DESCRIPTION

Shoes are a form of foot gear that cover the foot up to the ankle and that is intended as protection from cold, dampness or rough ground.* Shoes are used for protection of the feet but also to fashion a style in which the owner feels comfortable. In addition to shoes there are other types of footwear such as sandals, moccasins, boots, slippers, and mules.

This pair of shoes was donated to the Greenbelt Museum and is now on display to the public. The size of the shoes is unknown. The heels of the shoes are between 2-3 inches in height and 3/4 of an inch in width at the bottom and gradually becoming 1 1/2 in in thickness at the top of the heel. These pumps seem to be made made from a dark blue fabric covering the entire shoe and the wooden part of the heels. The inside of the shoes shows a tan colored soft plastic covering and protecting the inside of the shoes.

On the front of the shoes there is an ornamental piece used for decoration right under the cuff (an apron on the front part of the shoe). This piece looks like it is 2x2 inches square and made with glittery beads. The center piece adds status and elegance to the shoes. Since these shoes have an elegant center piece, we can assume that they are not everyday shoes that women would have worn. Perhaps these shoes were used for a very special occasion like someone's wedding, Prom, or an elegant dinner party. Also, these shoes could have been used for Ballroom dancing or an evening at the theater or opera. In addition, these shoes could have been worn on a special evening out in Washington or Baltimore City.

These shoes do not seem like every women would have been able to afford them. Considering that the Greenbelt Community was built for housing low to middle income families, only a fraction of Greenbelt residents could own a pair or more of these high-fashion shoes with such elegance. Generally shoes like these would range in price from $7 - $15 between 1937-1945. In comparison to other fashion shoes that cost between $3 - $8 a pair for women, that price is almost double the price of regular pumps and other heels.

These high-fashion shoes carry a lot of personal value from the original owner and the present holders (the museum) . Since they are on display in the Greenbelt Museum this means that they are given significant value because they were preserved since the time of their purchase. Since the owner of the shoes decided to keep the shoes and later donate them to the museum, that shows that they were very special shoes. In the Greenbelt Museum, there were other shoes that were not any better quality or shape (old or new). These shoes had preserved their quality and shape compared to the other shoes.

The role that women's fashion shoes played during the 1930 - 1945s shows that women were very concerned with the styles and qualities that they preferred. By 1938 the styles and variety of shoes had reached a very high standard. The sizes and fittings obtainable then were more varied than they are today. To a great extent this was due to the American lead in producing "fashion" shoes and the growing awareness - because of the cinema - of the important effect that well-shod feet could make on an ensemble.(1)

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