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Women's Slippers, about 1800
Slippers first acquired ribbons in the 1790s in imitation of the classical sandal; pictures of them around 1800 show elaborate methods for tying them around the leg. Acknowledging their origin as a blend of slipper and sandal, the Lady's Magazine of January 1802 called them "sandal slippers" and reported that they were worn "in the morning by the pedestrian fashionables." At this early date, neither the pattern of lacing nor the presence of ribbon ties was the standard. Some surviving examples, …
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Women's Shoes, 1820-1850
Delicate slippers such as these were used by ladies in the early Victorian period with fashionable dress. These tied on to the ankle, much as some ballet shoes do today. These types of shoes were notoriously unhealthy-- they quickly became damp and soiled, provided no foot support, and were occasionally purchased a size or two too small so that thewearer's foot appeared dainty. It was all about looking great; women were not expected to be comfortable or accommodated by their dress. The square to…
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Women's Slippers, about 1810
The double zig-zag vamp was popular from 1805-1815. The popularity of the oval toe precedes that of the square toe, which came in to high fashion from 1815-1830. The vamp and rounded toe of these shoes dates them to about 1805-1815.
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Women's Shoes, about 1860
These shoes, commonly called slippers in this period, were likely made to match a specific outfit. They may have been made to match a wedding gown. Flimsy fabric shoes such as this were very popular, but provided no support and quickly were soiled and damaged. They were purely decorative and worn by women who were expected to stay primarily indoors and not required to do any work.