Shoes

Hurd Shoe Co.

1940–49 · leather · Costume Institute

Throughout the 20th century, the general cut of men's shoes has remained fairly consistent, while periodic variations center around detail, material, and proportion. The two basic patterns for laced shoes are the oxford or "closed tab", where the lacing tabs are stitched under the vamp, and the blucher or "open tab", where the lacing tabs are stitched on top of the vamp. These two pairs of shoes follow the classic cuts, but are distinguished by the slightly exaggerated details and somewhat unusual color. Coming from a group of samples retained by the Hurd Shoe Company, the shoes are said to date from the 1940s, although the wide, shallow toe shape is more typical of styles around 1930.

Artist

Hurd Shoe Co.

Date

1940–49

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 Kenneth S. Hurd, 1959