The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-07-31
MOL.

pie in their construction and form, and those VIII,
did not wish to be classsd among the vain an,
frivolous took 10 have their toes sharp at til,
graceless gailans who generally wore theirs broad
With the restoration of Charles IT. came the
large French boot in which the courtiers of Loai,
Le 6rand, always delighted to exhibit their leg
The tops were low and very wide, with high hee
and broad toe.
Tie distinguishing marks OF gentty in the
reigns ofthe lst and I'd Georges, were red heels
The ladies preferred silk or velvet to heather, and
the avorite shoe with ladies of nobility being made
OF figured blue silk with bright red heels and silver
| buckles.
shoe buckles almost entirely disappeared abont
the commencement Of the present century, not
withsanding the interference Of the Prince OF
Wales, who would have aided the unfortunate
buckle makers in preserving this custom, but faah-
ion in this as in similar cases eventually trumphed,
and ahoestrings again came into use.
In fhe sixteenth century the Turkish ladies wore
a very high shoe known in Europe by the name Of
a chopine. This fashioH spread in Europe during
the seventeenth century, and il il alluded 10 by
Hamlet, in act Ill, scene 9, when he exclaims
your ladyshp IL nearer heaven than when saw,
You last, by the altitude of chopine"
BY which it appears that something Of the kind
was known in England, where it may have been
introduced from Venice, as the ladies there wore
them of the most enormous height.
II was made something after the stool order,
with wooden bottom and four legs, and some Of
them worn in Venice, is said by Coryat to have
been half a yard high
Ofthe modern European nations with whom we
have been most in contact, it is scarcely necessary
to say anything farther of their boots and shoes
There are however one Or two species Of shoes
which we have not mentioned, and which are in
use at the present day, aud but little known to
many persons in this country
The sabots ofthe French peasantry are made en-
tirely ofwood very clumsy and not made with refer.
ence to size or fit. A small wooden shoe is made in
Normandy, much like that which came about in
1890, with imitation of its fringes and pointed
toe, and which is generally painted black; the
ordinary sabot being totally unadorned and the
color Of the wood.
The lower class of Irish wear what is usually
called brogan, made of heavy kip and sewsd in
very strong manner and then the bottom filled
with large nails. p pair Of these Is calculated to
wear twelve months. OF course these are not
worn where any pavements are, for they are as
destructive to side walks as they are death to all
small animals.
Herman Melville, speaking of the crowds OF
Irish in Liverpool vending their way to the vessel
on the passage to this country says, il is fortu-
nate thing for the Corporation that they always
take the middle of the street.
We have given only cursory view of the difs.
rent fashions which have prevailed in Europe at
different times in the manufacture of shoes; and
in future chapter We propose to consider those
of our own country with the pecularities incident
TO its various sections and other matters of inter
est connected with il.
We conclude by observing, that France in this
as in other matters Of taste and fashion, sets the
mode for the rest Of the civilized world.