THE ART AND MYSTERY OF A CORDWAINER;  OR, AN ESSAY ON THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE  OF BOOT AND SHOEMAKING. Written in 1813

Shoes of the 18th century were made on straight lasts, meaning that the left     and right foot were interchangeable. Contrary to what may be                popular belief, shoes were not changed every day from one foot to another.  A shoe was made almost entirely of leather. Straps across the instep were called latchets, which held buckles.  Buckles consisted of three parts, the face, the bail and the fork as illustrated in the Fugawee sketch to the left. Another method of fastening shoes involved using ribbon or tapes to secure latchets which are folded over.  Straight-lasted shoes were used up until about the 1840's or so, when the industrial revolution allowed both lasts (which wore out quickly) and shoe manufacturing to become more automated. .  Did you know that the squared-toed shoes of the early 18th century was considered so old-fashioned by the time of the American Revolution, that only old folk work them? Therefore, if you were spotted with squared-toed shoes, you were considered a "square".

Men's Footwear

                   Bruce McNeal's  Fugawee shoes along with fancy buckles from G..G. Godwin.

Man's Shoe circa 1775 (Nat'l Gallery of Art)

Women's Footwear

A pair of extant lady's silk slippers circa 1735.

The Northampton Borough Council web site offers pictures of extant shoes from 18th century England, including children's' women's and men's shoes.

The Use of Moccasins

     Moccasins appears to have been adopted by the 18th   century backwoodsman, from the frontier    sections, and was not common shoe wear for the more settled regions of the colonies, if you were white.

 Stockings

These could be made out woven fabric or woven from yarn and were usually made out of silk, wool, linen, or a combination of these yarns.  They could be shaped after weaving or sometimes they were knit to shape on knitting needles.  Stockings were very fitted. Since modern knits have "stretch" to them, and 18th century yarns did not,  stockings had to made to fit the wearer's calves and thighs. To keep them secure, cloth tapes were used just below or above the knee. A military man would use leather decorative straps and buckles to secure his stockings. 

Kannicks Korner offers a pattern to construct stockings out of knitted fabric

Mara Riley offers instructions to knit stockings.

Buckles

              Karen Augusta is offering a pair of gentlemen's silver and paste buckles

       More paste-stone buckles, some in their original cases.

     G.G.Godwin offers a variety of recreated shoe buckles

Rebecca Manthey has online instructions for constructing your own authentic 18th century stockings.