic they look, feel free to contact me and ask! I love to be helpful. Good luck!
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