Pair of shoes

This pair of fashionable and elegant women's shoes are made of plain leather. This is rather unusual, as shoemakers more commonly used plain leather for working women's shoes. The red leather heel contrasts with the dark upper. From 1675-1700 shoemakers used pointed toes for women's shoes only. This was the first major difference between fashionable footwear for men and women. Towards the end of the 17th century the pointed toe became slightly upturned, as you can see here. The white vellum rand and shaped heel were also fashionable at the time. The rand was a narrow strip of leather the shoemaker placed between the upper and the sole of the shoe.