The materials and shapes of the Western style shoes in Korea in the 1920s to 1930s

Abstract

This study considered the change process for Western style shoes in Korea during the time of modernization in the 1920s to 1930s. Western style shoes were one of the items imported by foreigners since the Joseon Dynasty and had a significant impact on Korean dress code. It influence started to spread in the 1900s; however, few high level people wore Western shoes until the 1920s. The trend started to spread through newspaper advertisements and news articles after the mid 1920s. Western shoes such as modern girl and modern boy in the 1930s then entered into Korean culture. Korea under Japanese colonial rule was reorganized on a war footing in the latter half of the 1930s and the main materials for western shoes (cow leather, horse leather and sheepskin) were mobilized as materials for war production; subsequently, new materials using rubber were introduced. The representative material is 'Marine Leather (Korean source)' and Sharkskin 'Gyoheok (Korean source)' and Whaleskin 'Gyeongpi (Korean source).' Form is like the material has changed over time. This study also observed the flow of westernized Korean modern shoes as well as analyzed the details of materials and shape of western shoes by period. This represent basic materials to understand the legacy of western shoes in the age; in addition, systemic summary is organized by each kind, shape and materials for each style of western shoes. ? 2017, The Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles.