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Record details

Shoe style Court Shoe
Style description

A court shoe has a low-cut upper, no fastening and a medium to high heel.

Shoe description This sequinned pair were designed by Valentino, 1990s.
Style example 1 Women’s satin and leather court shoes. Designed by Christian Dior and sold by Harrods, 1955.
Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ fashions chimed perfectly with the popular mood of optimism and the need for a fresh start after the Second World War. Paris became the world’s fashion capital and in 1953 the modern stiletto heel was launched by Dior collaborator Roger Vivier. Before this date high heels were thick and chunky to hold the weight of the wearer, the innovative moulded plastic heel with a steel pin down its length now enabled shoes to have high but slender heels.
Style example 2 Women's satin court shoes with a peep toe. Manufactured by H & M Rayne, 1955-59.
H. & M. Rayne made classic court shoe styles for women. The firm gained a British Royal Warrant in 1935 and made Princess Elizabeth’s wedding shoes in 1947. In this period following the Second World War feminine styles returned as living conditions improved and prosperity increased. This was also the ‘Golden Age’ of Hollywood and movie stars influenced fashions. Women wanted to look glamorous again after war time deprivations and make do and mend.
Style example 3 Women's leather court shoes. Chanel, 2012.
A classic style by a classic design house. This pair belonged to Princess Benedikte of Denmark.