Winkle pickers

Fashion Synopsis

Winkle pickers: such a strange name for the pointy-toed shoe of the 50’s. To understand the lore behind the winkle picker shoe, you, dear YL visitor, must understand two things:

1. A winkle is a shellfish that attaches itself to ocean objects (its dye is used for the color ‘periwinkle’)
2. A winkle-picker is a sharp, pointy tool to pry off the shellfish.

The sharp point of a shucking pin lent its distinction to a style of pointy-toed shoes dubbed winkle pickers. These crazy shoes were first popularized in the early 50’s by a group of rebellious London teens called ‘Teddy Boys’. The Teds’ characteristic outfits featured pointed-toe black oxfords with crepe rubber soles, radically different from the soft rounded toe of the times.

The 50’s embraced the winks as the style of the decade, and women favored the short stiletto heeled shoe with an extremely pointed toe. Not the ultimate in comfort, but exotic in style, the winkle picker shoe periodically returns to the fashion forefront.

The 80's lore of gothic fashions dusted off the pointy-toed winkle picker, exposing a new generation to the extreme fashion of pointy-toed shoes and boots.

Fashion Sub Categories

girl's apparel
boy's apparel
shoes

Other Vogue Links

Fashion Updates

Do you have an update or correction for this item? Send us Feedback here!