Evening shoes

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

As was not uncommon at the time for wealthy American ladies, the wearer of these shoes, Abigail Kinsley Norman Prince (1860-1949), travelled to Paris to acquire the most fashionable and expertly crafted clothing available. Exemplifying French high style, this pair of evening shoes features an atypical cut and refined decoration. The exquisite ribbon work embroidery, unusual on a pair of shoes, produces an interesting three-dimensional effect. This ankle-tie style was worn primarily around 1880, but was much less common than strapless or instep-strap pumps.

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