Retro Shoe Fashions
Instructions: Step back in time and test your knowledge of the shoes that walked through decades of style!
- 1.
What two-toned leather shoe, popular in the 1940s and 1950s, was often black and white or brown and white?
ASaddle shoesBWingtipsCSpectatorsDBrogues - 2.
Which brand introduced the first mass-produced sneaker that became the shoe of choice for gym class in the 1950s and 1960s?
AKedsBAdidasCNikeDNew Balance - 3.
What style of women's boot, reaching to mid-calf or knee height in white or bright colors, was a signature look of the 1960s?
AAnkle bootsBGo-go bootsCRain bootsDCowboy boots - 4.
Which Converse shoe, first introduced as a basketball shoe in 1917, became a casual fashion staple by the 1950s?
AConverse One StarBConverse Jack PurcellCConverse Pro LeatherDConverse Chuck Taylor All Star - 5.
What type of thick-soled shoe with chunky heels became fashionable in the 1970s disco era?
AEspadrillesBWedge sandalsCMulesDPlatform shoes - 6.
Which comfortable leather sandal brand, founded in Germany in 1774, became associated with the hippie movement of the 1960s?
AClarksBMephistoCDr. Scholl'sDBirkenstock - 7.
What type of women's flat shoe with a rounded toe and thin strap across the instep was a classic 1950s style?
AMary JaneBBallet flatCMuleDT-strap - 8.
Which Italian designer introduced the stiletto heel to mainstream fashion in the early 1950s?
AManolo BlahnikBGucciCValentinoDSalvatore Ferragamo - 9.
What casual slip-on shoe with a rubber sole and canvas upper was a popular beach and boat shoe in the 1960s?
ADeck shoesBTopsidersCSlip-on VansDEspadrilles - 10.
What type of tall boots, often made of leather with a pointed toe, became popular with men after being seen in Beatles photographs?
AChelsea bootsBCombat bootsCCowboy bootsDWellington boots - 11.
What wooden-soled shoe experienced a major fashion revival in the 1970s?
AMoccasinBClogCEspadrilleDHuarache - 12.
Which brand of desert boot, designed by Nathan Clark in 1950, became a classic of casual men's footwear?
ATimberlandBHush PuppiesCRed WingDClarks - 13.
What brand of brushed suede casual shoes, introduced in 1958, became known as a comfortable alternative to dress shoes?
AHush PuppiesBBass WeejunsCJohnston & MurphyDAllen Edmonds - 14.
What type of sandal, consisting of a flat sole held to the foot by a V-shaped strap, became a casual summer staple in the 1960s?
ASlide sandalBStrappy sandalCGladiator sandalDFlip-flop - 15.
Which athletic shoe brand, featuring three signature stripes, became popular for everyday wear in the 1970s and 1980s?
AConverseBReebokCAdidasDPuma
Answer Key
Saddle shoes, with their distinctive contrasting 'saddle' across the instep, were hugely popular with teenagers in the 1940s and 1950s, especially for girls.
Keds, introduced in 1916, became the standard gym shoe for American schoolchildren. By the 1950s, nearly every kid owned a pair of white Keds.
Go-go boots, typically white and reaching mid-calf, became an iconic 1960s fashion item, popularized by TV dancers and the mod fashion movement.
The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star, named after basketball player Chuck Taylor, transitioned from sports shoe to everyday casual footwear in the 1950s.
Platform shoes with thick soles and high heels were a defining fashion statement of the 1970s, worn by both men and women during the disco era.
Birkenstock sandals, with their contoured cork footbed, became popular with hippies and counterculture youth in the 1960s and 1970s.
Mary Janes, with their single strap fastened with a button or buckle, were a classic 1950s shoe for women and girls, offering a demure, feminine look.
Salvatore Ferragamo was one of the pioneers of the stiletto heel in the early 1950s, using a steel rod to support the thin, high heel.
Sperry Top-Siders, originally designed as boat shoes with non-slip rubber soles, became popular casual footwear in the 1960s preppy fashion scene.
Chelsea boots, also called Beatle boots when fitted with a Cuban heel, became fashionable for men in the 1960s after the Beatles popularized the style.
Wooden-soled clogs, often with leather uppers, became a major 1970s fashion trend. Swedish clogs were especially popular with women.
The Clarks Desert Boot, introduced in 1950, became an enduring classic. Its simple crepe-soled suede design appealed to stylish men for decades.
Hush Puppies, launched by Wolverine in 1958, offered soft brushed pigskin suede shoes that became a comfortable, casual alternative to stiff leather dress shoes.
Flip-flops (originally called thongs or zori) gained widespread American popularity as casual summer footwear during the 1960s surf culture era.
Adidas, with its iconic three stripes, crossed over from athletic wear to casual fashion in the 1970s and 1980s, especially with the rise of hip-hop culture.