These little shoes were recently acquired by my county historical society. Robert Land has introduced this style in his collection of reproductions. He says they are quite rare for the period, and calls them "walking shoes." So, I was quite amazed to see a pair show up at LHS (Lackawanna Historical Society). This pair is in great shape, despite their age and evidence that they received a considerable amount of wear. The toes are beige leather, and the rest of the shoe is a black and cream checked silk fabric, with silk shoelaces. The soles are thin leather. They are very tiny, probably a modern size 5, maybe even a 4.5. I would imagine that the use of silk fabric made them suitable for indoor use only. Land's reproductions are two-tone all leather, so they can be worn out of doors.
