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.
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 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 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.
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 me know in the comments!
Renae xo