Platform Shoes The Many Styles of Platform Shoes

Platform Shoes The Many Styles of Platform Shoes

Both from a historical perspective and from a modern day perspective, it would seem that there is not a shoe on the market that hasnt had a platform shoe variation. From sandals to boots, from sneakers to dress shoes, from work boots to flip-flops, there is a platform version of just about every shoe style. It would seem no shoe is immune to the tastes and demands of the platform wearing public.

When platform shoes first enjoyed their heyday in the early 70s, the most popular styles were sandals and boots. Candies, one of the most famous makers of platform sandals in the 70s, were characterized by their cork heels and strappy sandals. In contrast, for the male glam rock crowd, biker style boots with platform bottoms were all the rage among men ages 16 to 25. In addition to these common styles, many others were introduced to the market targeting different demographics.

For young twenty-somethings, dress shoes for work and evenings out often featured platform heels. These platform shoes often featured wild patterns and designs to compliment solid colored suits and other office attire. For both men and women, party wear often took into consideration the shoes most consumers would wear with their clothes. Since bell bottom pants and leisure suits were common in discos and bars all over the UK and America, shoe makers made platform shoes to coordinate with these outfits. Many included the look of traditional mens dress shoes or womens dressy heels, with added sole thickness to meet demand for platforms for evening wear.

Todays platform shoes range every style from dress shoes to sandals, work boots to sneakers. Some are merely ankle length or high top sneakers or work boots with a platform heel. Others combine such styles as leather mules mixed with sneaker fronts, all on a platform heel. Other styles such as clogs and wooden soled sandals also have platform versions. In short, if it can be worn on the feet, it can be made into a platform shoe.

Heel material is another variation on platform style shoes. Every conceivable material has been added to traditional and nontraditional shoe styles to create platforms. From clear Lucite heels with fish inside, to solid metal platform heels, the combinations of heel material and shoe styles makes platform shoe variety and styles virtually limitless. In fact, even otherwise normal shoe styles such as sneakers have platform versions in which the normal rubber sole is doubled or tripled in thickness to form an otherwise normal looking platform style.

This article was published on Sunday 20 March, 2011.

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