Slide of the Week RSS
Children’s Shoe Department, Somewhere, USA, 1954
Considering that few people, if any, ever take pictures in a children’s shoe department this is a very rare slide. I love the name brand “Scamperoos” spelled out in lipstick red, stand up letters labeling the stylish display of colorful kid’s shoes. My compliments to the kiddy shoe display designer that saw fit to pair lipstick red with turquoise. That particular color combo has always been a favorite of mine.
The four dressed-for-success gents must be in the biz of peddling the Mary Janes, saddle shoes and loafers that are among the stylish selections. And as if this slide wasn’t interesting enough already look closely at the larger than life little cowboy caricature casting a shadow in the corner. He’s a giant of Americana. In case you don’t recognize that ear-to-ear grin on that fresh, freckled face and red head of hair it’s Howdy Doody. He was the star of the most successful children’s TV show of the 1950s.
Here’s to taking pics in the kids shoe department, red with turq, Howdy Doody and YOU!
Posted Friday, January 25th, 2008 under Slide of the Week.
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Shopping for our shoes back then was serious business. Our moms, while wearing pointy toe spikes, wanted to make sure we wore proper fitting shoes at all times. I wonder if they had the xray machine you could put your foot in to check the fit at this store? I remember those from as late as around 1960 or ‘61. Hey, I xrayed my feet more than once in those machines and I’m OK!!!!
Hey Charles;
I my be mistaken but I think these guys are reps for the “Scamperoos” shoe line and this looks like their display, possibly at a trade show where stores come to order their merchandise. Anyway it was fun to see.
Thanks as always for your blasts from the past!
Does anyone else remember the giant X-ray machines they had in shoe stores in those days? You climbed up and stuck your feet in this slot and they took X-rays of your bones. They later found out that the boxes leaked radiation and were hazardous to your health and they all got yanked. Maybe these guys were setting up one of those. They’ve got that “dangerous radiation” look to them if you ask me.
Charles
OMG yes love this one, as well as all
the others. Tks again for sharing.
lv, Darius & Rose
Ye Gods! Is this picture ever frightening to someone like me! I was 10 years old in 1954, and these images of successful businessmen were the reason why I became (in my own misguided way) and engineer (electrical variety). This was the life of these guys: from the present (1954) through retirement, or death, whichever came first. The only thing missing here is the big fluoroscope, which most shoe departments had until about 1955. I used to love to look at my toes inside the shoes my parents were buying for me. So far I haven’t come down with any mortal illnesses from over-exposure to X-rays, but I shudder at the way adults blithely put us kids in such dangerous situations. I see that Cynthia Kirk (above) remembers them. Kind of makes me wonder how many shoe salesmen came down with cancer from their hazardous jobs.
Don’t let anyone fool you: the 50s were really creepy!
What a great slide! Howdy Doody does add such a nice touch. And yes, I do remember trying on shoes and then stepping up to the X-ray machine to see where my bones were. My kids can’t believe that X-ray machine was used. Thanks, Mr. Phoenix!
What would I give for those red and white saddle shoes! Those guys must have been reps – I can’t imagine that even then a grown man could earn enough selling shoes to keep a family.
Ms. Kirk & Mr. Snyder-I sure do remember the big X-ray box. Our local shoe store, SQR, in Anaheim, Ca. had one. It’s a wonder most of my generation doesnt glow in the dark-we had our feet in those things all the time !!
I remember that serious business of buying shoes because we only got three pairs in a year. One pair was for school, one was for “good” and one pair was a tennis shoe for summer. Those were the days when you would go to a shoe store and the same man would be there year after year just like your doctor. I always got the feeling that Mom had to make an appointment to have us go in and get shoes.
maybe you are too young to have ever seen one of these! But your latest slide reminded me of it. I loved seeing all those saddle shoes with the different colored ’saddles’ I had forgotten about that. Probably, my Mom would have never allowed me to get red or turquoise!
I agree with Cathy — this looks a lot more like a trade show or a convention than a shoe store or department.
IMAGE OF X-RAY MACHINE…
http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/shoefittingfluor/shoe.htm
Our family lived in Venice, Calif., but shopped for our shoes “downtown” Santa Monica where all the neat stores were. It was 3rd and Santa Monica. Now known as 3rd Street Prominade. There were 3 of us kids, and the place was Buster Brown. We never did mind going there and having our feet poked and measured and all those really grouling things done. If your parents took you there you can remember why we didn’t mind. There was a “Mother Goose” there, not real, and when you bought shoes, you were aloud to pull the head down, and out came out a plastic brown goose egg with a “goody” in it. Only if you bought shoes in their store. You quickly forgot how your feet hurt from having to put the new shoes on and walk around for everone to “check” if they fit alright. Than having to take them off, and put your “already” worn and old comfy shoes back on. Didn’t even think about how they are going to hurt when you had to wear them the next day, all day. ohhhhh!
It was the best treat ever back then, and you did get new shoes. GREAT TIMES!!
Boy, is our age showing or what!?! I, too, remember those foot xray machines. I also remember the ugly shoes my grandmother made me wear for school. Not even saddle shoes–but, brown oxfords that looked like old time nurses shoes. I only got to wear my patent leather “Mary Janes” for church and birthday parties. By the way, those guys look pretty serious for shoe salesmen. They were probably executives of the Scamperoo Shoe Company.
Love this. All that’s missing is one of those big x-ray machines that you could step into and see an image of the bones in your feet. Do you remember those?
Linda
My shoe department memories begin in the late 60s. The X-ray machine that you’re all talking about must’ve already been a memory by then. Do any of these things still exist???
Charles
Every now and then, The History Channel runs a program of dubious medical devices or something of the like. If I recall correctly, they said the government ordered those machines destroyed, or rendered inoperable. There was a surviving (non-working) example on the program. Truly a different era, when the atom was our best friend or worst enemy.
I remember when the fluoroscopes were put out of service (late 50’s?). The machine I used to love to use sat dormant in the corner for a few years after that. Looking at the photos of the machines at the URL Sylvia submitted above sends a chill up my spine, presumably originating just below my feet!
—And speaking of Sylvia, I’d like to thank her for the long-delayed revelation I just had: why “Saddle Shoes” are called “Saddle Shoes”. I’ll be (ugh!) 64 years old in about 2 weeks. I guess that it’s never too late to learn.
Finally, I’d like to reassure Charles Phoenix that we old folks just love to educate clean-cut kids like him!
i have often thought about how we used to play with those x-ray machines–we would not only put our feet in them, but our hands, too! i remember thinking it was just fascinating. now when i think back, it’s kind of scary!