Decorative details is a running thread in our Collection Worthy styles- including our new Eugenie Slippers. Each Collection Worthy shoe features some extra-special attention to detail when it comes to trimmings, embroidery, and materials.
Eugenie in particular is based on the decorative slippers of the early-mid Victorian era. Now, shoes of the 1830s and 1840s are sometimes reputed to be boring. It’s true that it was an era where there were lots of relatively plain little slippers. That being said, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t decorative ones! Through the first half of the 19th century, there were indeed highly decorative slippers that were perfect for peeking out from under one’s skirts. Let’s take a look at some of the originals that inspired Eugenie!
This pair of pink kid slippers is a great example of how footwear fashion transitioned from the turn of the 19th century into the Victorian era. The museum dates them to 1795-1810; the pointed toe is typical of a transitional era shoe, and the low/flat heel is getting closer to Regency and early Victorian styles. The cutout design in this pair is backed with fabric and decorated with some simple chain stitching. From the collection at the Met Museum.
These darling shoes are made of black leather, with a pink pleated silk ribbon trim on the vamp. Note that the vamp itself is cut into a decorative pattern with delicate points! The decoration across the vamp and toe features a floral motif, with cutouts backed with more pink silk. Intricate chain embroidery edges the cutouts. There is so much texture and dimension to these beauties! C. 1843-1850, from the collection at the Maryland Centre for History and Culture.
This pair from the Ryedale Folk Museum c. 1820-1850 share some similar trends as the pair above; soft, black leather uppers with intricate cutouts and chain stitched embroidery, backed in colorful silk. These shoes are finished with a silk bow rather than pleated trim.
This stunning pair of boudoir slippers are a vintner’s dream with silk uppers and all-over embroidery with a grapevine motif. C. 1849, from the collection at LACMA.
This pair from the early 1840s features a the same sort of pointed vamp and pleated ribbon trim as the pair from the Maryland Center. Rather than cutouts backed with silk and chainstitched embroidery, this pair has a floral embroidered motif on the vamp and toe. From the collection at the Met Museum.
This pair is also from the 1840s. The decorated vamp and embroidery motif are similar, only the uppers are silk rather than leather. From the collection at the Met Museum.
This pair of French slippers from the 1850s has the cutouts with silk backing and embroidery, but a plain vamp typical of slippers at the time, with no additional trim. From the collection at the Met Museum.
These are certainly interesting! This pair of French slippers from the 1850s-1860s is starting to share a few more features with shoes of the second half of the Victorian Era- the bow, for example. The shape of the uppers and the heel is still very much a more early Victorian slipper. From the collection at the Met Museum.
Our new Eugenie Slippers were designed to embrace the highly decorative, opulent feel of these slippers. We recreated some of the rich textural elements using embroidery on the toe, with a gorgeous scalloped vamp trimmed with real, 100% silk ribbon. Eugenie is built on our Bronte last, which has a period-accurate square toe and soft toebox meant to mold to the foot. You can get yours in three stunning colorways, in both standard and wide! Pre-order by August 16 to get 15% off each pair.
