T-bar_sandal

T-bar sandal

T-bar sandal

Shoe with a T-shaped strap

A T-bar sandal or T-bar shoe (also known in the United Kingdom as "school sandal" or "closed-toe sandal") is a closed, low-cut shoe with two or more straps forming one or more T shapes (one or more straps across the instep passing through a perpendicular, central strap that extends from the vamp).

Classic T-bar shoes by Start-rite (known as Sonnet in the United States)

Classic T-bars for children are typically made of blue or brown leather, have two thin straps forming a single T shape and fastened with a buckle, a broad and rounded toe box pierced with a pattern of holes, a low heel, and a crêpe rubber outsole stitched-down to the upper. Among boys, T-bars are traditionally worn with socks (though it is possible without them as well), short trousers and a shirt.

History

First seen in Europe and America in the early 1900s, T-bars became very common among children in the 1950s,[1] particularly among boys where they supplanted pre-war Mary Janes. T-bar wearing declined after the 1960s nonetheless, following the cultural and clothing revolution that swept the West.

Today, T-bars are more associated with girls, particularly the more classic styles and are often considered semi-formal shoes, appropriate for school (some primary schools in the United Kingdom require that pupils wear them with their uniform[2]). They may also be viewed as formal shoes for children, suitable for religious ceremonies, weddings, visits, and birthday parties for example.

More modern styles are worn in casual settings, however: playgrounds, shopping centres, etc. Although less popular than in the past, T-bars remain a timeless classic of children's fashion and, for many people, a symbol of childhood.

  • Two boys wearing twin-strap T-bar sandals in Venice, Italy. in 1907.
  • Studio photograph of a seven-year-old boy wearing T-bar sandals in Strabane, Northern Ireland, 1915.
  • A schoolboy with a Schultüte and wearing T-bar sandals in Leipzig, East Germany, 1951.
  • A girl harpist wearing twin-strap T-bar sandals in Wales, 1960.
  • Studio photograph of boys wearing T-bar sandals in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1964.
  • A Girl Guide and a Brownie wearing T-bar sandals in Canada, about 1975.
  • A four-year-old boy wearing a kilt and T-bar sandals in Scotland, 1987.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Rose, Clare (1989). Children's Clothes: Since 1750. London: B. T. Batsford Limited. p. 149. ISBN 0-7134-5741-4. OCLC 19812913. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  2. [2]
    "Closed-toe Sandals". Historical Boys' Clothing. 8 November 2006. p. 149. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
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