Object: Boot
Retailer:
Jack Jacobus, Ltd.
(British)
Date: 1895-1900
Medium: Black leather and red silk
Country: Austria or England
Credit Line: Gift of the Victoria & Albert Museum
Object number: 71.202.16
DescriptionBlack leather high button boots, hand made with scalloped edges, closely fitted ankle and curved instep; black patent sharply pointed toe cap; high brown Louis heel, red silk lining
Label Text:This boot represents a turning point in fashion, when the restrictive dress of the Victorian period gave way to the more relaxed styles of the early 20th century. As fashionable women began to lead more active lives, the high-button boot evolved into an essential element of dress. The boot was more suitable for outdoor walking than thin leather and silk slippers, and was considered progressive and sensible. However, this particular boot, with its high curved heel and tightly fitting ankle, is actually seductive and daring and meant to peek provocatively from beneath skirts.
In Collection(s)
Exhibitions:
- Boots: The Height of Fashion
- Fashion & Textile History Gallery First Rotation
- Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic