December 1998

Black nubuck and patent leather pump

* Art Deco Period * 1910 - 1930 A.D.

Influenced by women's emancipation movements like the suffragettes, social activities of women changed dramatically towards the end of the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th century. Lastforms altered from straights to more elegant and easy fitting left and right lasts. Dancing became a public rage and plain low-cut shoes called "pumps" or "courtshoes" came with it, at first heel-less and later with heels. The most wanted execution was with a patent leather upper. After the First World War more and more materials and colours came into fashion, especially for evening and dance shoes likre the one shown with metal beads and rock-crystal ornaments for dancing the charleston.

November 1998

Satin ladies' boot

* Biedermeier Period * 1820 - 1850 A.D.

After the French revolution in 1789 A.D. life in general altered completely. Shoes became less luxurious and more simple. In 1814 the sewing machine was invented, in 1840 the sole tacking machine. Shoes were made more and more in factories. Around 1830 ankle boots or "petit-boutons" replace ladies 18th century footwear. They were made on straight lasts with low heels and laces or elastic gussets on the instep or at the side. Around 1850 boots and heels became slightly higher again. These "bottines" mostly had a foot part of leather and a top part of textile and were closed by laces or buttons. Women's very long skirts were replaced by the crinoline and when women sat down, now their feet with a part of their ankles or legs became visible for the first time. The bottines enhanced the shape of those parts and shoes became a provocative garment enjoyed by men and understood by women.

October 1998

Ladies brocade shoe with jewelled buckle and patten

* Rococo Period * 1729 - 1775 A.D.

Up to the 17th century shoes had been virtually identical for both sexes, although women wore theirs underneath long skirts. In the 18th century the difference between men's and women's footwear became more distinctive. Men increasingly wore boots and women were left with more decorative shoes with higher heels that made their feet look smaller. Women's shoes were made of fine silks and satins, richly embroidered in beautiful colours. Such shoes were hard to walk on and were meant primarily for indoor use. If a women had to go outside, pattens had to be fixed if conditions underfoot were poor. Pattens made shoes all flat at the bottom and walking a great distance became difficult if not almost impossible.

September 1998

Richly decorated heeled men's shoe

* Baroque Period * 1600 - 1720 A.D.

Around 1520 A.D. shoemakers began to reinforce soles with extra pieces of leather at the toe and heel parts. Sometimes pieces of cork were put in between at the heel end to make the bearer look taller. Around 1580 the first real heels were introduced. Styling changed to shoes with extended heel parts bound together on the instep with colourful laces, large and decorative bows or rosettes, made of silk and sometiomes jewelled. The search for elegant protection against the dirt of the roads continued and produced a shoe known as the "slap sole", whereby the sole was extended to the back and the high heel rested on it, thus preventing the heel from sinking into the dirt. Walking on such shoes produced a slapping sound. The development of the raised heel is probably the most momentous and far reaching change in shoe history.

August 1998

Velvet and cork chopine

* Renaissance * 1420 - 1600 A.D.

In the transition period from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance around 1500 A.D. many political, religious and social changes took place. Shoes became rounder shaped again and more attention was paid to the protection of shoes against dirty roads and damage. The need to protect expensive footwear was already felt for the poulaines of the Gothic Age (1200 - 1420 A.D.). At first this problem was solved by the creation of pattens: wooden elevated clogs bound under the shoes to avoid direct contact with the roads. Around 1400 however, Spanish court ladies wore high stilt shoes probably influenced by Islamic "alcorques", which were shoes with high cork soles. In 1494 the "chopine" was born in Venice, Italy. These mules on very high platforms raised feet and skirts above the mud. They sometimes were so high and unstable that women had to be supported by their servants during walking.

July 1998

Leather crackow

* Gothic Age * 1200 - 1400 A.D.

By the 12th century, as a result of contact with the east through the crusades, men's shoe fashion became more pointed and was worn with a tight hose made of silk, velvet or soft leather. These shoes were called "crackows" or "poulaines" as at first it was thought the style originated in Krakow, Poland. They sometimes featured toes as long as 25 inches, whereby the longest ones were upheld by chains running up to the knee and fastened there with a knee strap. The poulaines were shaped by whale bone and stuffed with hemp or moss. Decorating was done by incisions, scraping or engraving. The length of the point referred to the importance of the bearer acoording to a system invented by a Mr. Poulain: half a foot length for ordinary people, one and a half for knights and two or more foot lengths for high nobility.

June 1998

All leather middle class shoe

* Early Middle Ages * 800 - 1200 A.D.

Charlemagne (742 - 814 B.C.) was the first ruler who started to protect the making of inland products by discouraging the import of luxurious goods like silk and goldleather from the Middle East. This resulted in the decline of luxurious footwear Byzantine style. Instead simple ankle boots similar to the one shown became common use, also combined with linen, woollen or leather leg covers which were held up by linen or leather straps like puttees. Linen cloth was also cut to leg shape and nailed to wooden hob nailed soles and upheld in the same way, thus creating the first boots called "estivaux" or in Italian "estivalia" and probably later in German "Stiefel". Leather was expensive and affordable only by the more well to do people. Toe shapes varied from round to more pointed ; heights from just below to just above the ankle.