My First Novel's Inspirations ~ Part 10 ~ Shoes and Shoe Buckles

Happy Labor Day! I hope you had a great day. I had fun celebrating with my family and I hope you were able to enjoy the day in some way, too. 😊 If you are a first time visitor, I'm so glad you decided to visit! I hope you'll come back often. I try to be here every Monday or let you know when I can't, if at all possible. Remember, if you are a newbie or a long time reader, if you haven't subscribed, look over there 👉, push those buttons and follow the instructions. It helps me out on my goal to authorship, more than you know! 

We have reached Part 10 of my series My First Novel's Inpirations. This part should include shoes, accessories and then a conclusion. It may take me an A, B and C to get it done, but we are on the homestretch either way.

Men's Shoes

"For much of the eighteenth century, men's ankles were much admired. Their dark leather shoes with shiny metal buckles highlighted their ankles beneath clinging light colored stockings. The buckles of men's shoes signaled the status of the wearer as well as the importance of the occasion. Buckles could be made simply of steel or brass or encrusted with jewels and engravings. Some men's shoes were colored for special occasions. By mid-century, however, men's ankles were often hidden beneath fashionable jockey boots." 

If you ever wondered if men really did were these types of shoes back in the 18th century, here is your answer. Most of these are pictures from The Met Museum in New York City. They are all British shoes from around the time period of my novel. Not all men wore these types of shoes, though, so let's see some of the other shoes that may have been worn by the men or boy's of the time.

Children's Shoes

"During the eighteenth century shoes and boots were made on straight lasts, or forms that created the soles of shoes, called straights. Without a sole designed specifically for the left or the right foot, shoes were uncomfortable. People frequently switched shoes from one foot to another to reduce the pain. Nevertheless, both men and women were expected to walk smoothly. Children began practicing how to walk properly in shoes from an early age." 

Women's Shoes

"Women wore high-heeled shoes made of colorful silk or delicate leather, sometimes decorated with gold and silver lace and braid. Although women wore heavily decorated silk dresses, their shoes were rarely made from matching material; to do so would be much too expensive. Some shoes were laced, but most had decorative buckles. The toes of women's shoes were pointed or slightly rounded."

Some women did their own embroidery work on their shoes, before sending the material to be used for the making of their shoes. The embroidery work on these shoes is beautiful, whoever did it.

Here is a video about the making of shoes in the 18th century. It's not only about England, but still interesting.

Shoe Buckles

"The decoration of shoes used many techniques: silk embroidery, applied cord passementerie, and silver and gold thread embroidery that was made by professional male embroiderers who belonged to embroidery guilds.

Originally, buckles came into fashion because of their utility. Samuel Pepys refers to putting on buckles for the first time in 1660. By the end of the seventeenth century, buckles overtook the standard of ribbon laces. Both men and women increasingly suffered from buckle mania throughout the eighteenth century. Buckles grew in size and became more elaborate, set with showy paste and semiprecious stones. Men's buckles were larger but both sexes displayed their shoe jewelry during a bow and curtsy with extended foot-the appropriate method of introduction of the day." 

         

I hope you enjoyed this look into the shoes and buckles of 18th century England. I know I did. I've always been a shoe person and some of these are gorgeous. 

Thanks for coming and I hope you'll join me again next time as we move forward through our series MFNI's. Have a great week and may the Lord God bless your family with faith, hope and love.

In Christ,
Sandy

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW and LIKE 

SHARE this blog post!
COMMENT below! 
and JOIN me next week!!