grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Crafts
  • Farm
  • Food
  • Garden
  • Reading & Books
  • Sunday Letter
  • SHOP!
  • Privacy Policy

Bring Back the Saddle Oxford!

July 5, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner 11 Comments

I think it’s high time the saddle oxford reappear on the fashion scene.

A few days ago, John and I saw Jersey Boys, the film version of the Tony-Award winning musical. Loved everything about it. If I could go back in time, I’d visit the 1950s. The iconic music. Poodle skirts. The jitterbug. The saddle oxfords…

In the 1970s, we wore saddle oxfords as part of our cheerleader uniforms. It took weeks to break in a new pair, and until that time, giant Band-aids protected our heels. In junior high, we sometimes threaded gold and black pom pons through the laces to match our uniforms.

Keiser Jr. High School Cheer

Keiser Jr. High School Cheerleaders 1974

In high school, our saddle oxfords were red and white instead of the traditional black and white. I thought that was cool.

Men still have oxford options (especially with golf shoes), and some kids today wear saddle oxfords as part of their official school uniforms, but for the most part, saddle shoes have disappeared. Every other shoe style seems to have circled back. Platforms. Peep toes. Ballet flats. Clogs. But the saddle oxford? I think it’s high time. They go with everything.

Saddle Shoes

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/489907265688006524/

Are you with me?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life. 

Musical Pairing:

Frankie Valli – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Life, Memories Tagged With: 1950s, 1970s, cheerleading, Jersey Boys, Keiser, saddle oxfords, The Four Seasons, vintage

Wanna receive my monthly Newsletter? Sign up here!

Comments

  1. Bryan Jones says

    July 5, 2014 at 8:02 am

    Cool idea!

    Reply
  2. Dot says

    July 5, 2014 at 8:42 am

    You are absolutely right. I was there in the Fifties and saddle oxfords were the thing. A little bit of a problem to clean, but looked so sharp! Part of our cheerleaders uniform, but worn by most anyone who owned a pair. Saddles and loafers, those were the shoes. Those were the days!

    Reply
    • Colene says

      July 5, 2014 at 9:51 am

      That reminded me of the chalky white liquid polish I used to spread on my saddleshoes. The black polish was hard to keep off of the white portion. Loved my saddleshoes!

      Reply
      • Talya Tate Boerner says

        July 5, 2014 at 10:43 am

        I remember polishing them too!

        Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      July 5, 2014 at 10:43 am

      We wore ours in the late 60s early 70s with everything too.

      Reply
  3. Colene says

    July 5, 2014 at 9:49 am

    Oh I believe they will come back. What goes around, comes around. I just gave my old Coach handbag, popular in the 70’s-80’s, to my granddaughter. She hung it off of her shoulder with pride.

    Reply
  4. Dorothy Johnson says

    July 7, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    I had some too, and remember the polishing challenge. My daddy usually took it over from me so they’d look good. I bet they come back round, especially now that Jersey Boys has been made into a movie. We loved the stage production and plan to see the movie, too. That’s the music from my early years. Love it!

    Reply
  5. Lynn says

    January 6, 2017 at 11:20 am

    Oh Talya!!! I would love for saddle oxfords to come back in style!!!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      January 6, 2017 at 7:29 pm

      Me too!! I don’t know why they haven’t. Everything else has.

      Reply
  6. Joan says

    November 28, 2021 at 7:14 pm

    Couldn’t agree more. I’ve been trying to find a pair for myself and I just can’t get them anywhere.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Costume Blog says:
    July 15, 2017 at 3:25 am

    Considering A Womens 50s Saddle Shoes

    […] s and saddle oxfords were the thing. A little bit of a problem to clean, but loo […]

    Reply

COMMENT: Cancel reply

Talya Tate Boerner


Hi! I'm Talya. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

Click to BUY NOW!

Talya Tate Boerner books
Gene, Everywhere

Never miss a blog post! Subscribe via email:

Receive my Monthly Newsletter?

Most Popular Posts…

  • Sunday Letter: 01.29.23
  • Yum Yum Cake - old southern recipe!
  • How to harvest Coneflower Seeds
  • Nana's Strawberry Cake (the real one)
  • Sunday Letter: 01.08.23

Most Recent

  • Sunday Letter: 01.29.23
  • Sunday Letter: 01.15.23
  • Sunday Letter: 01.08.23
  • Sunday Letter: 12.18.22
  • Sunday Letter: 12.11.22

Grace Grits index

Prior Posts

Search Categories

Tags

A to Z April Blog Challenge Autumn BAT Book Reviews childhood Christmas creative writing prompt Dallas Desserts Eureka Springs Fall Fayetteville Food Gracie Lee Halloween Hemingway-Pfeiffer home humor Johnson Family Keiser Lake Norfork Lucy and Annabelle Mississippi County Mississippi Delta moving Munger Place Nana nature Northeast Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Osceola poem Reading Schnauzer simple living simple things spring spring gardening Summer sunday letter Talya Tate Boerner novel The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee Thomas Tate Winter Wordless Wednesday
Follow on Bloglovin

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!

All content and photos Copyright Grace, Grits and Gardening © 2023 · Web Hosting By StrataByte