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Shoe History 1970-1979

General Trend
During this decade, shoes were often designed with the disco in mind. Shoes became lighter as designers started using clear perspex and other light materials.

Men Shoes
Platform soles and wedges, which had been introduced for women’s wear in the sixties, were accepted into men’s fashion. The conservative continued to wear oxford and loafer styles with business suits for formal occasions. Bright colours such as red and navy became popular, usually with exotic leathers or patent leather or combinations of materials. Basketball Shoes and high-topped lace up shoes for athletics hit the scene this decade and continued to be popular into the 1980s. The Dr. Martens boot began its relentless rise as the symbol of urban rebellion. Those worn by skinheads sported steel toecaps and were painted in bright colours.

Women Shoes
Platform and wedge heels dominated this decade. Boots in all styles and all heel heights were popular. Early in the 70’s heels became dangerously high and often sported platform soles as well. To complement the fashion of extremely short hot pants, boots reached the thigh. Colour was of supreme importance and boots were painted with psychedelic colours and were decorated with appliqués of suede fruit and flowers. By 1975, the shoes lost the high platforms, and the wedge heels became lower and lower. By the end of the decade, an elegant high heel returned in a light and strappyform. Athletic shoes became of extreme importance in the late 1970’s. A craze for jogging brought on its own shoes, which were satin covered canvas or leather in bright coloursthat matched tracksuits.

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