Man's Short Boot
ca. 1851 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Ownership & Use
In the 19th century men usually wore boots rather than shoes. They regarded them as more formal for daywear. Half-boots were usually worn under the trousers.
Materials & Making
By the middle of the century boots were being mass produced. A machine for sewing cloth was in use by the early 1850s, and one for leather by 1856. Other machinery was developed for sewing on soles and for riveting. Leading shoemaking towns, such as Northampton, were quick to introduce new equipment to increase the mass production of footwear.
Design & Designing
The most popular styles were the button boot, front-laced boot and elastic-sided boot. Side-buttoned boots were fashionable from the 1830s and were gradually adopted by women. Boots were often named after famous places or personages. The front-laced boots called Balmorals, for example, were named after Queen Victoria's Scottish estate. The range of materials for uppers for men's boots and shoes increased. It included cloth-tops from the 1840s and crocodile or alligator skin in the 1870s.
In the 19th century men usually wore boots rather than shoes. They regarded them as more formal for daywear. Half-boots were usually worn under the trousers.
Materials & Making
By the middle of the century boots were being mass produced. A machine for sewing cloth was in use by the early 1850s, and one for leather by 1856. Other machinery was developed for sewing on soles and for riveting. Leading shoemaking towns, such as Northampton, were quick to introduce new equipment to increase the mass production of footwear.
Design & Designing
The most popular styles were the button boot, front-laced boot and elastic-sided boot. Side-buttoned boots were fashionable from the 1830s and were gradually adopted by women. Boots were often named after famous places or personages. The front-laced boots called Balmorals, for example, were named after Queen Victoria's Scottish estate. The range of materials for uppers for men's boots and shoes increased. It included cloth-tops from the 1840s and crocodile or alligator skin in the 1870s.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Patent leather and snakeskin upper, with a buttoned side fastening, hand-sewn |
| Brief description | green and black shoe |
| Physical description | Man's short side-buttoned boot of patent leather and snakeskin |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Shown at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Made in Britain |
| Summary | Ownership & Use In the 19th century men usually wore boots rather than shoes. They regarded them as more formal for daywear. Half-boots were usually worn under the trousers. Materials & Making By the middle of the century boots were being mass produced. A machine for sewing cloth was in use by the early 1850s, and one for leather by 1856. Other machinery was developed for sewing on soles and for riveting. Leading shoemaking towns, such as Northampton, were quick to introduce new equipment to increase the mass production of footwear. Design & Designing The most popular styles were the button boot, front-laced boot and elastic-sided boot. Side-buttoned boots were fashionable from the 1830s and were gradually adopted by women. Boots were often named after famous places or personages. The front-laced boots called Balmorals, for example, were named after Queen Victoria's Scottish estate. The range of materials for uppers for men's boots and shoes increased. It included cloth-tops from the 1840s and crocodile or alligator skin in the 1870s. |
| Associated objects | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | AP.41-1860 |
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| Record created | March 11, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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