- Fragments of a leather shoe
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Fragments of a leather shoe
- Place of origin:
England (made)
- Date:
1370-1500 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown
- Materials and Techniques:
Leather
- Museum number:
T.111&A-1918
- Gallery location:
In store
This is part of a poulaine, a type of medieval man’s shoe with a long pointed toe. The poulaine was fashionable from about 1370 to 1400 and again from 1450 to 1500. Here the back part is missing, which makes precise dating difficult.
The toes were often stuffed with moss or wool to maintain their shape. At their most extreme, they could be as much as 20-25cm long, though such shoes were worn by only the most fashion conscious.

