Vintage 1960s Snakeskin & Suede Pumps by Herbert Levine

Wonderful pair of vintage suede and snakeskin lace-up shoes by Herbert Levine for Joseph. Featuring a 2.5" heel, and leather soles, and new sole protectors. 

A similar pair is part of The Met Museum's permanent collection; see them here. 

SIZE

Marked size 9aa. Heel height 2.5"

Interior foot bed measurements: 26.5cm long, 7cm wide. 

CONDITION

Great vintage condition. Minimal wear.

ABOUT HERBERT LEVINE

The Herbert Levine label was started by shoe designer Beth Levine and named after her husband Herbert. Herbert Levine shoes were distributed in high-end boutiques and department stores, including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Joseph and Bonwit Teller. Herbert Levine shoes were also the first American shoes to be carried overseas by retailers such as Galeries Lafayette in Paris and Harrods in London.

The Herbert Levine label gained media notoriety for outlandish designs: gilded wood platforms, slippers with newspaper, money, or candy-wrapper covered fabrics, Astroturf insoles, and shoes that were glued onto the wearer's nylon stockings.

Herbert Levine is widely credited as the first label to have introduced boots into Haute Couture. Most retailers saw boots as a utilitarian shoe, to be worn for protection from bad weather or for work. By contrast, Herbert Levine argued that boots were shoes and could be an integral part of a woman's outfit. In 1957, Herbert Levine produced an entire collection built around fashion boots, and despite widespread skepticism on the part of other designers and manufacturers, calf-high, kitten-heeled fashion boots for women began to grow in popularity in the late 1950s and early 1960s. With fashion boots, Herbert Levine started a trend which remains current six decades later.

Herbert Levine's celebrity clients included: Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Joan Crawford, Lauren Bacall, and Ali MacGraw, among many others. Nancy Sinatra wore Herbert Levine boots in her performances of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin." Herbert Levine also supplied the all the women's shoes for the original 1970 production of Stephen Sondheim's play, "Company."

All vintage items are in pre-loved condition. Please read our Terms + Conditions before purchasing. All sales are final.