Sandals

Penét Shoes, Inc.

ca. 1943 · leather · Costume Institute

The modern incarnation of the platform sole emerged in the second half of the 1930s as a counterpart to the wedge heel. While the wedge had waned by the mid 1940s, the platform - now separated in to a distinct foresole and paired with an exaggeratedly high heel - remained in fashion for several years longer. This pair of better quality shoes shows the extreme of the platform style, in an intermediate form where the platform is reduced, but not totally eliminated, under the arch. The tied strap was a fashionable touch which coordinated with the knotted headscarves worn at the time.

Artist

Penét Shoes, Inc.

Date

ca. 1943

Medium

leather

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Lewis Iselin Jr., 1960