Boots

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The United States was the world leader in shoe manufacturing technology and production volume in second half of the 19th century. This pair of boots bears a rare label marking an important American technological innovation in shoe manufacturing, the introduction of the McKay Sewing machine in 1860. Prior to this invention, the sole of the shoe had to be either hand sewn - a laborious, time-consuming process - or machine pegged - a method resulting in a thick and inflexible sole suitable only to heavy work shoes. The McKay sewing machine stitched the sole to the upper, greatly increasing production speed, and consequently revolutionizing the industry.

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