Pair of quilted cotton shoes, China, 19th century

Pair of plain quilted black cotton men's shoes. The quilting gives the shoes a geometric pattern. The shoes are lined with padded cotton and have leather (or rubber) piping at the front and back seams to reinforce the shape of the shoes.

Their 3cm-thick stiff soles may have been made of layers of felted paper, with a final layer of leather at the bottom. The soles are whitened around the edges.

According to Garrett, the thick soles may have meant to raise the vamp and keep it dryer in wet weather. As the sole was quite flat and inelastic, it was made shorter than the upper to give sufficient spring for walking. Shoes of both styles could fit either foot. There were two main styles for men, one with a rounded toe curving back to the sole, and the other with a wide toe the same width as the heel.

According to a reference from Musée Guimet:

"Footwear for the urban Han Chinese evolved from lacquered wooden clogs and rigid-soled sandals, the later often converted to a slipper with the addition of leather or cloth uppers. The form can be dated from the Zhou dynasty (1030-256 BC). An upturned toe with a cloud head shape became a fashion during the Sui and Tang dynasties and remained a feature of men's shoes until the twentieth century. The platform sole made of layers of felt or cotton cloth increased the stature of the wearer and raised the foot off cold tile floors." (Huang Hengfu and Chen Juanjuan, 1994)

The relatively flat soles may suggest the shoes were for Han men.

The uncertainty over the material of the piping is according to Wrigglessworth (1991).

FE.83:1, 2-2002