Pair of shoes

This pair of women's shoes have a thick, waisted heel and a blunt pointed toe. They have ribbon-ties and the tongue has the fashionable vandyke decoration. The brocaded silk was woven in Spitalfields, London, and dates from about 1715 to 1720. At this time shoemakers still made 'straights'. These were identical right and left shoes, which made walking difficult. If the shoemaker placed the heel incorrectly or made the angle of the heel too sharp, the wearer's weight was thrown forward. This added to the discomfort.