Different people called them as; saddle shoes, saddle oxfords, or sometimes just plain saddles. No matter what was called, but, no teenaged-girl in the 50s was complete without her bobby socks and saddle shoes.
The saddle shoes are considered to be one of the few all-American shoes. It was originally created by Spalding in 1906 used while playing sports as tennis and squash. The ‘saddle’ supported the instep, keeping the shoe tight during the intense maneuvers that were made around the court.
At the end, tennis players then switched over to other footwear, obsoleting the saddle shoes, saved only by golfers. The two-toned saddle shoes were classy and sporty all at once, making it a sleek choice for someone about to step out onto the back nine. Teens and college kids in the 40s started picking up on the saddle shoe, turning it into a bona fide craze.
Saddle shoes were the "preferred" shoe of the 1950's (by teenage girls anyways). They came in many different colors, but the most common was white with the black "saddle", as seen above. These shoes were usually worn with bobby socks, which were white socks which were worn just above the ankle, and with poodle skirts, which you can read about on the "Poodle Skirts" page. In 1950's saddle shoes, cuffed jeans and white shirttails reached its peak height. It was a proud uniform, one that would begin the separation of adults and teens forever.
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