🔍 I bet no one here knows what this is! If you can guess… you’re from another era! ⏳✨
👉 Do you remember these objects too?
👉 Tell me in the comments and check out the first comment to see the object in the photo!
All about the famous “segs” or Blakey metal heel plates
Before the era of sneakers and synthetic soles, leather shoes were precious — and above all… expensive. To extend their lifespan, especially at the heel, cobblers had a simple and effective trick: metal heel plates, also called “segs” in England.
Their purpose:
These metal pieces, often made of steel or iron, were attached with small nails or hammered directly into the heel of shoes, boots, or clogs.
Their mission:
• Prevent the rapid wear of leather or wooden heels.
• Reinforce the shoe in areas most exposed to abrasion.
• Make footsteps firmer and louder, with that distinctive metallic clicking sound.
Famous brands:
Blakey’s Boot Protectors was one of the most famous brands in the UK and Europe. In the photo, you can see one of their original packs containing various sizes of Blakey Protectors, shaped like crescent moons to fit the curve of the heel.
There were several types:
• ”Original”: thinner, for lighter shoes.
• ”Best”: thicker, ideal for work boots or military footwear.
A true social signature
At one time, wearing shoes equipped with segs could also be a symbol of status or elegance. They could be found among:
• Workers (for durability)
• Soldiers (on military boots)
• Schoolchildren (to make their shoes last)
• Sunday dandies (for the elegant sound on cobblestones)
Fun anecdote:
Some children at the time loved the metallic sound and would deliberately run or slide just to hear the segs screeching on the pavement! It was a little sound pleasure that made them feel important.
Why did they disappear?
With the arrival of rubber soles and more resistant synthetic materials, as well as the rise of softer, quieter sneakers and shoes, segs gradually disappeared after the 1970s.
Today, these objects have become collector’s items, and specialist cobblers can still find them to restore vintage shoes or for use in historical theatre and film productions.
