This project produces a historical snapshot of Swiss footwear design, critically noting the intermeshing of multiple influences – ranging from the inherent dynamic of a desire for fashion (even, or especially, in wartime) to creative design impulses generated by material limitations and economic factors, i.e. attempts by various actors to influence production and consumption.
Shoes are much more than a functional covering for the human foot: they play a part in our experience of space, and the nature of that experience [1]; they send signals – whether intended or subconsciously – of our personal preferences and physical constitution, our social status, cultural affiliation, gender definitions and their interpretations. And, conversely, given the status of shoes as a central element of material culture [2], historical, social and cultural changes and upheavals are also reflected in our shoes and associated practices. Yet academic discussions of shoes as a material and symbolic object of considerable cultural importance are few and far between. [3]
The "Diversity vs. scarcity: design and economic challenges in the Swiss footwear industry, 1930–1950" research project at the Institute for Cultural Studies in the Arts of the ZHdK is devoted to fulfilling this cultural studies desideratum, focusing on the shoe as a fashion object, and, closely related to this undertaking, the Bally archive and the history it documents. The 160-year history of the Bally firm is in many ways emblematic of the Swiss footwear industry: the shoe designs and ephemera documented in the company's archive reflect economic trends and the ideals of the age, ranging from the use of materials and the physical shape of the product to image generation through advertising.
The research covers the period from 1930 to 1950. These years, which included the enormous disruption caused by the Second World War, saw some major upheavals in the Swiss economy, culture and politics, which also impacted Bally. Trends in shoe design during this period were defined by opposing forces, and can be seen in cultural studies terms as representative of the wider picture. From the fashion point of view, these years were marked by a variety of designs, quality workmanship and technical innovations. The shortages during the Second World War led to experimentation with the use of materials and technical innovations, linked directly and indirectly to cultural history and current events and changing economic circumstances.
This project produces a historical snapshot of footwear design, critically noting the intermeshing of multiple influences – ranging from the inherent dynamic of a desire for fashion (even, or especially, in wartime) to creative design impulses generated by material limitations and economic factors, i.e. attempts by various actors to influence production and consumption. The changing interlinkages between these factors impacting shoe design cannot be separated in causal terms; they require, rather, a transdisciplinary approach to describe the relationships involved. As required by a cultural or fashion studies approach, the research project undertakes an in-depth examination of four selected thematic areas (shoes and the war; shoes for evening wear; military shoes; production and consumption management) to show the numerous shoe designs in the Bally archive can be read as specific witnesses to their time. The research is a pilot project involving a comprehensive examination of the Bally archive, as a largely unexploited resource, and makes a specific and detailed contribution to the cultural history of footwear.
The project ends with an exhibition phase (1 November 2014 to 31 January 2015) and the conference «Shoes: design product, everyday article, subject matter of research» (6–8 November 2014).
Publication:
Schlittler, Anna-Brigitte / Tietze, Katharina (eds.): Über Schuhe. Zur Geschichte und Theorie der Fußbekleidung, transcript Verlag, Bielefeld, 2016
[1] Riello/McNeil 2006, p. 3.
[2] Sudrow 2010, p. 12.
[3] Benstock/Ferriss 2001, p. 3f.