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March 06, 2009
Friday Footwear: The Saddle-Up Edition
Brooklyn, 1957.
My mother and I are walking along Coney Island Avene and Ave. J. I need a new pair of shoes. In the window of the shoe store my gaze hits the black and white saddle shoes.
I want those,” I chirp.
My mother says: “We'll see.”
Inside, the shoe salesman, my mortal enemy—“They'll stretch out with wear, not to worry!”—shoe horns my feet into the pliable saddle shoes.
I look down and smile because I look just like the big kids in the movies, those impossibly handsome and free-wheeling teenage boys who dance in coffee shops with pony-tailed “chicks” in poodle skirts and bobby sox. After several fortifying milk shakes, the whole gang jump into sleek convertibles, zoom down to Zuma Beach and ride the waves.
Bill Haley and His Comets rock the sound track.
My mother asks: “How much?”
The salesman looks at the box and tells her the price.
Over ten dollars.
My mother says: “They're not practical anyway, Robert. The white will scuff.”
As G-d is my witness, someday I'll have enough money to buy saddle shoes!
At last, yours truly has kept his vow.
Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives a lovely and miraculous Shabbat.
The best source for Saddle shoes in the known galaxy is Muffy's. This family business stocks an amazing variety of styles and colors—some exclusive to Muffy's—for men and women, and their prices are excellent, though still over ten dollars. Saddle shoe heaven.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at March 6, 2009 07:38 AM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
Ah, saddles. I have fond memories of hoping desperately that my sister would outgrow hers so that I could have them before they became too scuffed. As luck would have it, when she did outgrow them, they were still too big for me, so for once, I actually got a NEW pair of shoes all my own. I was a happy kid!
Aside: do families still do hand-me-downs, or is that hopelessly 60s?
Funny about saddle shoes, they come into style, they go out. They come back in, they go back out. I'm hoping they'll be back soon. Thrifty lady that I am, I still have a pair from about 20 years ago, just waitng for the right moment to break them out again. perhaps the time is near.
Posted by: Stoutcat at March 6, 2009 09:07 AM
Smart looking shoes. I just recently retired my last pair of brown suede saddle shoes, maybe it's time to go back to the black and white.
My favorite pair were a gift to me in 1972, they were beige with a carolina blue saddle. Don't you know I was drilled, at a tender age, with the mantra, "I was tarheel born and tarheel bred and when I die I'll be tarheel dead." Yes, I love the saddle shoes.
Shabbat Shalom.
Posted by: oceanguy at March 6, 2009 09:19 AM
Are those actually the Seraphic feet encased in saddle shoes?
A haiku l'kavod the occasion:
Soda fountain days
The gang's all there. My girl is
wearing saddle shoes.
Posted by: kishke at March 6, 2009 09:24 AM
Brings me back to my Catholic School days and every Sunday night polishing them for the school week.I'm glad you were able to indulge in a pair. Happy Shabbos
Posted by: tamster at March 6, 2009 09:33 AM
It's funny the kind of childhood material aspirations that we finally achieve as adults. I wanted to grow Venus Flytraps as a kid; I now have a windowsill full of them in my basement. I always wanted a "Starry Night" print; one now hangs in our master bedroom.
Posted by: Kent G. Budge at March 6, 2009 09:42 AM
You may start a fashion revival Robert! Years ago my father used to always wear the "Ray Ban" dark glasses - they were popular in WW2 - but by the 60s - they were few and far between.
By the 70s, they were coming back.
Did they have Buster Brown shoe stores in NY? Those catered to children and saddle shoes were fairly inexpensive. Growing up in Studio City I made regular trips to the BB store on Ventura Blvd...
Posted by: Bill Brandt at March 6, 2009 09:45 AM
I LOVE SADDLEBACKS!
I wore them in undergrad in the 70s. Once a nerd, always a nerd.
Those are nifty shoes, Robert.
Posted by: DrCarol at March 6, 2009 09:56 AM
Now you need to practice keeping people from stepping on them when in public.
"Watch the shoes, Buddy!" then glare and shake your head from side to side.
Posted by: Alice at March 6, 2009 10:10 AM
Robert how do you find such timely (and appropriate) pictures for your subjects? Going back to a 1937 issue of Life magazine?
Your classic pictures of the Hollywood stars of the 20s and 30s - are amazing.
Is there some master index like Nexus where you key in "saddle shoes" and find a list of everything written or photographed on the subject for the last 100 years? ;-)
Posted by: Bill Brandt at March 6, 2009 11:51 AM
Good for you! Our son's first shoes - about eight years ago? - were saddle shoes, from Stride-Rite. That was in our pre-digital days, but I'm sure I've got a photo somewhere...
Posted by: alterbentzion at March 6, 2009 12:04 PM
Nice shoes (he said jealously) ;-)
Shabbat Shalom,
Joe
Posted by: ProphetJoe at March 6, 2009 06:36 PM
OMG Robert...I'm so excited...I LOVE Saddle shoes. I've been threatening to start wearing them and restart a trend (ha! as if I could actually do that)...but, maybe YOU have...I've actually been to the Muffy site, tempted over and over...you have inspired me.
Posted by: cruisin-mom at March 6, 2009 11:36 PM
very smart shoes... clearly a stylish fella!
Posted by: ~ Sarah ~ at March 7, 2009 02:03 AM
Beyond shdoddy. Swanky, wrapped in nostaligia. What could be sweeter?
Posted by: rutimizrachi at March 7, 2009 09:04 AM
Nice shoes!
Posted by: Janet C at March 7, 2009 12:33 PM
Robert, congratulations and enjoy!
Me, I've got my eye on those Mary Janes....
Posted by: Rahel at March 7, 2009 01:23 PM
Everyone:
It seems we've struck a saddle shoe nerve. Thanks so much for your enthusiastic response.
We hereby invite all our readers who wear saddle shoes to take a pic and send them in for publication.
In answer to specifics:
1. Hand me downs. We did it with our children. Sure. Why not?
2. My mother took me to a small shoe store on Coney Island Ave. I forget the name. I'm pretty sure it was not Buster Brown.
3. How do I find such good pictures? Google Image, Google Image Ripper, and Life Magazine on-line archives. Plus: E-Bay, I scan many pictures from my film books, and lift pics form tons of on-line film sources.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 8, 2009 10:24 AM
Was your mother right? Do they scuff?
Didn't they have shoe polish in the 60's?
DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on
Guns Politics Defense from Israel
Posted by: DoubleTapper at March 8, 2009 10:38 AM
I'm guessing the frum females were not at home for Friday Footwear this week... :-)
Posted by: ProphetJoe at March 8, 2009 10:46 AM
Double Tapper:
My mother was always right.
But, I believe, saddle shoes look best when properly scuffed.
No, no shoe polish in the 50's, we supported out local shoe shine shop on Ave. J.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at March 8, 2009 10:51 AM
Prophet Joe:
I gave the Frum Females a break, yeah, it's hard work posing for finicky me. Besides, I really wanted to blog my new saddle shoes. Been waiting a loooong time for these shoes.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at March 8, 2009 10:54 AM
There are/were saddle shoes, and there are/were saddle shoes, and even in the 1950's you could find some for under ten bucks. I guess your mother was a purist.
Posted by: Batya at March 8, 2009 11:54 PM
Classic shoes for a classic guy.
Wear them in good health!
Posted by: Pearl at March 9, 2009 09:36 PM
Batya:
My mother A'H was, um, thrifty.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at March 10, 2009 08:34 AM
Pearl:
Wore my new shoes to the Megillah reading at shul last night. I got compliments on my "costume."
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at March 10, 2009 08:36 AM