From pumps to Reeboks: 80s shoes for women covered all the bases
On the other: the athletic sneaker, freshly repositioned as an everyday essential by the aerobics boom and a decade-long fitness obsession. Between those poles sat everything else — penny loafers, moccasins, ballet flats, jelly shoes, wedges, strappy heeled sandals and boots in roughly a dozen silhouettes. The result was one of the most varied decades in American women’s footwear history.
The pump’s comeback in the early ’80s had a pretty direct cause. More women were working full-time office jobs, and the shoes followed the clothes. Tailored suits called for tailored shoes, and retailers nationwide reported that pumps — particularly in black, navy and neutral tones — were outselling almost everything else.
A 1983 article from the Muncie Evening Press quoted local shoe retailers who described the tailored pump as the season’s number one seller, largely because working women needed something versatile enough to go from a desk to a dinner. Heel heights settled mostly in the 1.5-to-2.5-inch range, a practical middle ground between the towering heels of the previous decade and the flat. High heels were still around, but as one retailer put it, women “don’t want to wear three-inch heels all day.”
While the suit-and-pump combination dominated offices, a parallel revolution was happening on the gym floor — and then spilling into the street. Reebok launched the Freestyle in 1982, a high-top sneaker built specifically for women’s aerobics, and it became a cultural phenomenon. By the mid-to-late ’80s, Reebok had briefly surpassed Nike in US sales, driven almost entirely by women’s athletic footwear.
L.A. Gear entered the market in 1985 with a canvas women’s workout shoe and posted $11 million in first-year sales, and by the end of the decade, the brand carried 80 different styles. The broader shift was significant — athletic shoes stopped being something you changed into at the gym and started being something you wore everywhere.
On the casual end, the preppy wave of the early ’80s drove strong sales in boat shoes and penny loafers — both old styles, but newly fashionable with the khaki-and-blazer crowd. Retailers in 1983 described topsiders as “a basic, a classic shoe,” predicting they hadn’t peaked yet.
Moccasins were gaining fast too, as were ballet flats, which had been floating around women’s fashion since the 1950s but found a new wave of mainstream buyers in the decade’s more relaxed, comfort-conscious climate. And then there were jelly shoes — the translucent plastic sandals that swept through the early-to-mid ’80s as a budget-friendly summer staple, despite an almost complete indifference to foot comfort.
Colors shifted considerably across the decade. Early ’80s shoes for women leaned into the earth tones and neutral leather palette that the preppy and professional looks demanded — tan, brown, taupe, navy. By mid-decade, though, pastels and metallics had moved into the mix, and the sheer variety of styles available widened substantially as retailers competed for a shoe-buying public that the industry was increasingly treating as fashion consumers. As one New York fashion writer observed at the time, shoes had become “the most important fashion accessory” — what hats had been to women in the 1950s.
The collection of photos below pulls from a wide range of sources, including the 1983 JC Penney catalog and fashion magazine spreads from across the decade. It covers the full range of what women actually wore — pumps for the office, Reeboks for the aerobics studio, loafers and moccasins for weekends, boots in a half-dozen silhouettes, and enough flats and heeled sandals to fill several closets. It’s a pretty solid look at a decade when women’s footwear was doing a lot of different things at once.
So many shoe choices today: How to put your best foot forward (1983)
Article from The Muncie Evening Press (Muncie, Indiana) – September 10, 1983
Shoes used to be so boring. No one worried about style. Thank goodness footwear has evolved from those drab, black lace-up shoes our great-grandmothers wore to the fashionable accessories they are today.
In fact, the selection is so large, we could easily wear out the shoes we have on trying to go through each shoe store in a large mall.
We can select from spike heels, wedge heels, “flats,” pumps, penny loafers, moccasins and boat shoes, just to name a few.
Having such a wide range of styles and colors is what makes shoe shopping fun. And although husbands complain about the closet overflowing with shoes, wives always seem to think they need just one more pair.
With fall nearly here, now would be a good time to go through your closet and pitch the shoes that are worn or are out of style — like your clogs and platform sandals.
What you should have in that closet — if you want to be fashionable — is a pair of pumps. Local shoe retailers say this simple, classic design is definitely in.
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Retro women’s shoes from the ’80s
Browse this whole section of heels, pumps, sneakers, boots, flats and other women’s shoes from the 1983 JC Penney catalog, plus many, many more from other women’s fashion magazines from the eighties!
Ballet flats from the eighties and low heels
Plus jazz shoes, tassel slip-ons and other simple shoes for ladies
Low-heel shoes from the ’80s
Pumps with sueded leather, wingtips with laces, straps, classic medium-height pump
Retro business casual shoes for womens
Brazilian leather low-heeled and kitten-heel vintage ladies’ shoes in brown and beige colors
Low-heeled vintage shoes for women – Silver Steps footwear with buckles and slip-ons
Retro slippers for women
Warm and comfortable lounge styles – velour, faux fur and more
Retro spring shoes from the ’80s (1982)
The prettiest, the brightest, the newest looks at the lowest prices — starting at just $20!
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25 more super shoes for spring
The glittery metallics, plus the new pastels, shimmering with a pearlized luster in snake skin and straw, detailed with piping and cool cutout styling.
Chunky wooden-soled vintage heels for women
High heels and stylish brown clogs with leather uppers
Strappy eighties shoes for ladies
Square heels, pumps with straps, penny loafers, flats and other stylish soles
Strappy and sassy vintage high-heels for her from the ’80s
Sandals, pumps with buckle straps and other styles
ALSO SEE: Vintage jelly shoes were THE footwear for summer in the ’80s & ’90s
Fashionable ballet flats, ankle-strap flats, kitten heels and bow flat shoes from the ’80s
Vintage suede sneakers, athletic shoes, wedges and oxfords for women (1983)
Retro preppy shoes in dark brown – with tassels and bows and rubber soles (1983)
ALSO SEE: Vintage Famolare shoes: The wavy-sole platform wedges that were hot in the ’70s
Vintage 1980s Cherokee shoes for women (1984)
Vintage moc-toe Oxfords with laces, urethane slip on shoes, pumps and other comfortable shoes
1980s Naturalizer shoes for women
Trendy retro heels and flats from 1985
Vintage strappy shoes for ladies
Slingback pumps with 2-1/2 inch heels – feminine and romantic styles
Brown preppy shoes with wooden heels with leather uppers
Vintage ’80s boots for women
Strike up a beautiful balance: Our boots go high or low to complement any outfit. In soft, colorful leather. Accordion crush, $52. Hand-tooled riding boot, $68. Foldover style with removable buckle accent, $68.
For every occasion, leathers to boot.
Want a change of pace? Add a little lustre to your life! Our Sugar Babies boots in glistening colors. Tall pull-on or mid calf, $39. Short low-heel boot, $32.
Tall and short ankle-length boots with and without heels
Brown boots for women – wedge, high and short heels in leather-look neutrals
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Vintage riding boots, fan-stitched urethane boots & more
Also see feminine full-length zipper boots and sports boots
Outdoor women’s shoes
Hiking boots, all-weather boots, duck rain shoes, and fleece-lined Oxford shoes
Western boots, steel-toe shoes for work, and other high-heel vintage boots for women
Wintery cold-weather boots
Toggle boots, puff, ripple soles, mid-calf and quilted-look boots
MORE: These retro 1980s socks, knee-highs & other sassy sock styles went beyond black & white
Vintage ’80s boots and leather casual shoes for women
Vintage ’80s boots for her
Dimpled boots, full-length, half-length and up or down butter boots
Vintage T-strap shoes, bow-toe heels and strappy low-heel pumps for ladies
ALSO SEE: Vintage Dr Scholl’s Exercise Sandals & Toe Hugger shoes for women
Women’s retro Airstep high heels from the 80s
’80s-style delicate T-strap
Vintage T-strap shoes with refined heel, styled pump and sueded nylon shoes with strap
Vintage ’80s Hush Puppies heels for women 1982
Vintage women’s shoes from Naturalizer 1982
Retro 1980s Oxford-style nursing shoes
White leather upper with flexible crepe rubber sole with wedge
Reebok workout shoes – Instructor 5000 aerobic sneakers (1987)
ALSO SEE: Vintage 1980s shoes for men: What stylish guys were wearing
Vintage tennis shoes, joggers and court athletic shoes – oxfords, running shoes and more
ALSO SEE: Keds vintage sneakers & shoes from the ’20s to the ’80s
Vintage ’80s pumps for women
Low to mid-heels with bows, straps, smooth urethane uppers and rubber soles
Vintage Sugar Babies shoes
What they called “modern” leather upper shoes in the 1980s, with rubber soles, heels, cut-outs and suede
Retro ’80s party shoes for ladies
Strappy heels and slinkbacks in cinnamon, navy, black, white and camel
Work shoes and heels from the eighties
Classic pumps, open-toe pumps and medium-height heels
Closed-toe bare back pumps for women
Also see vintage 1980s peek-a-boo slings and sandals with knotted vamp
Vintage leather footwear for ladies
Moccasins with tassels, ballet flats, walking shoes, Mary-Jane pumps and Birkenstock-style slippers
Conservative vintage moccasins & low-heeled slip-on shoes in neutral colors
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1980s retro women’s shoes: The power of the pumps
“Pumps have completely taken over this year,” says Ralph Nixon, supervisor for Weiss and Neuman Shoe Co., of which Barker’s Shoe Stores is a division. “They’re selling very well, especially among businesswomen.”
Steve Hayes, manager of the local Barker’s Shoes, says women are frequently asking for pumps.
“The biggest trend this fall is the tailored pumps. They’ll be the number one seller this year,” predicts Tom Mathew, owner of Dobbs and Mathew Bootery.
One reason the pump is making a comeback is because of its versatility, he explains. They can be worn with suits, skirts, dresses and slacks.
“They (women) like the tailoring and styling,” he adds. “Shoes reflect our clothes, and our clothes are tailored.”
Just as stylish this year are shoes sporting heels of medium height. Of course, high heels and flats will always sell, but there definitely is a demand for a two to two and one half inch heel, say local retailers.
ALSO SEE: How X-ray shoe fittings used to really be a thing years ago
80s shoes for women: Working women didn’t want high heels
Nixon believes the main reason his stores are selling more medium heels than high heels is because they’re the first choice of working women.
“There are more women in the business world now, and they don’t want to wear three-inch heels all day,” he says.
Adds Jerry Fulk, manager of Kinney Shoes, “Women are paying more attention to comfort now. A lot of people don’t want the real high heels.”
Gary Myers, manager of the Village Bootery, points out, however, that shoe designers are pushing the high heels once again. And although this trend may not show up in the Midwest right away, Myers believes it is the style for women wanting to be trendsetters.
High heels are nice to look at. But women who are on their feet much in a day will agree they are not very comfortable.
So when we switch to our casual slacks and jeans, we look for comfort. And it’s just this reason that topsiders (also called boat shoes) are selling so well.
Along with mocassins — a style rapidly gaining momentum — topsiders are the money-makers in casual shoes.
Topsiders would be a wise investment for someone looking for a shoe that will still be in style next year, notes Mathew. Even though the style has already been around for about four years, retailers don’t believe it’s a fad that will soon disappear.
“It’s been strong in every part of the country. It’s a basic, a classic shoe, like penny loafers,” he adds.
“I don’t think they’ve peaked yet,” says Mike Cline, manager of Nobil Shoes. This year his store is selling the style in the traditional brown, white suede and navy blue.
Fulk says people of all ages are buying topsiders. “It kind of grows on you. Someone may not like it one year, and the next year come in and buy a pair.”
For a fashionable, casual shoe a little more dressy than the topsider, there’s the penny loafer. These shoes were revived with the “preppy” look and sports slots for a shiny ’83 penny or leather tassels. Both styles are selling well, notes Fulk.
The colors to look for in shoes this season include gray, plum, taupe, black, teal, salmon and mauve. In topsiders, white suede is hot.
“Plum and teal are supposed to be the two outstanding colors this fall,” notes Nixon, adding, “But gray is still outselling plum and teal. Light gray for spring, and dark gray for fall.”
Whatever your taste in shoes, there is sure to be a shoe for you. The range of styles and colors is better than ever this season.
One New York fashion writer says the reason for this large selection is that shoes have become “the most important” fashion accessory. She adds, “Shoes are to the present generation what hats were to their mothers in the ’50s.”
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