Friday Shoe History Corner: Brocade pumps, 1735

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Brocade shoes, 1735

Shoes made from a rich silk brocade of green, pink, brown, and cream, attributed by the costume historian Natalie Rothstein to English manufacture, 1735-6. The toes have a blunt, slightly domed point. The soles are straights of brown leather which continue to the heel breast. The heels are covered with the same brocade, and shaped with two pieces of leather. The latchets cross over the vamp to reveal a square tongue. The quarters and vamp are lined with yellow linen and there is a brown leather insole.

They are of the turnshoe construction with a white kid rand. Latchets, vamp tongue adn top seams are bound with binding of green linen and silk. Br 5 23 is written on the vamp of both shoes in ink.

Heel: 6 cms/2 ins
Size: 20 cms/ 7 ins.

From Althea Mckenzie, Shoes and Slippers, 2004.