The elegant flat satin lady's slipper first became popular in Great Britain 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. The thin leather sole and delicately hand-stitched satin uppers were relatively simple and cheap to produce. They could then be customised either by the retailer or the owner with rosettes, ribbon ankle ties or other decorative embellishments. This pair was made by Richard Carleton of Dublin who, like some of his French and English competitors, stuck a printed label into his shoes. This served as an elegant reminder not only of who had manufactured them but more importantly where another pair might be purchased.