T-bar sandal

A T-bar sandal or T-bar shoe is a closed, low-cut shoe with two or more straps forming one or more T shapes.
Classic T-bars for children are typically made of blue or brown leather, have two thin straps forming a single T shape and fastened with a buckle, a broad and rounded toe box pierced with a pattern of holes, a low heel, and a crêpe rubber outsole stitched-down to the upper. Among boys, T-bars are traditionally worn with socks, short trousers and a shirt.

History

First seen in Europe and America in the early 1900s, T-bars became very common among children in the 1950s, particularly among boys where they supplanted pre-war Mary Janes. T-bar wearing declined after the 1960s nonetheless, following the cultural and clothing revolution that swept the West.
Nowadays, classic T-bars are generally considered semi-formal shoes, appropriate for school. They may also be viewed as formal shoes, suitable for religious ceremonies, weddings, visits, and birthday parties for example. Having become a harder-to-find, more conservative style of footwear than they used to be, they are also sometimes associated with children of upper-class families. More modern styles are worn in casual settings, however: playgrounds, shopping centres, etc.
Although less popular than in the past, T-bars remain a timeless classic of children's fashion and, for many people, a symbol of childhood.