In the late 50's, we were supposed to wear lace up shoes to school and I found a pair that was called Grasshoppers. They were far less chunky than saddle oxfords. I didn't like either option back then but the Hoppers were not far off some black Enzo Angiolini lace ups I have today. No running board sole. No wide thick cotton laces. More of an almond toe.

I want some yellow patent flat oxfords. I saw a girl wearing a pair. Have searched without luck.

Here are some black faux-patent wingtips I wore this week. (Trousers hiked up to show more of the shoes).

Like Beth Ann, I'm still on the lookout for my perfect style--more refined, could have a lower vamp, but still comfortable. These are definitely on the masculine side, and right now I am not able to style them with tapered trousers, which I think would be more in style, and I wear them with SOCKS! They are maybe a bit larger overall than is required for my foot, but then again, that makes the toe area more comfortable; some of the more tapered, slim oxfords aren't comfortable.

Unfrumped, I love your shoes!

Oh thanks for the rec, merwoman! Now I need to decide if I want camel, yellow or grey!

Kind of a coincidence, I was reading this thread while doing some browsing and found these shoes, which made me giggle:

http://www.modcloth.com/shop/s.....hoe-in-red

I wonder what those look like on?! Would be kind of interesting to pair them with different colored socks/leggings/??? Not really my style, though.

I'm just drawn back here (I know my over shoe buying is rooted in those terrible shoe choices (sister L'abeille - YOU know) BTW I don't have flat feet (and don't think those horrid shoes cured me)
The best photos I could find are below. #1 and #3 are about 1 year apart, but the same ugly shoe (1971 version and 1972 version). I got a snazzy red/white/blue almost Ked-like pair in #2 (but with some uncomfortable inserts) Ignore kid brother in his outlandish getups (he would be mortified) We were wearing grandparents' hats in 1.

My sisters and I wore red leather oxfords in grade school in the late 50's and early 60's, much to our dislike, as many of the other girls had buckle shoes, patent leather or otherwise. I don't think oxfords have ever been out of style, as I had two wonderful pairs in high school (circa 1970), one black and white perforated "spectator" style (not saddle shoes!), and my favorite tan suede lace ups which I wore without socks (against the school rules) and with hip hugger blue jeans, leather belt, striped knit tops and a floppy felt hat, interestingly enough allowed by the dress code.

i had a pair of bass suede oxfords in the late 70's. loved those shoes.

Thinking back, I'm sure my mom and fashionable auntie wore oxfords with socks in the 40's when stockings were precious. Both were young teachers who worked in a factory making planes to help the WWII effort.

.

Like some others, I had to wear oxfords as a kid in the late 50's early 60's and HATED them. In high school, I had a pair of high heeled saddle shoes that were so awesome they brought me around to the style. In the early 90's (?) I bought a couple of pair of saddle shoes and some 2 toned suede Hush Puppies. I still wear all of them and continue to add to my collection. I'm glad the style has become so popular because now they are easier to find.

You're good on your timeline, Angie, and I would agree with Rachylou about the jazz/dance-style low-heeled oxfords of the early '80s. Of course, the saddle shoe oxfords come and go on the playgrounds, streets and greens.

Ah, the circle of life. As a child I was forced to wear Dr. Mason's orthopedic shoes. They came in two versions: for winter, black oxfords or brown oxfords; for spring, white and black or brown saddle shoes.

Oh how I yearned for cute buckle shoes--I begged for them. My old school teachers wore black lace up shoes, but with a slight heel. Ugly and frumpy old lady shoes.

If memory serves me, during the late 50s there was a craze for white buck shoes--lace ups, inspired by Pat Boone. Worn without socks, they got really smelly in time, which I know from personal experience.

One of my sisters five years older than I had to go through the late fifties wearing the absolute must-have shoes: Spoonbill alerts by Joyce. Girls also had to have Jantzen sweaters. The sketches from 1950s newspapers don't give the true dimensions--the shoes flared outward at the toes giving girls a true duck-foot look.

And then Keds came along.

I did wear saddle shoes and something like oxfords in the 70s, but they looked better somehow, even though the saddle shoes had thick soles.

The circle comes back to the beginning as I search Barking Dog shoes and other sources for comfortable lace up walking shoes that don't make my feet look like duck feet.

I can look for some old photos, but for now, some newspaper ads: