Sally Rands tiny shoes

Many of you have been asking me to see the collection that I purchased on American pickers from my friend Amber D Giovanni the Sally Rand historian. Amber DiGiovanni has a one woman show and fan dances a long while telling the story of Sally Rand‘s life. When I visited with Amber, she told me of how she handmade each of her sets of Sally Rand sands with her husband who sadly is no longer with us.

Amber was swept up by emotion at the thought of selling either of her sets of fans because they were so sentimental to her. She was deeply in love with her husband and enjoyed every moment together. Her fans remind her of her times with him. But she was happy to part with Sally Rand‘s tiny little 1950’s crystal clear lucite pumps.

Sally Rand helped revolutionize the shoe industry by wearing and promoting “Springolators” it was an ingenious design. For many of the strippers and burlesque performers who wore high heel Mules also known as a “slut pump” the springolator was a band of elastic and leather that allowed the shoe to cling to your foot so that you could easily dance on stage or off without losing your shoes. Usually the woman who wore these shoes were quite scandalous. They liked to dance and loved their vices.

These pumps were a favorite of Peg Bundy, Married with Children.

I remember as a child, there was a woman in my church who used to wear Springolator slut pumps. She would wear them to church and I could just hear all of the sisters in the congregation clutching their pearls. I loved it! She caused a stir when she walked in the room, she was pure excitement and adrenaline. They were terrified of her. I think it had a lot to do with those slut pump springolators.

Given that history it’s interesting the way Sally wore these shoes, they just made her more delicate and demure. They looked like Cinderella’s glass slippers, you remember when she lost one as she was leaving the ball? The very same shoe that both of her sisters cut their toes off to try to fit into... can you blame them?

If these were my dance shoes, they would be filthy as hell. She obviously took A lot of pride in her appearance and really cherished what she had.

Here is a great article on springolators

https://www.spiritsoffashion.net/revolution-shoes-mule-springolator/