Shoes

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Robustly pattered fabrics were a common choice for the footwear of aristocratic ladies in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The bold, eye-catching and appealing textile of this pair of latchet shoes creates a luxurious feeling by the combination of velvet and metallic trim. Although the white rand (leather strip along the front edge of the sole) and red heel were not unusual features, here they make an especially pleasing coordination with the fabric of the uppers. While perhaps excessive to modern eyes, the wide metallic ribbon trim on the vamp was a favorite decorative element of the period.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art