This wonderful shoes set is from the 1820s-30s and is a very rare item that survived till our time and is stored in a museum. Some American lady wore this set consisting of matching leather ankle boots and leather pattens to protect her feet from sharp stones on unpaved paths. This footwear isn’t actually very pretty, they look rather crude, simple, and somewhat strangely shaped, but they were real salvation for women in the 19th century.
A lot of American and European ladies around the 1820s wore ankle boots made from fine thin leather. And while such footwear was comfy and light, it had a big drawback – the soles of the shoes were also thin and delicate, so it was rather painful to walk in these boots on cobbled or unpaved roads. This forced ladies to use various pattens to protect the feet.
Usually, the design of boots and pattens didn’t match, because one set of pattens could be worn with various shoes. But this particular set of shoes is interesting and unique because it includes matching red leather ankle boots and red leather pattens with a harder leather sole. The pattens look like crude sandals. Similar sandals modern women wear without boots, so it’s strange for us to see them used on top of boots, but in the 1800s, it was normal. Both items are laced to fit the feet better, and the pattens are also buckled.
Of course, these boots and pattens are handmade.
American shoes set (leather ankle boots and leather pattens), 1825-1830. From The Met Museum
