BOOTS, Dress

Black satin dress boots. Round toes. Laced up side on inside of foot Low heels. Said to be a pair of child's dancing shoes; but probably adult's.

Information supplied by June Swann, world authority on historic shoes visiting from UK, during her inspection of shoe collection 18th October 1993.
boot, not shoe. side lace old-fashioned in 1862. Bronze disease on nails. Black silk satin. Rounded toe. 1/2 inch-covered knock-on heel. Definately wood heel. 12 pairs of lace-holes. Over-tongue. The shoes are mis-laced (the knot should be at the bottom; the metal lace cover is on one end only, so there is only one end at the top). Heels secured with nails. Black and grey binding, as used in 1820s-40s. Heel probably added 1860s. Late 1840s top shape. Probably made with lower heel, or probably totally flat. The fashion was to be totally flat in the 1830s and 40s. May have been used for dancing: resin on underside. But this may have been work of conservators. English made (right & left) 'Nice work'. Hand - sewn (again indicative of earlier date).'

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History Collection

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