Shoes

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Not all garments were created to be worn. The extremely unusual style and degree of ornamentation make it clear that this pair of shoes is not normal childrenswear. Most outstanding is the intricate impressed diaper and leaf pattern which has been composed to fit the cut of each piece of the upper exactly. The shoes are most probably a craftsman’s sample made to exhibit the quality and skill of his workmanship. As was traditional across the skilled trades, a shoemaker would develop his skill through many years of apprenticeship, ultimately demonstrating his proficiency with sample works exhibiting a variety of techniques. Masterworks were also made by experienced craftsmen as exhibition pieces to display their advanced skills to potential customers and peers.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art