Hidden under floor-length skirts, ladies' shoes were rarely seen until the 1910s, and it's even harder to get by images of them. They're a vital part of historical costume, though, so I'm collecting every scrap that could tell me what they looked like. And of men's shoes, too.
| Clogs, Italian, by van Eyck 
        1434  |   | Man's, c. 1470  |   | 
| 1526, male, painted by Holbein 
       |   | Rubens' shoe 1609, painted 
        by himself  |   | 
| 1625, male nobility, painted 
        by Hals  |   | c. 
        1630, male, from the V&A  |   | 
| 1631, male royalty, painted 
        by Velázquez  |   | Man's "horn" shoe, 
        16th century 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | 
| Man's "bear claw" shoe, mid 
        16th century 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | Venetian chopine, 16th century 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | 
| Sketches of 17th century shoes 
        by Adolph von Menzel (probably stock of the Bavarian National Museum) 
       |   | Red leather shoe with yellow silk 
        lining, late 17th century, and shoe of two different-coloured layers of 
        leather, early 17th century 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | 
| Woman's 
        Mules, 1649  |   | 1660s and 1720s, 
        female, V&A  |   | 
| 1650, female commoner, painted 
        by Metsu  |   | 1662, 
        female commoner, painted by Netscher  |   | 
| Man's shoe and buckle, c. 
        1700 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | Man's shoe, c. 1700 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | 
| Man's shoe and clocked stocking, 
        c. 1700-1710 |   | Man's buckled shoe, early 
        18th century 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | 
| Child's shoe and women's shoes, 
        all very early 18th century 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | 1745, female dancer, by Pesne 
       |   | 
| 1748, female, 
        V&A  |   | stockings, 18th century |   | 
| 1750s, male royalty, artist 
        unknown  |   | 1750s, male royalty, artist 
        unknown  |   | 
| Lady's shoe of blue silk damask 
        on leather, 2nd half 18th century 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | 1756, female nobility, by 
        Boucher  |   | 
|  Lady's shoe of blue damask, 
        2nd half 18th century 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | 1760s, V&A  |   | 
| 1760, female shoe, painted 
        by Gainsborough  |   | Man's Shoes and Stockings, 
        late 18th century |   | 
| Lady's leather shoe, late 
        18th; lady's shoe of embroidered leather trimmed 
        with silver brocade, early 18th; lady's shoe 
        of blue damask, late 18th century 
         Museum Weißenfels |   | 1770s, female |   | 
| 1773, female, from some museum 
       |   | 1775, female commoner, by 
        Greuze  |   | 
| 1775, milkmaid's shoe, painted 
        by Gainsborough  |   | 18th 
        century, female, Bath. Sketch by yours truly.  |   | 
| 1796, female, from a shop 
       |   | Lady's silk shoes, c. 1800 
        (left) and c. 1810  Museum für hamburgische Geschichte |   | 
| 1824, female, painted by Hess 
       |   | 1874, female, painted by Renoir 
       |   | 
| 1877, painted by Manet  |   | basll shoes and gloves, 1877 
       |   | 
| 1878, female, painted by Manet 
       |   | 1880, female, painted by 
        Bracquemond  |   | 
| Stocking knitting patterns 
        onna stick, 1880  Museum für hamburgische Geschichte |   | Stockings, 1880  Museum für hamburgische Geschichte |   | 
| New style shoes, 1883 |   | 1884, female, painted by Morisot 
       |   | 
| 1890, female, drawn by Bracquemond 
       |   | 1894, female skating boot 
       |   | 
| 1894, female, painted by Toulouse-Lautrec 
       |   | Buttoned Boot, 1895  |   | 
| Buttoned Promenade Shoe, 1895 
       |   | Beach Shoe, 1895  |   | 
| Elegant Lady's Shoe, 1895 
       |   | Lady's Pull-On Boot, 1895 
       |   | 
|   | various shoes /1, 1902  |   | |
| various shoes /2, 1902  |   | Stockings and Shoes, 1913 |   | 
| Stockings and Shoes, 1913 |   | Button Dress Boots, 1914  |   | 
| Velvet 16-button Boot, 1914 
       |   | Lady's Kidskin Boot, 1914 
       |   | 
| Tango Shoes, 1914  |   | Short Vamp Laced Oxfords, 
        1914  |   | 
| Pumps, 1914  |   | Comfort Oxford, 1914  |   | 
|   | Young Lady's, 1915  |   | |
| Lady's, 1917  |   | Lady's, 1917  |   | 
| Lady's Elegant Shoe, 1920 
       |   | ||
| 1928, female  |   | 1928, female  |   | 
| 1928, female  |   | 1928, female  |   | 
You can find a wide selection of womens designer shoes and mens boots online.
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