Vintage 40s Phillippine Carved Wooden Platform Sandals 5/5.5

Their fabric vamps, in a pretty wine velvet, are appliqued with beaded pink and blue satin flowers, and the carved heels feature a village-and-palm trees motif, painted in greens, browns, dark pink, and gold.

The platforms and top line of the shoes are painted a bottle green, which extends onto and outlines the footbeds.

Bakya manufacture in the Phillipines peaked during the war years and just after it, when even the locals gave up their traditional footwear in favor of rubber flip-flops from Japan. Today, though new styles of bakya are still made for export, in the Phillipines themselves bakya are used chiefly during cultural presentations.

Measuring 9 3/8" from toe to heel along the footbed and 2 3/8" across the tread, the sandals are roughly equivalent to a modern 5 or 5 ½". They are in good condition overall, unworn but with losses to the leather trim along the studs (photos #2 & #3) and the green paint, while the heel carving & paint is in excellent condition.

Proud Member of the VFG Vintage Fashion Guild

Item ID: aub49