and Jonathan Walford/Kickshaw Productions

Most antique shoes without heels date between 1800 and 1860.

Square toes on antique shoes date between 1830 and 1880.

Shoes without left or right definition typically predate 1885 unless made to order for a specific client.

Fashion boots fell from fashion in about 1920 and did not return until the early 1960s.

Sandals only entered the shoe wardrobe in mid 1930s, first in Europe, then USA.

Open toe, sling backs were introduced in 1938.

Platform shoes, although introduced in the late 1930s, weren't popular until c. 1945 - 1950.

Round toed shoes with Spanish heels (high, but thicker than stiletto's) were popular from c. 1948 until 1956 and were called Babydoll pumps at the time.

Mules are likely from Europe if they predate 1990, although some backless clogs were worn in the 1970's in North America.

Stiletto heels began in France and Italy in about 1953 but they weren't popular until 1957, the same year the pointed toe became popular.

Widths traditionally range from AAAA to EEEE - a system first established in the 1880s, but by the 1940s American shoes are also using N, M, and W for narrow, medium and wide.

Paris Point system (i.e. 42) is used on European and Asian shoes.

England and Germany use the traditional method of sizing (i.e. size 5).

American system is similar to England, but modified (i.e. size 7).  However, some countries that manufacture shoes for export mark the shoes in the size system for destination market.

Exotic leathers (crocodile, lizard, alligator) were commonly used for shoes during WWII because the leather had no military use.

Remember - "Croc has a dot, alligator not" when identifying skins.  The dot is in the middle of the scale.