Collections Database

Description:
Pair of woman's shoes in white silk decorated with floral sprays in green, pink, and rose with side lacings through eyelet holes, linen lining, and flat leather soles.

Label Text:
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, fashionable footwear reflected women’s increasingly active roles in society. The earliest examples were often indoor or carriage styles. Delicate fabric uppers, secured to the feet with either laces or buttons at the side, covered extremely narrow soles of suede or thin leather. Into the 20th century, boots became more substantial, made of leather that fastened with center front lacing affixed to thicker soles. After World War I, boots fell out of favor as more feminine clothing and shoe styles returned.

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.716

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.