Vintage Inspired Shoes
There is nothing that completes an outfit more than a beautiful pair of shoes. If you are a shoe lover like me, or simply wish to know the best places to find vintage inspired shoes in Australia, then you are in luck! I will be giving you the low down on some of my favourite vintage inspired shoe suppliers so you can find the perfect pair to complement your pinup outfits.
Now, I cannot do a blog about shoes without showing my age and inserting a phrase which only those early internet dwellers will remember: "Oh my god! Shoes! Let's get some shoes."
(Now that is out of the way). Let's begin with what qualities I consider when buying vintage inspired shoes.
Vintage Aesthetics
To complete a vintage inspired outfit, it is best pair it with shoes which suit that certain aesthetic and style. While I am never one to shy away from chucking on a pair of thongs with my casual 1950's summer outfits, I have carefully crafted my shoe collection (mainly heels we are talking here) with the outfits that call for such fancy footwear.
If you are unfamiliar of the shoes styles synonymous with specific style decades, Vintage Dancer has an amazing shoe history resource including snippets from vintage catalogs. To help you in your show research, I have directly linked to the Women's Shoe Styles and History pages below:
1920's Shoe Styles and History
1930's Shoe Styles and History
1940's Shoe Styles and History
1950's Shoe Styles and History
1960's Shoe Styles and History
Once you have familiarised yourself in the styles of shoes you are seeking, you may be able to spot certain design features in 'modern mainstream' shoe shops. However, with such a wealth of incredible vintage inspired shoe designers in the world, I trust my feet (and style) with the experts in vintage footwear.
Comfort and Quality
We have all been there, bought a cute pair of shoes only to regret it a short time later when the balls of our feet throb or parts of the shoe start making their way into your skin - ouch! Sometimes even looking at the shoes afterwards is enough to give you a chill down the spine. Or perhaps you get that unwelcome 'clippety clop' sound of the heel base breaking loose or struggle with stretched out straps and broken buckles. I believe when it comes to footwear, comfort is just as important as quality. Most of the time (especially within vintage and pinup), these two features do come with a price.
Buying shoes - online vs in-store
With the influx of online shopping, you are able to purchase vintage inspired shoes that tick all the boxes and have them delivered to your doorstep. But then I always have my mother in the back of my mind saying "you have to try on the shoes first to see if they fit". After all, like bodies, feet come in all shapes and sizes. If you attend car shows and some of the bigger Kustom Kulture festivals, you may stumble across market stall holders stocking various pinup and vintage inspired shoes. Additionally, some brick and mortar vintage inspired clothing shops sometimes stock a small selection of shoes to match their outfits.
However, if you are in a 'need shoes now' situation, online shopping does have the added benefit of not having to leave the house. You will find that shoe companies offer many size charts to help you find the right pair of shoes online, with refund and exchange policies if you do happen to purchase the incorrect size. Just familiarise yourself with the websites policies and customer service to provide yourself with peace of mind.
One thing to also consider when buying shoes online is the specific 'shoe shipping' cost. As shoe boxes have very specific dimension, sometimes you will see an additional shipping cost (greater than the clothing flat rate cost) relating to the postage/shipping of shoes - and unfortunately sometimes this can compound with the amount of shoe boxes to be delivered so it's not always a 'buy more items to get the most out of the delivery price' deal. Always check the website's estimated shipping costs and keep checking your total delivery cost as you add items to your cart.
In the following list, I have included both in-store and online options for buying vintage inspired shoes in Australia.
Kitten D'Amour
Popular within the Australian pinup and vintage community are the unique styles of Kitten D'Amour - but did you know they also have a range of vintage inspired shoes? Mainly released to match a specific clothing collection in limited quantities, Kitten also stocks some staple pairs of heels which are available all year round. They have a few brick and mortar stores throughout the east coast of Australia residing within shopping centers, so if you are close to a store you are able to physically see and try on shoes before purchasing, of course they also have an online shop. Their shoe collection features a soft memory foam and PU leather. Predominately in high heels, however they have in the past had limited collections featuring flats.
Other World Shoes
Other World Shoes stock a huge range of alternative footwear including a dedicated selection high-quality vintage inspired and pinup style shoes from brands such as Pin Up Couture, Bordello, Pleaser and Funtasma - if you are after 40's oxfords, 50's pinup heels, or 60's gogo boots they have you covered! As they are an Australian based company with their warehouses in Queensland, customer service is a breeze. They offer detailed sizing charts (also offering large sizes and wide foot selection) with a no fuss size exchange for added peace of mind. With free Australian and New Zealand postage so you don't have to worry about your checkout total creeping up as you add more shoes to your collection.
Charlie Stone
Charlie Stone state that their mission is to make 'elegance, effortless, every single day'. Not only do they offer a range of vintage inspired shoes available in both heeled and flat versions, they have been acclaimed for their comfort by many pinups. Most of their styles feature an ankle strap with but a cool unique feature - a quick release clasp, so you don't have to always be doing up and undoing small buckles. Charlie Stone offer free worldwide shipping on orders over $100 (which you will be hard pressed to find many shoes from their collection under this price), however, as they are such a popular brand in the pinup community, you will find some vintage inspired clothing suppliers also stock a small selection of Charlie Stone shoes or are able to order them in for you via pre-order.
B.A.I.T
Standing for 'But another innocent tale', B.A.I.T shoes feature a large collection of shoes to suit many vintage aesthetics and lifestyles. From the vintage accurate to the playful modern quirk, they offer styles from casual flats, dainty feels to platform sandals and boots in every shape and form. Their bright and colourful range has blessed many matchy-matchy pinup closets. However, shipping to Australia is exxy so perhaps wait for a time to grab a bargain during a sale and be mindful of the checkout total creeping up as you add items.
Of course, this is not and cannot be an completely exhaustive list. We are so lucky as modern pinups to have access to a broad range of vintage inspired shoes and you never have to look far to find the perfect pair of shoes to work seamlessly into your wardrobe.
Do you have a favourite vintage inspired shoe designer or supplier? Let us know in the comments!