Women's Shoes in the Chinese Style

This narrow, high-heeled shoe has a upward-pulled Chinese style pulled tip. It is deeply cut and made of brown leather. The heartshaped cut-out in the front is underlain with a slightly ruffled cream-coloured silk satin. Three red satin ribbons are superimposed horizontally. The upper edge is trimmed in cream-coloured silk ribbon and all edges are emphasized with an ornamental seam of cream coloured chain stitch. The inward curving heel is painted white. An extra-wide leather heel lining highlights the fitted shape. The Journal des Luxus und der Moden reported in January, 1786 about this new English shoe fashion that: “The English ladies’ shoe differentiates itself as much through the raised tip, as the ‘sabots chinois’, namely more than one inch higher than the sole. The shoe tip, moreover, is stiffened with leather. The English women wear this shoe to go for a walk. The advantage is that they give the toes space and the stiffened cap protects against the impact of stones”.