Dating Vintage Shoes

[acvintage]

I need to clarify some old notes I took on dating vintage shoes.

Are A-D width sizes ALWAYS 1960's and earlier?

N, M and W ALWAYS 1970's and later?

I thought this was one way to determine vintage but I keep seeing shoes with width narrow or medium described as vintage 1950s, 1960s so now I'm confused...

Thank you ~

 

[Pinkcoke]

Are A-D width sizes ALWAYS 1960's and earlier?

No, but when they were more commonly used varies depending on the country of manufacture/import. Here in the UK D width is now the standard, E being wide. We don't have A, B or C any more as these were US widths. Previously most British shoes were marked with US sizes, different shoemakers dropped this at different times.
I have a pair of 1980's Italian summer sandals that are marked B. However some same period British shoes do not have width markings at all.

 

[acvintage]

Thank you - Was really hoping that to be a hard and fast rule so that I could better date some shoes.

For 2 years I sold nothing but shoes from the 1930s to 1960s (mostly 1940s) and it was so much fun. All from a 3 generation family owned shoe store that closed.

It was so much easier to date them than the newer shoes that are 70s to 80s or that style but later. I just can't seem to get a handle on these.