barney15c Posted May 3, 2007 Posted May 3, 2007 Found these on a site that had old fetish shoe catalogue from the 60/70's? Check out these ballets (BB21) and the sole to the silver thigh boots (PB123)! The catalogue is on this web site: http://users.powernet.co.uk/wingett/Catalog1.htm In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king!!!
Richy Posted May 3, 2007 Posted May 3, 2007 I recognise a few of those boots from my youth, especially the pair of silver thigh length boots with the second heel underneath the sole of the boot (PB123). Now they would have been unwalkable. If my memory serves me correctly, they are from a Solanj catalogue, a bootmaker from the Western USA who retired about 10 years ago. Someone has actually modified a pair of standard ballet boots to a similar design to the boots that you mention, there are a couple of photos here. http://www.korsett.org/ballet/robyn/index.htm Incidently, on the subject of old catalogues. For anyone who believes that ballet boots are a relatively new invention, this was from a 1958 Regent's Shoes catalogue that I have in my possession. They were priced at £14-14 shillings, which at today's prices is £206.50
Dr. Shoe Posted May 3, 2007 Posted May 3, 2007 ballet boots were invented in the 1880s and seems to have appeared simultaneously in the UK and Germany. The UK ones are markedly similar to today's styles whereas the german ones had tiny upturned toes like an exaggeration of a normal style. Some of the german boots had heels that were too long so that the wearer would be helpless. In the catalogue above there is a style like that with the sole of the boot combined with the heel hinting that you could walk in them in the manner of a stilt walker... Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects.
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