Meet the Shoes Before You Meet the Outfit
An 1866 pair makes a convincing case for starting an outfit at ground level.
The toes are square, the bows are generous, and the color keeps its voice down. These shoes have already made several decisions about the outfit before a dress has entered the conversation.
The pair is dated 1866 in The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, which identifies the shoes as French and their material as leather. Jeffers French Shoes is recorded as the retailer. That detail gives us a name connected to their sale; the entry does not identify a separate designer.
The photograph is especially helpful because the shoes face different ways. One gives you the long side view, including the low profile of the sole. The other lets you look into the opening and see the relationship between the strap, bow and broad toe. Together, they make the construction easier to read.
In that pale finish, the changes in texture become part of the appeal. Creases interrupt the smooth surface. The bow creates a soft cluster above the front of the foot. A line around the opening makes the edge stand out. There is a lot of shape here for such a restrained palette.
The pair also offers a useful looking exercise: cover the bow with your finger on the screen for a moment. The squared outline becomes more prominent. Uncover it and the balance changes again. A small decorative choice can alter the character of an otherwise simple form.
These are historical shoes, and the photograph cannot tell us what they felt like to wear. It can show how an accessory combines outline, proportion and ornament. That is plenty to enjoy without assigning them an imaginary owner or evening out.
Next time an outfit seems nearly there, have a look at what is happening at the toes. They may have a few ideas of their own.
Explore the object: Shoes at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Shoes, 1866. Retailer: Jeffers French Shoes. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Harriette Yeaton, 1947. Accession 2009.300.4526a, b. Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Open Access, Public Domain / CC0. Collection record. Image use terms.