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 an example typical 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, bows or ribbon ties. Melnotte, the manufacturer who made this pair, was based in Paris but also had an outlet in London. He ensured his customers did not forget where they had purchased their shoes by sticking a printed paper label onto the insole. The label not only bears his name but the addresses of his shops in London and Paris.