Pump van donkerblauwe suède versierd met donkerblauw slangenleer c. 1937

These pumps, made of dark blue suede and snakeskin by A. van Goethem, are a striking example of early to mid-20th-century Dutch fashion. While seemingly simple, the choice of materials speaks volumes. Suede, a luxury material, signals a certain level of affluence. Snakeskin trim hints at the exotic and fashionable trends filtering into Dutch society from abroad. The dark blue colour, subtle and refined, suggests a wearer with understated elegance. These shoes may well have graced the feet of a woman navigating the changing social landscape of the Netherlands, perhaps after the Second World War. To understand these shoes more fully, we might explore Dutch fashion magazines and retail catalogs of the time. These sources could tell us about the designer, the materials, and the consumers to which they appealed. By examining these objects within their historical context, we can better understand the complex interplay between fashion, identity, and social change.