Pre-owned Dior shoes

Dior vintage: archive models and how to recognize them

Dior is the most datable house in the catalog, and it owes this to Roger Vivier, who designed all its shoe collections from 1953 to 1963 and remained the only collaborator authorized to have his name affixed to the creation. The result: at Dior, the label speaks volumes, and museums have noted this for us. Beyond that, the most collected era is that of John Galliano — an archive sale was entirely dedicated to him in 2021, featuring over five hundred lots.

• Christian Dior and Roger Vivier1953-1963
• Gianfranco Ferré1989-1996
• John Galliano1996-2011

Dior archive models

• Delman-Dior evening pump circa 1953-1955 discontinued

  Louis XV heel, feather or embroidered satin vamp

• "Aiguille" heel 1953-1954 discontinued

  extremely thin metal-cored heel, height increases from 6 to 8 cm

• Satin evening pump 1950s-1960s discontinued

  plain silk satin, pointed toe, flat bow or rhinestone buckle

• Cannage pump and slingback 1990s discontinued

  diagonal quilted lattice, inspired by the Napoleon III armchair in the house's salons

• Oblique jacquard boots 2001 discontinued

  beige and brown monogram shaft, stiletto heel

• Harness ankle boot 2003 discontinued

  buckled leather straps over the instep, pointed toe

Recognizing and dating a pair of Dior

• The word Delman on the label: mid-1950s, the period when American distribution held the rights.
• The name Roger Vivier embossed in the lining — « Christian Dior crée par Roger Vivier »: between approximately 1954 and 1963, never after. Museums and the Galerie Dior differ by a year or two on the starting point: we do not decide.
• « Paris New York »: around 1960.
• The word « Souliers »: 1950s and 1960s. This is not a current line, it is the historical label for the shoe department — thus a dating argument.
• Materials tell the story of the era: silk satin, lurex, rhinestones, feathers, and tulle for the 1950s-1960s; bold colored satin, suede, and caning for the 1990s; patent leather, Oblique jacquard, and hardware for the 2000s.

What to look for before buying

• Silk satin is the Achilles' heel of the house: indelible water marks, snags on the satin covering the heel—the area where the two shoes rub together—and glue stains rising from under the embellishments, as the vintage glue has crystallized. Satin that is discolored over its entire surface cannot be re-dyed.
• On Vivier-era pairs, the very thin heel is structurally sound, but its covering wears out first: we redo it.
• The caning flattens in flex areas and does not reform; on suede, the nap lies flat and shines at the tip. We re-brush and re-color, but caning crushed over the entire vamp is definitive.
• Old rhinestones, feathers, and pearls come loose: we refix them when the piece is complete.

What makes a pair valuable

• Roger Vivier's name on the label: this is the most powerful multiplier, elevating a pair from the resale market to the auction block.
• An identifiable runway collection.
• Cannage — the only readable Dior visual code in a photo.
• New or never-worn condition, and complete ornamentation.
• A common size, and the original box.

Sources: La Galerie Dior (mini-story Roger Vivier), Victoria & Albert Museum (T.148-1974, T.153&A-1974, T.154&A-1974), Sotheby's (collection Quidam de Revel, lot 28), Cornette de Saint Cyr (vente d'archive du 8 juin 2021), 1stDibs. Updated on 8/31/26.