| Who's That Doll? |
| No outfit is complete without the accessories, and especially shoes. Every model knows that shoes can make or break a designer fashion. And in the world of miniature fashion dolls, an outfit isn't considered "complete" unless you have the shoes that were made to go with it. So how can you tell if that little bit of rubber and/or plastic is the right piece? The founder of the website "Topper Towers", one of the first websites devoted to Topper Dawn dolls, was Jodi Austin. She created a page at the "Towers" to help collectors identify Topper shoes and boots from other manufacturers. Unfortunately, much of the original Topper Towers website is inaccessible, due to technical issues, and Jodi herself has moved on to other interests. It was my own interest in Dawn and other knock-off dolls, a few years ago, that prompted me to "right-click-and-save" all of Jodi's photos and information from that page. Therefore, as an homage to Jodi and her efforts, I offer a reconstruction of her "Shoe Comparison" here. Enjoy! |
 |
| Knockoff shoes are sometimes very similar to original Topper stock. How can you tell if you have a knock off shoe? Check for the texture of the material. If it's Topper, it should be pliable, soft and rubbery --- or plastic. It should have a rectangular hole in the bottom, large enough for a stand prong. The bow pumps have a solid bow across the top. Same with the boots: pliable rubber with rectangular hole. Topper stock is generally higher quality. Here are some comparisons: NOTE: These are findings from my own studies. I've attempted to present the most accurate data possible. |
 |
| These are Topper stock boots. They are pliable rubber and have the rectangular holes in the bottoms for stands. They come in white, red, black, orange (coral) and yellow. There are a few different knock off boots, some very similar, but made of different material --- mostly plastic. |
 |
| These are knockoff boots made of plastic. For the most part they do not have holes in the bottoms. |
| Now Playing: "These Boots Are Made For Walking" by Nancy Sinatra |
 |
| Comparison shot. On the left is a Topper boot and on the right a knockoff. This particular knockoff boot bears a close similarity and could be confused with the real thing if viewed in an auction photo. If you're concerned about getting the genuine article, ask the seller about the hole. |
 |
| Majorette boots (right) with hats and baton. The boots are pliable rubber with holes for stands. The hats are made of plastic. These sets have gold or silver trim. |
 |
| Topper pumps with no bows. The pumps shown on the left are soft rubber and have the rectangular holes on the bottom. |
 |
 |
| Close-up of the rectangular hole and the tread on the bottom of a bowless pump in a Topper stock shoe. |
 |
| These are Topper plastic shoes. The material is a softer plastic, but not rubber and not pliable. Often times they are somewhat transparent. |
 |
| A side-by-side close-up of a rubber Topper bowless pump (left) vs. the Topper plastic bowless pump (right). Notice the transparency of the shoe on the right. |
 |
| Side-by-side you can see the difference in the tread. Topper soft rubber shoe is shown on top, plastic on the bottom. There are knockoffs which are similar to Topper pumps but the holes for stands are not big enough. The materials used in the knockoff shoes are also brittle and poorer quality. |
 |
| These are two lime-colored Topper shoes. They are plastic, not pliable, but of the same mold as the rubber shoes (one bowless, one with bow). An example of how the colors vary greatly. |
 |
| Above, Topper bow pumps. Left to right: gold, white, yellow, dark green, blue and orange. |
 |
 |
 |
| Topper orange bow pump: side profile, top and bottom views. |
 |
 |
| Topper flat-heeled bowless shoes. Sometimes referred to as "slippers". Also pictured is tennis shoe from "What A Racket!" |
| Side-by-side you can really see the difference between Topper's bowless pump and the bowless flat. |
 |
| Another comparison shot. Not much difference between the two Topper shoes at this angle. You can definitely get away with having a flat and a pump as a pair on a doll facing frontwards. |
 |
| The Topper boys have loafers in black and brown. Van has yellow sneakers. |
 |
| Dawn's red tennis shoe (top) compared to JPI Starr's sneakers. The Topper shoe is soft pliable rubber. JPI shoes are very hard plastic and are larger than Topper's. They fit Dawn reasonably well. The orange sneakers look especially cute with "Tangerama Tunic". |
| Topper vs. Knockoff Comparison by Jodi Austin |
| KNOCKOFF SHOES |
 |
| Mattel Rock Flower pumps. These are too wide for Dawn's feet. Marked "Hong Kong" inside the shoe. They are made of plastic and have no hole for a stand. |
 |
| Premier brand clogs. Soft rubber material. No holes in the bottoms. They're fun for a different look on Dawn. |
 |
| These are also Premier brand. Soft rubber material. These do have the rectangular holes. In place of bows there are two horizontal stripes. The walls of these shoes are often thicker than Topper shoes. |
 |
| These hard plastic knockoff bow pumps came with Super Models by Toy Concepts, a Dawn clone from the 1990's. |
 |
 |
| Dandee produced these pumps and packaged them with Fashion World outfits for Dawn and other 6-1/2" fashion dolls in the early 1970's. The Fashion World pump is made of soft rubber and has a tiny slit to accommodate the prongs of a stand. |
 |
| These knockoff pumps are sometimes mistaken for Topper stock, but are fairly easy to distinguish. The material is hard plastic, often brittle. It is common to see a small crack in the top of these pumps. The hole in the bottom is much smaller than those in Topper shoes. |
 |
| This is a very nice knockoff; it could belong to Pippa. The bow is similar to a Topper bow pump. There is no rectangular hole in the bottom. The material is soft rubber. Almost the same as a Topper stock shoe. |
 |
| These two pumps were hard to distinguish from Topper stock shoes. The only apparent difference was the tread. The shoe on the right (coral) has hardened, but seems to have once been a soft, pliable rubber material. Notice the comparison in the next photo. |
 |
| The blue bow pump on the top is a Topper stock pump. The one below is probably a knockoff (also pictured at far left). |
 |
| This smart little high heel number is soft rubber, but with no hole for a stand. |
 |
 |
| This lime-green shoe is too small for Dawn. I've been told they may belong to Uneeda Tiny Teens dolls. Instead of a rectangular hole, the hole in this pump is perfectly round. |
 |
| These pumps are from JPI's Starr Model Agency line of dolls from the 1990's. While stylish in appearance, they don't stay on Dawn very well. The material is very hard plastic with a rectangular hole for a stand. JPI also manufactured a stand nearly identical to Dawn's. They also came in lavender, dark pink, dark green, yellow, light blue and orange. Starr has tennis shoes similar to Dawn's, except Starr's are pastel colors and Dawn's are red. |
|
| This ends the information from Jodi Austin's page at Topper Towers. What follows are pictures of shoes from my own collection which I have positively identified. |
 |
| A sampling of Topper bow pumps, showing the wide range of colors available. |
 |
| These "bow" pumps were poorly molded (notice the excess flashing at the seams). Knockoff shoes like these were sold not only by Premier brand, as Jodi mentioned above, but also by the companies that manufactured Debbie Teen dolls and Speigel's Little Doree. |
 |
| These pink slingback sandals are highly-prized by collectors and are found on some Tina Mod, Diana, and European Dawn clones. |
 |
| Sassy stiletto shoes like these were sold by Premier, Petite, M&S Shillman and some second-issue Diana dolls. |
 |
| These pumps, nearly identical to Topper's, were de-boxed from a Petite fashion. |
 |
| These pumps have no hole in the bottoms, and came off a Fun-World Lil' Disco Doll. |
 |
 |
| Rock Flower pumps came in a wide range of available colors. The hardest ones to find are Iris' mauve-colored pumps (the darker pink one in the photo). The camera doesn't pick it up well, but the color is actually a purply-pink. |
| These pumps might be mistaken for Rock Flower shoes, but in fact they belong to Uneeda's Little Miss Dollikin and Triki Miki. They are just a bit wider and shorter than Rock Flower shoes, and are made of a pliable, rubbery material, rather than hard plastic. They are marked "HK" on the bottom of the soles. |
| I have other shoes I have identified, but need to take better pictures. White shoes tend to "bloom" out in the camera flash. I will post more when I get a chance. |
| Just to clear up a little confusion (mainly on my part!), Wendy C. (aka "myhollyhobbies") submitted this compilation, and writes: "The Glori doll in the photo is believed to be a 1st edition doll that was carried over and re-packaged in what was then, the new line of package design (the 2nd series). These hard plastic shoes were more commonly found in the 1st series design (blue box with the yellow oval)." Thanks for sharing, Wendy! |
 |
| Hard Plastic Red/Coral shoes from the early stage of Topper Corp. dolls Dawn and her friends. |