Help Dating These Christian Dior Pumps

A

AmyS83

Registered Guest
Help!

I am trying to get more info about these shoes. They are Christian Dior Bonwit Teller. Would that be 1960 something? They have writing on the inside which seems to be important. I also don't see a size. Does the writing have anything to do with that?
 

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I know it looks like a blurry photo, but that is the way the print looks.
 

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According to me they are not as old as 1960 but I think they are from 1980s. But never throw them as old is gold.
 
The sizing as well as the style makes them earlier than 1980s - by that time, widths were N, M and W. The size on these is 7B, which is the previous system of A, B, C, D, & E that is still used for mens dress shoes. The fabric looks like a lovely silk ikat or warp dyed print. Expensive fabric, but that stands to reason given the maker and store labels. I am thinking late 50s, early 60s, but others here know shoes better than I.
 
Yes, Hollis is correct, they are 7B, aka 7M. The rest of the writing are manufacturing numbers for internal use - you aren't expected to know what they mean - they are date stamps/fabric/heel height/style/model #s so that the right shoes end up together during manufacturing and shipping. The numbers are unique to each company's invention and probably forgotten by those who used to know what they meant. I know (or used to know) the Bata and some of the Bally number codes from people who used to work in those shoe factories. Christian Dior shoes were made by Delman in the U.S. and Rayne in England, so this pair was made in the U.S. by Delman for Christian Dior. I actually think they are late 1950s - the toe is slightly domed, which is a 50s feature, the toe becomes quite flat on top as it gets more pointed in front. I am suggesting 1955/56 for these which coincides with the popularity in warp printed silks. I would have said 1956, but the lack of 'Roger Vivier' on the label (who was credited on Dior shoes after 1955) makes me think they may be 1955. The high cut vamp is also more typical of an early 50s shoe style, so they may be 1954/1955 but not earlier as the heel shape is wrong for anything earlier.
img_6883.jpg


PS: They were probably made to match a dress, or at least a purse as part of an ensemble.
 
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