Women's footwear style through some of the key decades Many fashion gurus believe that when it comes to fashion, history seems to repeat itself about every 30 years. This could be something to do with the fact that this timeframe seems to be when designers seek inspiration from past decades. They usually add a contemporary twist to these past shoe fashions, which helps to bring their footwear designs bang up to date. Therefore many of the past decades women’s footwear features are designed into the trendy runway styles of the present day. Here’s a look at some of the key decades of ladies shoe styles, and examples of how many of these features have been incorporated into the XYLONDON female shoe range of today.

The 40s This was a decade when everyone really seemed to want to elevate their style and platform shoes really helped to do this. A shorter skirt length was becoming more popular which focused ladies attention to their panty hose and high heels. Back then, heel sizes were increasing, helping with elevation, and most were between two and two and a half inches. The t-shaped strap also became very popular during this decade.

The 50s This decade certainly did jump to it when it came to style. The late 40s saw the birth of Rock & Roll, which dominated the music scene throughout much of the 50s. This was the first decade in which a special teenage fashion had emerged, which was ballet pumps, often coupled with white socks. Saddle shoes, which were also great for jiving, were also popular. Stiletto high heels also became a trademark of the 50s for the older women, largely down to the introduction of this type of shoe by Dior in 1952.

The 60s ‘These boots were made for walking’ was a big hit of this decade for Nancy Sinatra, and boots definitely made their debut as a major fashion trend during the 60s. Go-Go boots – in mid and knee high lengths – coupled with mini skirts, along with vibrant psychedelic colours, really did make for those swinging 60s!

The 70s This really was the decade of sky-high platforms with many produced in space age materials and designs. Glam Rock arrived with a vengeance and even the male pop stars of this decade, including Marc Bolan and David Bowie, teetered around on their towering platform heeled shoes and boots, making their dare devil stage performances come alive.

The 80s Shoulder pads, sequins and enough neon to light up the night sky, were big fashion trends of this decade. The 80s were also a huge decade for sneakers and training shoes, with styles such as ‘Converse All Stars’ being featured in many of the iconic films of the decade, such as ‘Ferris Beuller’s Day Off’ and ‘Back to the Future’. Jelly shoes also hit the shoe scene in the 80s, when a Bloomingdale’s shoe buyer spotted these at a shoe exhibition and featured them in store.