Pair of Shoes thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 122

Pair of Shoes

ca. 1850 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The elegant flat satin lady's slipper first became popular in England and France 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 although they were more commonly made of less robust materials such as silk or satin rather than leather. Melnotte, the manufacturer who produced these shoes, was based in Paris. It was one of several French companies who sold their wares in London, not through established English retailers, but in their own outlets.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Shoe
  • Shoe
Materials and techniques
Leather, silk ribbon, lined with cotton, sewn with cotton thread
Brief description
Pair of leather shoes and silk ribbon, Melnotte, France, ca. 1850, retailed in England
Physical description
Pair of black leather shoes with edges and seams bound in black silk ribbon. Cream leather insole and sock, cream cotton lining, and with remnants of ribbon ties sewn to the sides near the seams. Brown leather sole with '7' inscribed in ink at the toe on both shoes.
Dimensions
  • Each height: 5cm
  • Each width: 6cm
  • Each length: 23.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
'7' (Inscribed on soles at toe)
Summary
The elegant flat satin lady's slipper first became popular in England and France 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 although they were more commonly made of less robust materials such as silk or satin rather than leather. Melnotte, the manufacturer who produced these shoes, was based in Paris. It was one of several French companies who sold their wares in London, not through established English retailers, but in their own outlets.
Collection
Accession number
T.266&A-1963

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Record createdOctober 29, 2008
Record URL
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