Making Boots

[cosmoblue]

I found this online today. Do you think that t his would work for regency half-boots and Hessians etc? You have to scroll down to post #30.
carolinabelles.net/vb/showthread.php?t=7053&page=3

[dawnluckham]

There is a little book called “Every Lady Her Own Shoemaker”. It’s a reprint of an original book published in the 1850’s. Here is an image of the booklet:

www.flickr.com/photos/gracefullady/1657714595/

This book has patterns in it that will help you actually make a pair of dancing slippers if you’d like to be that adventurous. I own a copy and it’s a lovely little book. I purchased mine at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto.

The dancing slippers in the book have the square toe that became popular in the late 1820’s-30’s and remained popular throughout the 1850’s and early 1860’s. the book also offers patterns for “Adeline’s” which is what ankle boots were called during this period. The patterns from this book could, *if combined with research*, be modified to make Regency period footwear.

The boot you’ve shown is late Victorian and could maybe sneak into the Edwardian era.

It’s nothing like Regency era footwear:

During the 1780’s the buckle shoe with a heel was on its way out. The heel became what we would call today a “kitten heel”. This little heel (sometimes wedged) continued to be worn through to 1800, but by the late 1790’s a flat slipper with a pointed toe was fashionable. This remained in fashion for more than a decade. By 1815 the point was more rounded. By 1825 the rounded toe was giving way to the early stages of a square toe. (Think of a modern ballerina’s toe shoe – square toe, satin covering, ribbons up the ankle. Dancing “en pointe” evolved during this decade. The ballet shoe has remained the same from this period onward.)

I think you need to decide within a 5-10 year period what date your dress and headwear will represent and then you need to match your footwear to that date. If you want half boots, remember these are daywear – not normally ballroom appropriate.

[cosmoblue]

Clearly the boot pictured in my link is not regency, but I was wondering if the technique could be applied to regency boots.

[cosmoblue]

dawnluckham said:

There is a little book called “Every Lady Her Own Shoemaker”. It’s a reprint of an original book published in the 1850’s. Here is an image of the booklet:

www.flickr.com/photos/gracefullady/1657714595/

This book has patterns in it that will help you actually make a pair of dancing slippers if you’d like to be that adventurous. I own a copy and it’s a lovely little book. I purchased mine at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto.

The dancing slippers in the book have the square toe that became popular in the late 1820’s-30’s and remained popular throughout the 1850’s and early 1860’s. the book also offers patterns for “Adeline’s” which is what ankle boots were called during this period. The patterns from this book could, *if combined with research*, be modified to make Regency period footwear.

Is there anywhere that you know of online that I can rder it? I will not be making any trips to Toronto any time soon.

[dawnluckham]

Second look at the link you posted showed me I didn't read far enough the first time.
Sure, the technique will work for any shoes, but unless you want fabric shoes specifically, there are shoes on store shelves right now that match Regency style with almost no modifications needed.

Old Sturbridge Village website: www.osv.org

The link to the picture of the book I posted has a little text underneath where she says she got her book from. I think I saw the book in Smoke and Fire. I'm sure it must be available elsewhere as well.

[cosmoblue]

Thanks, I guess that I will have to keep looking for it. I didn't see it on the OSV site or Smoke and Fire.

[cosmoblue]

cosmoblue said:

Thanks, I guess that I will have to keep looking for it. I didn't see it on the OSV site or Smoke and Fire.

Bump!
I was just wondering if anyone knows where to get this book, or if anyone is willing to sell a copy.

[chiemi]

I don't have the book, but making your own shoes is very ambitious! If you ever make some I definitely want to see pictures!