Snuff, or powdered tobacco, was widely popular throughout Europe from the 17th century. Sniffed from the back of the hand, from pinched fingers or from a spoon, snuff was enjoyed on social occasions and would be placed on the table or passed around a group. Thousands of small portable boxes to contain the powder were made as personal accessories, often in novel designs, to be given as gifts.

Shoe- and boot-shaped snuff boxes were made throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Shoes have long been associated with love and marriage and were often given for good luck. This carved wooden snuff box is made from a single type of wood which has been dyed to imitate inlay. Brass studs and piqué work (short lengths of metal wire fixed in small holes drilled into the wood) form the 'stitching' and an inscription reading 'J.S. 18.74'. These are presumably the initials of the first owner and the date at which it was acquired, perhaps as a gift. The top of the shoe is hollowed out to hold the snuff and is covered by a hinged lid.