Friday Shoe History Corner: Queen Victoria’s Wedding Shoes
Posted on April 27th, 2007 by Shomore under GeneralIn 1840, Queen Victoria wore these satin flats made by Gundy & Sons to her wedding. Unlike most brides that I know, her feet probably weren’t killing her. These shoes have square toes and no heels. Queen Vic’s feet were only 9 inches long, making her a size 3 or 3.5 (lucky for her, I don’t think she would have trouble getting custom-made shoes).
Courtesy of Northampton Museum and Learn with Museums
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Piperlime
April 27th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
A sensible queen, indeed! But I think the size 3-3.5 is the British one, and that would make her a US size 5-5.5.
April 27th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Whew, thanks Shoesense. Size 5 is still pretty small, but much better than a 3.
April 28th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
my feet are 9 inches long and I wear a 7.
April 30th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Well, Victoria was under 5 feet tall (approximately 4′11″, as I recall, despite a couple of websites fighting for that other inch), so little feet wouldn’t be strange, although I have known tall ladies with size 6 feet, and short ladies with size 10 feet.
That’s if she didn’t buy shoes that were too short for her; it was apparently pretty common for Victorian ladies (and gentlemen) to buy shoes and gloves that were too small, and to wedge their appendages into tight casings. But the shoes don’t look distorted, the way I would expect them to if too-large feet had been thrust into them.
They are sister-shoes to Empress Josephine’s embroidered (but pointy) satin coronation slippers. I’d hate to wear them over a gravel walkway, but I imagine they’d be comfy enough worn on top of a red carpet.
It’s a good reminder, I think, for the ladies to remember to buy shoes that are comfortable and pretty, not just fashionable, for the wedding day, thus obviating such horrors as “the wedding flip-flop” or “the wedding sneaker.” It doesn’t have to be ugly to be comfortable!
April 30th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Smart brides take note
You, too, can be as comfy as a queen on your big day!
May 1st, 2007 at 8:55 pm
I should wear a size 4, but usually can get away with a 5.5 because of width, and my feet are 7.5 inches long. I do believe that Vicky’s feet were were probably about 7, not 9 inches!