I’ve developed a strange desire for a pair of 1970s Famolare shoes with wavy, rubber soles.
Vintage Famolare Be-Hi style in size 9. $125 at Swank Vintage. Click to shop.
I never had a pair in the ’70s — or even wanted them at that age — but I remember tagging along with my mother while she shopped for shoes. I remember the smell of the rubber Famolare soles. Perhaps that smell is the equivalent of Proust’s madeleine for me. One sniff, and I’ll be carried away by memory.
Size 7 - 7.5 Hi-Up style, available on eBay.
As it is, I’m pretty sure I got a Famolare sticker with the bicycle logo when Mom made a purchase.
Courtesy Gold Country Girls. Click for source.
If I were a size 9, I’d get this orthopedic-looking pair.
Available on eBay. Click to shop.
The waves in the sole are supposed to make the shoes extra-comfortable.
Vintage Famolare boots on Etsy. Click to shop.
The company still makes shoes, but I only want a vintage pair. A new pair wouldn’t have the same nostalgic effect on me. It would be like eating an Oreo instead of a madeleine.
Yes, they *must* be vintage. Love the photos, they bring back memories!
I’m a big freak for seventies’ shoes and I’m pretty sure it’s for the same reason – my mom used to buy them when I was little. 🙂 I love the wavy sole Famolares!
Never even HEARD of Famolare, but I dig these designs.
OMG I remember those! I had some gum-soled wedge loafers at some point, but I’m pretty certain they weren’t real Famolares because toward the end of high school I was a size *3* and then a size *4* and it was MURDER shopping for shoes! Didn’t even make it to size 5 until I started college! How the heck did I survive all that? (Been a size 6 now for a long time.)
Yep thanks for the memories!
Loving these shoes, WB!
Have a fabulously fashionable weekend!
xoxox,
CC
I’ve never seen these before, but I love the orthopedic looking ones, the wavy bottom is brilliant
OMG, I think I had that second pair my Junior year of high school!!!
I seriously love those boots. Wow! I don’t remember these from the ’70s, but I just had an olfactory flashback to that rubbery sole smell. “Wendy Brandes, better than LSD.”
Finally a vintage item that you want that I had. I had three pairs and one of the pairs was an orthopedic looking loafer. I remember thinking I was too cool for school in them. Sadly I wear a 9.5 and I threw all my Famolares away once they went out of fashion, many years ago.
I like the sandals. Find them in a 9 please!
I love the 70’s shoe. Show me some Korkease and I’m yours!
Hi there-how groovy and unique, a vintage pair would be an awesome find and look fab on ! x
I know I wanted these back in the day, but I can’t remember if I actually owned any. I was a total klutz, so if I did have them in my wardrobe, I’m sure I fell off of them ten times a day or so.
Oh I LOVED looking at Famolare ads in my 1970s Seventeen magazines. They weren’t available on little PEI, but I would grab a pair in a second (size 8.5 if you hear of any!;-) )
The sandals are gorgeous but those orthopedic loafers are horrid! Wouldn’t you know it, those are the ones in my club-footed size :/
I live the boots – but then I have a thing for boots anyway. And I love your description of a smell carrying you back to a time. It’s such a strong memory trigger.
I also love the boots! I can only put this spelling mistake down to too much excitement at seeing them.
I am BEYOND excited to try out some ’70s fashion this spring…and I love your shoes of choice! Rock ’em! 🙂
OMG!!!I remember those! I wanted some so bad. To get my 70s fix, I buy Korkease platforms. Do you remember yo-yo’s? (hole in the sole?) or mushrooms?
My anti-spam word is catwoman. How nice is that?
In high school my girlfriend had a pair of the woven lace type, which I got to wear for a day, lucky we wore the same size, 91/2, they were so comfortable!
I had several pair of these in the 70s-they were so comfortable. It has been driving me crazy trying to remember the name of the company. Thanks for solving the mystery!
I was in my garage and found my two pair in the original boxes. One pair I wore once and they are in, I must say perfect condition. The other pair I did wear are in good condition except the footbed came away from the rubber sole. They were so cool and I felt so proud when I bought the first pair. The low sandals I had are long gone as I wore tham a lot. I am 67 years old and I bought them when I was in nursing school in the 70s. One of the other cool students had a pair and she looked so good in them . They were the Hi Ups or something.
Great story!
I used to sell these at a shoe store back when I was in college. Owned SEVERAL pair. They were not just a fad at all but in their day considered walking/comfort shoes, while the big wedges do not bend the progressively staggered rippled soles propelled you foward (hence name Go Ahead) and made them very easy to walk in. Of course I wish I still had them now!
I remember the rubbery smell of the Famolare stores fondly. Sigh. They really were great shoes. Thanks for sharing your memories!
Oh how I wish they still made Famolare shoes. The ones they make now are poor substitutes for the vintage ones. I purchased a pair of “new” ones about 5 years ago and I hated them. I had a pair in high school which I loved. Now I find myself searching for the real McCoy. Thank The Lord for a understanding husband who will out bid others on eBay just to make me happy. Looking forward to receiving another pair I “won”. ❤❤❤
You have a great husband!