Age of these ?boots?? ?Saratoga Gaiter?

[amandainvermont]

Age of these “boots”? “Saratoga Gaiter”

These are unworn, as far as I can tell, and cute as can be. They close with a velcro strip... Just one, that sticks to the material, not to another velcro tab. Wikipedia says velcro was invented in 1945. The material of the boot is kind of a pressed felt with rubber soles. That’s real fur around the rim (rabbit?) The original price tag is on the box - $11.95. So they are 50’s? They are “Saratoga Gaiters” by Red Ball Footwear. Is “VLV” an appropriate keyword?

As an aside... around here we always joke about burdocks being “Vermont velcro” and it turns out that is how velcro was invented - a man in Switzerland copied what burdock does.

Last photo is lightened...

 

[Jonathan]

These types of overboots were popular until the late 1950s when stiletto heels tended to puncture through the heels which made them useless. I thought velcro was invented in 1948, I think 1945 is a little early but that might have been when he got the idea for velcro. I am pretty sure it wasn't put into commercial use until the late 1950s, so you have a pair of boots that use a brand new technology on a style that is on its way out of the door! I would guess c. 1958 - 1960 on them.