Green silk damask shoes, Great Britain, 1740sA pair of women's shoes with pointed toe, curved wooden heel and leather sole. The uppers are made of green silk damask with latchets for buckle fastening.Women’s shoes of the middle decades of the 18th century featured a pointed toe with curved soles and heels. This pair is made of green silk damask and would have been fastened over the instep with silver buckles. Such a fine but flimsy material for the upper means that this pair could only be worn indoors.
Until the 19th century, shoes were not specially shaped to fit the right or left foot and the sole of each of these shoes is identically shaped.