Authentic foot wear

[Forty Rod]

I comes to mind that a gent who was mostly a "townie" would have little or no use for 16"+ high top, high heel, mule ear boots.

What would be proper foot wear for such a man?

Were high top dress shoes available?  When did wing tips come in?  What is a congress gaiter?  Did all shoes have laces or were some slip-ons?

What are my options?

And what kind of sock would he have worn?

[Books OToole]

Brogans would be appropriate for the working man and Stacey Addams Madison boot for Doctors, Lawyers and such.

Books

[Delmonico]

Congress shoes.   

[Blair]

Forty Rod,

Historic foot wear can be very complicated/complex depending on the time period and occupation.

The Congress Shoe Del pictured is probably one of the best examples for an elastic slip on ankle type boot for a professional to be wearing as a "townie" in the last quarter of the 19th Century. It would probably not be the choice for someone like the town Blacksmith or Liveryman.
My best,
Blair

[Delmonico]

Except the shoe came out in the late 1830's, so it is proper much further back that "the last quarter of the 19th century."

[Major 2]

hence the reason, I own a pair, cooler than my High tops and the fact they are the most conformable too is a win win.

I also have pair of these lace up camp shoes

[Delmonico]

OK, went and double checked to make sure what I remembered when I researched those a few years ago for someone was true.  Fugawee makes them and claims just after 1837 for their introduction and my old beat-up dictionary says "Congress Gaiter" became a word in common usage in the early 1850's so I was right on track, fine for even pre-Civil War like I thought.  

[Blair]

A little research into the subject of elastic will help clear this up. For those that wish too. Sorry, I don't mean to turn this into a research project.
Elastic is available in reasonable quantities in the 1850s. However, it is very expensive and used in small amounts.
Yes, latex rubber products date back to the 1830's with Goodyear, but these are not elastic.
As the Century progresses after the ACW, elastic becomes more affordable and is a far durable product.
Should anyone have documentation for the use of "elastic" in any amount much before 1850, I would very much like to see it?
My best,
Blair

[Blair]

Major 2,

The "camp shoes" are an early form of the "cap" toed shoes that will evolve into the  more stylish "Wing tips" like Forty Rods asks about.
My best,
Blair

[Major 2]

Joseph Hall invented elastic sided ankle boots in 1837 , which he presented to the court of Queen Victoria.
Afterwards , In Scotland they were know as Balmoral Boots for Balmoral Castle
and sometimes Prince Albert's.
In America they are called the Congress boot.

In the 1950s they reappeared as Teddy Boys in an Edwardian style , and in the early 1960 Beatles boots .

[Blair]

Major 2,

I Googled up, "Joseph Hall invented elastic sided ankle boots in 1837'".
I found the reply to be rather interesting. Especially regarding the time period involved.
My best,
Blair

[Delmonico]

Some of us do our research ahead of time.

Facts that are wrong result from not doing at least a quick check, I did this research several years ago and remembered what I learned.   Your reply would or could make people think they came out a lot later than they did, we cleared that up, anything you want to discuss history with out having to possibly having it turn into a research  means you would be better off watching baseball or something like that.

[River City John]

http://www.civilwarboots.com/store_victorias_rule.asp

I like the 1870 Baseball shoe, too. Top of page.

RCJ

[Major 2]

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=141906


"
Boots, pair, women's, worn by Queen Victoria, linen / cotton / leather / metal, made by Joseph Sparkes Hall, England, 1837
Statement of significance
In 1837 Queen Victoria was presented with this pair of dainty 'elastic' sided boots, the first to be invented, made by Englishman Joseph Sparkes Hall.

Boots were popular with men during the 1800s and they were soon adopted by women. By the mid 1800s they had become the most common form of footwear for both sexes in all social classes. Ankle-length boots without heels, known as high-lows, were fashionable for women. The boot was the most popular form of footwear for both sexes by the mid 1800s. The difficulties of fastening a boot with buttons and laces led London shoemaker Joseph Sparkes Hall to experiment with fastenings and the elastic-sided boot resulted. The gusset for this elastic-sided boot is made of tightly coiled wire covered in cotton. By 1840 coiled wire was replaced by rubber. Improvements in his design led Hall to describe the elastic-sided boot as 'the most perfect thing of its kind'. Sparkes Hall patented the design on 14 May 1840, the first registered design to feature elastic (Levitt 1986).

Joseph Sparkes Hall's prototype version of the elastic-sided boot was presented to Queen Victoria in 1837, the year she ascended to the throne. In 'The Book of the Feet' written in 1846, Sparkes Hall claims the Queen was well satisfied with the design, noting that 'Her majesty has been pleased to honour the invention with the most marked and continued patronage: it has been my privilege for some years to make her bootsÂ?and no one who is acquainted with her Majesty's habits of walking and exercise, in the open air, can doubt the superior claims of elastic over every other kind of boots'. The influence of Queen Victoria (after which an entire era has been named) in the area of fashion is noteworthy. Styles worn by the Queen, such as the above boots, the white wedding dress and riding habit, were quick to become popular, spreading throughout England and the colonies. The elastic sided boots soon became the most popular form of footwear, worn by both men and women. For evening wear a cream satin version was developed of which there are several examples in the Museum's collection.

This unique pair of boots is significant, not only for their extraordinary provenance, but also for their innovative design. The elastic sided boot has retained its popularity in Australia where it is used both by urban and rural wearers. For example elastic sided boots by R. M. Williams and Blundstone are extremely popular. The Powerhouse Museum houses an extensive and internationally significant collection of shoes. This collection provides a unique insight into footwear history, demonstrating how changes in contemporary attitudes, needs and etiquette directly affected shoe design. It also reveals the fine skills of shoemakers as well as the impact of scientific developments and technological innovations on the materials and construction methods.

Michelle Brown, 2007

REF:

Levitt, Sarah, 'Victorians Unbuttoned: Registered Designs for Clothing, their Makers and Wearers, 1839-1900' George Allen & Unwin, London, 1986, p156
Sparkes Hall, Joseph, 'The Book of the Feet', Simpkin, Marshall & Co., New York, 1846
Production notes
Joseph Sparkes Hall was experimenting with ways of making a boot with expanding side gussets that would allow the wearer to easily pull them on and off. In this first pair he used metal coils covered in ruched cotton. By 1840 he had patented a bood using rubber in the gussets.

Note on file says "Englishman Joseph Sparkes Hall is said to have invented the elastic sided boot and it is believed that this pair of boots is his pototype in 1837. Earlier boots had featured lace up fastenings. This first "elastic" sided boots feature gussets of expanding metal coils covered in ruched cotton which gave the necessary elasticity to allow the boots to be pulled on and off. In J Sparkes Hall's "The book of Feet" written in 1846 he expounded the virtues of elastic sided boots, noting the advantage of being able to pull them on and off quickly and not having to worry about buttons falling off, laces breaking or the eyelet holes wearing out. He notes that his first experiments were a failure and presumably this refers to the use of the coiled metal gusset. By 1840 he was using rubber in the gusset and notes that the subsequent improvements in materials and workmanship have "combined to make the elastic boot the most perfect thing of its kind".

By the mid 19th century the majority of footwear worn by women was some form of boot with the elastic sided boot the most popular. For evening wear a cream satin version was developed of which there are several examples in the Museums collection."

A person wanting to buy shoes in the 1800s could get them direct from a shoemaker who worked alone or in a shared workshop with traditional tools and techniques. Factories were also producing ready-made shoes by hand, which could be bought from the premises or from warehouses or peddlers. Gradually, mechanisation took over from handwork and by the end of the century most shoes were machine-made in factories and sold through specialist shoe shops.

With vulcanised rubber not coming into use until 1840 the 'elastic' sided gussets of these boots were made of tightly coiled wire covered in cotton. In Joseph Sparkes Hall's 'The Book of Feet' written in 1846, Hall notes that his first experiments in producing the elastic sided boots were a failure and presumably this refers to the use of the coiled metal gussets, replaced in 1840 by the use of rubber.
History notes
Englishman Joseph Sparkes Hall is said to have invented the elastic sided boot and it is believed that this pair of boots is his prototype patented in 1837. Hall records in his 1946 book, 'The Book of Feet, that he presented his first pair of elastic sided boots to Queen Victoria in 1837 and notes that "Her Majesty has been pleased to honour the invention with the most marked and continued patronage : it has been my privilege for some years to make her boots...".

This accords with the family provenance on the shoes. A calling card located in one of the shoes is printed with the name "Miss H.D.Butcher" and a handwritten note "This shoe was worn by a Lady in Waiting to Princess Christian when we were at Windsor 1880-1900". Donor Mrs Downes's grandfather was a doctor and often attended patients at Windsor Castle.

This text content licensed under CC BY-NC.

Description
Boots, pair, women's, worn by Queen Victoria, linen / cotton / metal, made by Joseph Sparkes Hall, England, 1837

Pair of 'elastic' sided boots featuring flat leather sole, natural coloured linen upper, centre front seaming, straight black leather square toe cap and gussets either side of ankle composed of metal coils covered in natural covered cotton. Tab at back of ankle. Label inside front of ankle boots '......Sparkes Hall....London'

Designed: Sparkes Hall, Joseph; England

Made: Sparkes Hall, Joseph; England; 1837


Used: Queen Victoria; London, England; 1837
Marks
Silk label sewn inside front of each shoe with black printed lettering. The labels have deteriorated and are largely illegible. "...sparkes Hall...London


Read more: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=141906#ixzz3YlIUDSLP  "

[Delmonico]

Good information, I was off on another project, interesting the PBJ sandwich dates to at least 1901 and was considered gourmet food rather than something to feed kids.   

[Octagonal Barrel]

Going a different direction with Forty Rod's question, I've seen photos of both townies and ranch hands wearing lace-up ankle boots that look a lot like modern lace-up ropers.  The ones I'm thinking of have appeared in photos from at least the 1880's and later, and don't look like the heavy brogans I see in Civil War photos.  On a practical level, do you think modern Justin lace-up ropers would pass, or are there significant construction details between the Victorian working boot lace-ups and the modern ones that my modern Justins wouldn't fly for re-enactment?  I love learning from this forum, so if anyone would care to elaborate on differences, I'd love to hear it.

Also, I'd dearly love to read an account of PBJ's as Victorian gourmet food!  Way off the original topic, but maybe one post in reply wouldn't be completely out of order?  Delmonico, can you give us a reading list?  Or maybe a new thread on the subject?

[Delmonico]

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,55094.new.html#new

Part of a much longer project on how to have a period meal at an event with out building a fire.


As for the modern Roper boot, plenty close enough for most any CAS type event, depending on who and where, may or may not cut it for re-enactment.

Last year in June I work my Danner Workman for a whole day at a re-enactment and nobody said a thing, not sure how much rain we had in the night, but with my pants down over them they looked close enough to a heavy lace-up of the time, with the exception of the soles.  And the Gore-tex was nice because there were a lot of puddles around.   

Of course anyone who had a problem would have been told the McDonalds was about 11 miles WNW of where my camp was.

[Octagonal Barrel]

Thanks for the ref.

...And the Gore-tex was nice because there were a lot of puddles around.   Of course anyone who had a problem would have been told the McDonalds was about 11 miles WNW of where my camp was.

It's great to have good period boots.  But then sometimes it's great to have good boots, period.

[Major 2]

Going a different direction with Forty Rod's question, I've seen photos of both townies and ranch hands wearing lace-up ankle boots that look a lot like modern lace-up ropers.  The ones I'm thinking of have appeared in photos from at least the 1880's and later, and don't look like the heavy brogans I see in Civil War photos.  On a practical level, do you think modern Justin lace-up ropers would pass, or are there significant construction details between the Victorian working boot lace-ups and the modern ones that my modern Justins wouldn't fly for re-enactment?  I love learning from this forum, so if anyone would care to elaborate on differences, I'd love to hear it.

Also, I'd dearly love to read an account of PBJ's as Victorian gourmet food!  Way off the original topic, but maybe one post in reply wouldn't be completely out of order?  Delmonico, can you give us a reading list?  Or maybe a new thread on the subject?

What you allude to was called a mans Derby boot
1. is a derby 1880's
2 is more of work mans boot  circa 1890's

 

[Blair]

Forty Rod,

What is the time period you wish to represent? Also, do you have an occupation and/or location in mind for this imperession?
My best,
Blair