Item SH 870081 Shoes - Trueform, McIntosh, Court, Brown Leather, 1924-1936

Summary

Pair of court shoes made of brown leather with Louis heel. Strip of brown leather stitched around instep on outside with embossed leaves. Leather bow on front with painted white scolloped piece of leather on top held in place by cross strips of brown crocodile skin and guilt button. Made by McIntosh Trueform Shoes, Sydney and Melbourne.

According to the City of Yarra, the Trueform Boot and Shoe Co Pty Ltd was first listed at 43 Groom Street, Collingwood, in 1924. The Company remained there until 1936, but by 1938 had gone into liquidation. Author Alan Marshall worked at the Trueform factory as an accountant during the early 1930s Depression and recorded his experiences in his autobiographical novel How Beautiful Are Thy Feet. The factory was referred to as the 'Modern Shoe Company'.

In How beautiful are thy feet, Alan Marshall described the manufacturing process and the hardship of the working conditions (1979, pp 19-20).

Physical Description

Pair of court shoes made of brown leather. Louis heel. Strip of brown leather stitched around instep on outside with embossed leaves. Leather bow on front with painted white scolloped piece of leather on top held in place by cross strips of brown crocodile skin and guilt button. Leather heel grip on inside.