Shoes

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Shoes ornamented with multiple parallel rows of braid were a well-established fashion in the 17th century, and continued to enjoy stylishness in the early 18th century, when the preference was for matching braid and ground fabric as opposed to contrasting colors. This pair is a good example of that decorative style, and equally well illustrates the fashionable cut of the time, with pinched toe, high throat with small opening at the side and flared tongue, and sturdy high heel. The featherstitched side seam is particularly well executed. The shoes also retain fragments of the original ties, which was the dominant style of closure before ornate buckles became standard later in the century.

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