The elegant flat satin lady's slipper first became popular in England during the last decade of the eighteenth century. Its plain design was part of the movement in fashion away from what were considered by some to be the extravagant excesses of the late eighteenth century. The move was towards a simpler, purer style of dress and footwear that was influenced by designs from classical antiquity.
Slippers or 'sandal shoes', continued to be worn well into the mid-century although by the 1850s they were used mainly for formal wear in black or white. This pair of shoes is a typical example of that style. The thin leather sole and delicately hand-stitched kidskin uppers were relatively simple and cheap to produce. They could then be customised either by the retailer or the owner with rosettes, bows and ribbon ankle ties. A paper maker’s label stuck onto the insole of the right shoe informs us that this pair was made by Ridley of London and Brighton. The label includes the Royal insignia and some text stating that the maker was ‘shoe maker to Her Majesty’. At a time when Court fashions were still hugely influential, Royal patronage would have been a sure way to boost sales.