By the beginning of the 19th century more practical and comfortable men's shoes were becoming fashionable. This pair of velvet shoes typifies the requirement that men's footwear should be easier to wear than the long pointed shoes favoured before the turn of the century. They have a higher tongue, rounded toe and latchet ties high over the instep, but the velvet from which they are made and the low, wedge-shaped heel add a touch of style.