Toe Holes

[Snookie]

About a year ago a friend mentioned that shoes in the 30's and 40's had much smaller toe holes than they do now -- usually you could only see the big toe. I immediately started paying attention to that detail, and as far as I can tell it's true, and I've shyed away from retro styled shoes as a result because 2-3 toes are usually visible.

Has anyone else noticed this? Do you shy away from big toe holes? Do you have vintage shoes with larger toe holes? (Please, please, please -- then I can lose my aversion!)

 

[jitterbugdoll]

One the whole, 1930s and 40s shoes are more refined and delicate than their modern reproductions and inspirations.

Some peep toes were so narrow that you couldn't even see a single toe:

Others are wider and/or more sandal-like:

You will also see cutouts over the vamp, revealing hints of toe cleavage:

I think however, that the most difficult vintage element to find in modern retro shoes is the shape of the heel. Designers rarely get this detail correct, and pair otherwise stellar reproductions with overly chunky, spike, or court heels dating from an earlier era.

Good reference sites for studying shoes include:
http://www.return2style.de/amishoef.htm
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hallr...p://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hallreis/my_photos