Dance oxfords
Tony DeMarco, who wore and donated this pair of oxfords, was a prominent professional ballroom dancer in the 1940s. While not obviously distinct in style from other men's shoes of the time, these are in fact specialized dance shoes with the light and flexible construction and rubber-tread sole needed to provide agility and sure footing on a polished dance floor. As DeMarco had similar shoes in black patent that would have been appropriate for wear with a tail coat, it is probable that these suede shoes were meant to complement the more casual attire worn for Latin dances.
Artwork Details
- Title: Dance oxfords
- Manufacturer: Attributed to La Ray Footwear
- Date: 1940–49
- Culture: American
- Medium: leather
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Tony de Marco, 1962
- Object Number: 2009.300.3829a–d
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
La Ray Footwear
1940–49
La Ray Footwear
1940–49
Multiple artists/makers
spring/summer 2022
Elizabeth Hawes
1937
Charles James
1955
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.