Colors Head to Toe – Rainbow Flip Flops
Rainbows were everywhere in the 80s – on our shirts, sweaters, stickers, earrings, on the backs of our satin jackets, in our hair on our barrettes, and emblazoned across our Trapper Keepers. And, in the summertime, the beauty of the rainbow shimmied down to our feet as we all walked around in these: Ah, the flip flop – the essential summer shoe staple. I had a pair with a giant plastic sunflower on them that were rather painful, with...
I Would Dye for You – Dyeable Formal Shoes
By Lori Ferraro Remember the thrill of being asked to a school dance or formal? Whether it was homecoming, a winter formal or the grand pappy of them all – senior prom – the preparation and planning that went into the big night was almost as exciting as the event itself. There was one hugely important detail to consider – THE DRESS. Gunne Sax? Jessica McClintock? An original handmade number ala Andie in Pretty in Pink? Then there were...
And All That Jazz: Capezio Jazz Shoes
Junior year I tried out for Starettes, the school dance team which made absolutely zero sense…seeing as I was a pretty terrible dancer. I went out and bought some spandex “pants” (shudder) and wore a tank top with the obligatory off the shoulder sweatshirt over it. There was no need for me to run out and buy a pair of shoes because I already owned two pairs of these: Capezio “JAZZ SHOES.” Lots of girls in high school wore these,...
Patterned Shoelaces – My Saving Grace
By Karin Bell Go back to the early 80s, if you will, to a time of endless wonder and fashion possibilities. Back when we made our own fashion rules; we laughed in the face of conservative clothing. Ha! You non-cushioned shoulders! Ha! You deflated pants! In the midst of all the laughter, I was battling a dilemma…deprived was I of those awesomely cool Air Jordans or Adidas Grand Slams that would have made me cool. I had Keds....
The Return of Huaraches
It was the spring / summer season of 1986, Falco wanted us to Rock Me Amadeus and Robert Palmer had us Addicted to Love. Fresh off of seeing Ferris Bueller in the theaters, we were twisting and shouting about all that summer would hold. We had a new pair of Jams, some Wayfarers and new highlights courtesy of Sun-In. We were ready for summer. All we needed was the perfect pair of sandals. Enter Huaraches. They’ve been trying to make a...
Granny Boots
It’s the dance scene in The Breakfast Club that cements these lace-up boots as always and forever cool. Watch it again on YouTube and tell me Molly Ringwald’s Claire isn’t still the ultimate Popular Girl. The popping dance moves, the too-cool-for-(Saturday)-school hair flip, the layered tops and below-the-knee skirt and yes, the granny boots. Smooth brown leather, upper-calf height, just-so laces: perfect. Perfect in 1985, perfect...
Top 5 Shoes of the 80s
By Ryan Zimmerman Ryan here, and back with an all new Top 5. This week, I’m looking at shoes in the 80s. This Top 5 is admittedly skewed towards the dudes of the 80s (what can I say, I’m a dude), but I’ve tossed in one girl shoe just to show that I know a thing or two about ladies fashion. But, really, when you consider that the Chucks are unisex, I’ve really included two. So there. 5. Bo Jackson...
Chuck Taylors by Converse
If you were alive in the 80s, your shoe wardrobe wasn’t complete without a pair (or five) of Chucks (otherwise known as Converse All Star high tops). It didn’t matter if you were a guy or a gal – this particular 80s fashion trend crossed the gender barrier (and the age barrier too). History of the Converse All Star The 80s can’t claim the Chucks fashion trend as its own. The Converse All Star High Tops have been around for...
Reebok Hightops – So High, So Cool
Like Thiller, the Reebok High Top (aka Freestyle) is celebrating its 25th anniversary (in 2007). Wow – that is a really long time with a single style of shoe, especially one created in the 80s. More for Fashion, Less for Sports Most high-tops are basketball shoes, but not in the 80s! In the 80s, they became a fashion statement – so ubiquitous were the Reebok Hightop Aerobic shoes that they became a fashion staple – a must-have! This...
