Have you laid eyes on our new Laurel Beaded Edwardian Shoes yet? Laurel is a stunning new design, complete with hand-beaded uppers sparkling with multi-faceted glass beads. These alluring and sparkly shoes were inspired by the myriad beaded shoes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the late Victorian/Edwardian/late-19-teens eras, few footwear trends were more fabulous and elegant than the beaded shoe.
For those who love opulence and luxury, this period of fashion history is hard to beat when it comes to shoes that are just a bit “extra”. Intricate cutouts, straps, fine materials, and sensual silhouettes were all incorporated into fashionable evening footwear. You could find beads decorating all manner of shoes, from silk dancing slippers to boots. Here are some of our favorites that we looked at while designing Laurel.
These light lilac suede shoes from the collection at the MFA Boston might look a little familiar! Dated to c. 1910-1920, these darling shoes close with a festive wide ribbon. We love the beading on the toe and vamp, as well as this lovely closure. These shoes inspired the overall construction of our Laurel shoes.
Oh, and they also came in pink kid leather.
These absolutely stunning André Perugia shoes from the collection at the Kyoto Costume Institute are dated a little later, as we start to get into the Jazz Age (1920s). They’re red and black silk satin with beaded floral motifs.
Criss-crossed straps over the instep, like on this gorgeous shoe from the collection at the Met Museum, were popular for beaded Edwardian shoes through at least 20 years of fashion. The pair from the KCI just above these is from the 1920s, but this pink shoe is from 1906. Just look at that delicate web of beads in the cutouts!
These satin evening slippers c. 1900 from the Shoe Icons collection don’t have any straps, but they do have elaborate beading, complete with sequins. Wouldn’t these be perfect for a snow-queen themed ensemble?
These cheery slippers are especially fun. White satin uppers are bedecked with a bow and yellow glass beads in a botanical motif. The shape of the uppers and heel place these pretty solidly in the late 19th century. From the collection at the V&A Museum.
These super similar white satin shoes (c. 1890) also have a symmetrical, botanical beaded motif. These would have been gorgeous wedding shoes.
These c. 1900 French silk evening shoes (also from the Shoe Icons collection) are especially unique. Not only do they have beading along the vamp, but the heel is completely beaded. Wow!
This pair is American, c. 1905-1908. Unlike everything we’ve looked at so far, these shoes are a lace-up Oxford style. They have a beautiful beading pattern that encircles perforations on the sides and toes. Designed by Cammeyer, this pair also lives at the Shoe Icons museum.
Another fabulous pair of beaded Oxfords! These silk satin beauties in the LACMA collection are dated earlier, c. 1890.
Now these are interesting! This pair is dated to the mid 1920s- c. 1925. The high vamps feature intricate cutouts outlined with a symmetrical beaded motif. Note the gussets with elastic, which would have helped the wearer to put these shoes on and off. Additionally, these are a size 4C, which is a more uncommon size when it comes to antique shoes.
And now, a special treat- a shoe from our own collection! Don’t they look just like the MFA pairs we shared at the beginning of this post? This shoe was wonderfully helpful for reproducing the ingenious closure method found on Laurel. Three eyelets combine to create an adjustable instep strap that can be fastened with a ribbon.
Our reproduction of this fastening method on Laurel. This closure works so well, as it is adjustable for all sorts of instep heights. Thank you, antique shoe!
Now you can have your very own pair of beaded shoes! Laurel Beaded Edwardian Shoes are 15% off each pair through April 21 as part of our Moonlight Sonata pre-order sale, in our US and UK/EU stores. They come in dusty lilac, black, and soft white. Plus, they come in both B and D width. Lovely!
Pre-Order is Open
April 11-21
15% Discount Per Pair
AmericanDuchess.com
