Shoes through time

Ball shoes

The Vigevano museum takes us back in time for the 150th anniversary of the shoes exhibition. And we're back to the 19th century. Enjoy some photos. 

Late 19th century boots

I absolutely like the high class of these shoes. Just by looking at them, one can guess they were worn by noble ladies. The pearly buttons on the right boot look like cultured pearl like the ones in the right corners. The pearl necklace was probably put there to remind us that shoes can be like jewels: they are both as precious.  

These shoes belonged to Lina Cavalieri, a famous italian from the early  19th century

A  piece made by a 20th century Parisian bootmaker

The 20th century is marked by French fashion and especially Paris fashion. A lot of pieces were created by french parisian bootmakers such as Beccaria, Argence or Roger Vivier. The delicacy of creations like this one bears witness to centuries of know-how.
 

 

I adore this boot. The black buttons contrast with the pearly fabric. The heel and the height of the boots are just perfect.

The 20th century shoes are very studied: their shape is supposed to highlight the beauty of the woman's feet even though at this time, the ladies would not show their bare feet. The details are very polished.

The text accompanying these boots explains the importance of boots in the 60's and afterwards. Indeed, the creation of the mini-skirt offered new possibilities in terms of shoes. The two boots here show the evolution in style: during the 60's boots are more colorful with more details since they are no longer hidden under long dresses.

With the hippie trend, the 70's shoes are higher. Platforms and colors join the party. The right shoe is amazing with the fringes. So 70's !

  

Heels (work in progress)

But of course, the industrialised countries were not the only one creating shoes. So let's see, what kind of shoes did our neighbors use to wear ? 

Cameroon: Clogs for the ritual dances 1975 - 1985

Chinese shoes


This photo shows the chinese ancestral practice. The chinese girls had their feet bandaged in order to prevent them from growing. Indeed, as you may know, small feet were a sign of beauty. The lady on the photograph show the tragical consequences that these cut little shoes had on their body.  

Slippers

To me, shoes are definitely the final touch to an outfit that makes the difference. 




In the next post you will discover creations of high fashion designers.

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