I Have 100 Years of Antique Shoes : Fashion Historians Collection

[@katejay9786]

I love how your soft-spoken delivery evokes the feeling of a museum, or like a shoe nursery or something. I imagine there is a sign in your studio that says _Thank you for being quiet, please do not wake the shoes_

[@pagodrink]

I know you said these styles aren't particularly unique to the time, but god, do I want modern versions of these.

[@juliettedemaso7588]

Real talk. 😍

[@rubytook8067]

Look up American Duchess. 👀😁

[@Butterflier00]

@@rubytook8067 i have my eye on some of those shoes,,,

[@Emnms68]

@@rubytook8067 I cry over my meager funds whenever I look at those gorgeous shoes I could never afford.

[@werelemur1138]

@@Emnms68 I've been saving for MONTHS for American Duchess shoes.

[@Eloraurora]

You brought up the bicycle boots, and it immediately brought back up my desire to see assorted literary/historical women's athletic feats recreated. What kind of shoes _would_ Lizzie Bennet have worn to hike over and check on her sister? Early women cyclists mention this ride or that in their surviving journals and correspondence - can we reconstruct those routes and see what it might have been like to ride them? With skirts and petticoats and heavy bikes with no brakes or gearshifts, through the hilly countryside? It just fascinates me.

[@Eloraurora]

@@e.urbach7780 Thank you!

[@elizabethclaiborne6461]

The cycling thing is done, there’s historical womens cycling events in Britain. They pop up in search, the group at Oxford U has patterns for the clothes on line. Also - FIDM (fashion museum in Los Angeles) has a major enormous show traveling now about womens sports, they have the outfits from about 1800 on, it’s amazing! Called ‘Sporting Fashion, Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1969’. There’s a fantastic book. You do the re-enactments. I’m doing 1890’s fencing, not waiting for other people to.

[@annbrookens945]

E. Urbach: thank you for the tip! I'm going to look that up!

[@rizvirahman5104]

L

[@Canuck13]

Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum is a world class museum which features thousands of shoes going back to Jesus’ time!

[@sarahwatts7152]

I caught myself thinking, 'these shoes are so tiny! their feet must have...' - and then I remembered Nicole's video on foot sizes. :D

[@raynemichelle2996]

These shoes are made for children!

[@pattywolford]

I thought they all looked so narrow! Such dainty feets!

[@raynemichelle2996]

@@pattywolford kid's shoes tend to be the only ones that survive through history. Adult shoes get worn down and trashed.

[@Sonic-dogmagic]

I have such a short extra wide foot and I would have been in pain 😩 wearing these shoes. I even have problems with today's shoes!

[@kristoffseisler2163]

i havent seen Nicole's video on foot sizes but the women of that era must have been very bored in bed

[@Chibihugs]

I had no idea Oxfords were such an old style. Also scalloped edges boots are adorable as are the rosettes. What a neat way to explore fashion via shoes!

[@Emnms68]

Oxfords are one of my favorite shoe styles _because_ they have been around for such a long time and are therefore kind of timeless. Also, mary janes. I think that’s part of the reason that character shoes are shaped the way they are. They are comfortable, have a little bit of a heel, you can move in them, they form to your foot, and they can serve as shoes with costumes of a wide range of time.

[@chiusaperferie]

They are so narrow, having wide feet, wearing them it would ve been hell😅

[@rachelzenzile]

at the 19 minute mark - talking about how rounded the sole is... someone wore that A LOT. That's so fascinating to me. Like - that's someone's life. That's a whole story right there. So cool.

[@vadalia3860]

While I recognize the differences in these shoes vs modern ones, I'm honestly amazed at how many of those styles look very similar to something I tried on in my youth in the 90s. I guess no matter the time or place, people are mostly still just people.

[@teresacarle294]

😉 Yes, the 90s definitely harkened back to earlier romantic times ⏰ in shoe design. 😃Owned a nude pump w/multiple bands & buttons (similar ~23m) that had a kitten heel. 🤗Although not featured here, but in the ad (~25m), bought two 20s style T-strapped pumps (in white & off-white) w/low opera style heels. Still have the last pairs. 🤫Lastly, nude pointed lace-up boots (~21m). Although w/a slightly higher kitten heel that I found on deep 💲discount. The only time I wore the boots were for Halloween🎃 dressed as a Western Saloon Girl🍻. Helped me win top prize🏆... My mother🪡 embellished an aqua blue retro lacy looking mermaid style cocktail dress🍸.(👍Found it in a 👰‍♀bridal dept on clearance.) Mum added black fringe detailing on the cap sleeves & above the fluffy bottom tier. 🪶She created a feather fascinator in black for my hair & a beaded black velvet ribbon as a choker. Wore black fishnet stockings, doubled up a long string of sparkly black beads, & tucked a trio of playing cards🃏 strategically in my sweetheart neckline. Plus, held a tiny black vintage pelise from great grandma & donned long black evening gloves from mum. 😁It was the only time I ever truly celebrated having a voluptuous⏳figure. Say what you will, but I have mad respect for women with the swag to show-off their shape in a tasteful manner. Not to mention, the savoir faire to keep the wolves at bay🐺. 💚 Bridget from Cali☘️ (using my pal's YT acct)

[@thisisanaussiegal3590]

Absolutely! The early 1900s I wore in 1997-2000

[@mariahoulihan9483]

yes.. I was thinking that too.

[@karabowcutt2430]

The most interesting fact I learned is how shoes changed due to the dresses getting shorter. I had never thought about that before! Very organized and informative. Enjoyed watching! My feet hurt just looking at some of those shoes!!!

[@patriciajrs46]

I agree with that. You probably could feel everything through those shoes.

[@MiljaHahto]

And yet barefoot shoes are all the rage. Feeling things through the sole even acts as a massage. I demand my evening shoes to have thin soles, it's way better for dancing, also for general balance.

[@lillyrose3545]

“Mama used to say you could tell a lot about a person by the shoes …” I loved seeing the evidence of wear on the soles. I always wonder who owned them and all of the places they have been. I love it!

[@PetroicaRodinogaster264]

yes you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes…for example how poor they are. Idiots breed idiots it seems.

[@patriciajrs46]

I wonder the same thing.

[@mariahoulihan9483]

hence the old saying.. well heeled meaning well turned out in quality clothes and shoes and to denote a certain level of income.

[@jennieeveleighlamond]

😍1860 "unfashionable" boots! I wish I could have boots that look just like that, I would feel like Granny Weatherwax and be perfectly happy.

[@cor3944]

I think they are worn by working class women.

[@jennieeveleighlamond]

@@cor3944 I'm a working class woman, so they'd be perfect for me.

[@Miss_Camel]

This video soothes my soul on the deepest level.

[@___LC___]

So many of these remind me of pairs from my great grandmother’s collection…that I was too deep in my grieving and too afraid of other family members to speak up for, so they were donated. My mother has some of the fancier undergarments from the teens and twenties, but all of my great, great, great grandmother’s shoes were donated. I hate the pragmatists who didn’t see value in keeping something that couldn’t be worn.

[@katzwhite5962]

No way. I would never have given away the items. Me too I don't know why others do not hold onto certain items. I love antiques. I wish I owned something that belonged to my grandmother or great grandmother.

[@Khrysalis01]

If you’re able to get some really old shoes or whatever everyone will call you a hoarder. I really hate that. My grandma had clothes she saved from 1900 thru 1970. She had sheer blouses from around 1911, that she had worn as a teacher. They were so beautiful. When she died my mother sold her teacup collection which my grandma told me would be mine, and all the clothing was sent to the dump. 😪 and when my mother passed, my sister sold everything and said she wasn’t going to let me save a few things because I was a hoarder. If I hoard anything it would be yarn nowadays. My daughter won’t throw away good yarn, she crochets and knits like I do. But I still miss the clothing and shoes my grandma had wanted to give me.

[@___LC___]

@@Khrysalis01 I get called a hoarder. My mom threw away my hat collection that I started in my mid-teens. I had hats going back to the 1920s. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t get much from either if my grandmother’s estates. My dad just died and it’s the same…although if his I want his tools. He loved antique tools, as do I. I see nothing wrong with having collections. With everything wrapped in acid-free tissue paper, after appropriate cleaning, I don’t see how my family considers that hoarding. When I left my house for a medical internship, my parents came the first week I was gone and did a number on my home. It still isn’t how I want it again and my mom just says, “well, we can’t keep looking backwards”. She won’t apologize. I don’t have my collectibles, but thank god I still have a ridiculous pile of Walmart (fucking) tank tops…👿

[@patriciajrs46]

Perhaps people were going to move and knew they couldn't take excessive weight with them.

[@JessicaSalenaOrtiz]

​@@___LC___That is soooo wrong for your parents to do that to you and throw away some of the clothing/shoes that you lovingly cared for! Start a new collection to care for and throw away those Walmart tank tops darling!

[@daxxydog5777]

The 1867s are my fave. I’d wear those! I have a pair of my mom’s 1950s alligator heels. One day, maybe someone will be talking about them, too. When did we all of a sudden go, you know, we should jack our heels up to six inches for dancing? I could dance all night in those “dancing pumps”. Today? Not so much. But, I did love my 1970s Candie’s!

[@rburns8083]

Once again affirming my love for all things Edwardian in fashion.

[@adedow1333]

I was reminded by the harsh lines of the mid 1890's of the menswear style in women's clothing in the early 2000's. I had a pair of winged Oxford style heeled pumps that were amazing to look at and wear (except for a decided lack of cushion for the ball of the foot). They were very like the American Duchess Londoners

[@JenaRaschka]

As a shoe salesman, I love learning about the history. Some customers love it when I sneak in little tidbits about their shoes they can relate to their new shoes

[@SebastianGrimthwayte]

I’d really like to know what women who did hard work, especially in the countryside, wore during the period when shoes were like ballet slippers. It’s hard to imagine pattens in a farmyard or among the “fertilizer” and straw in a dairy barn. Did they go barefoot? Did they wear mens boots?

[@AliciaB.]

wooden clogs, at least in some countries

[@StraylightWintermute]

Both men and women would wear wooden-soled clogs. These could be the entirely wooden carved shoes we associated with the Netherlands, or also just a shoe with a wooden sole and thick leather that would be slipped on or laced up. Sometimes these were overshoes, with a simple thin leather shoe like many of the flat ones in this video worn underneath. I imagine this made it easy for someone working outdoors, since you can take off your overshoe at the door and have the inner shoe as a house shoe to avoid tracking in dirt.

[@StraylightWintermute]

People also wore pattens in some places, which were like a wooden platform sandal with leather straps that went over your shoes to protect them and lift them out of the mud. There were even popular styles that had a metal frame that was on the ground, and then the wooden sole was lifted up a couple of inches to keep it out of the dirt. I imagine this would have been practical in a dairy barn!

[@pheart2381]

@@StraylightWintermute yes,and Overshoes.

[@sandraford4235]

Lace up boots

[@abirhussein9781]

John Fluevog, the Canadian shoe designer, is channeling historic footwear. Thank you for sharing your collection 😊

[@thirza9508]

I adore those 1895 boots, they are absolutely gorgeous! They really do remind me of more masculine styles, I guess that fits with the clothing of the same time.

[@marikotrue3488]

Interesting after "rolling" my ankle and other literal missteps in "modern" shoes, I almost totally wear boots (of varying heights) when outside (admittedly not as often these days as before 2019). There were many of these historical boots (only repros obviously) that I would wear. These boots are art that you can walk in and feel good about oneself. Full disclosure I just bought a pair of black platform boots with a 3 1/2 inch heel. My apologies to Nicole Rudolph, but loved and appreciated this video!

[@oseasviewer7108]

For an incurable shoe addict this was one journey into history that absolutely fascinated me. Nicely executed video - well done. There is inspiration aplenty for contemporary shoe designers who make the bold move in their next offering that doesn't feature the stiletto heel

[@Emnms68]

*Nicole:* _posts another video showcasing the amazing and beautiful shoes of history_ *My bank account:* _sweats nervously_

[@anniemoon350]

My budget: Don't even.

[@ameliabrown3987]

Same

[@DawnOldham]

I can appreciate how much TIME this video took for you to collect samples for, to videotape and to edit. Wow! And the footage was so interesting to a history history nerd like me. Thank you so much for adding sample pictures to fill out the samples of styles that each decade or so included! Well done!

[@robyn3349]

A very fun look at shoe styles! I saw many style 'repeats' that I wore in the late 1960s and 1970s. (My 'fashionable' years.) After that, I was concerned about not falling down whilst carrying babies. Now I wear 'minimal' shoes and am concerned with foot health - as defined in the current era. Thank you.

[@Lazydaisy646]

Yes! I thought the same

[@suzannelawson9215]

Do you remember the T-strap shoes that were popular in the 1960's & early 1970's? Not sure how long they were popular after that.

[@cinemaocd1752]

Your collection is amazing. This is the best kind of museum tour: I'm wearing insulated track pants and sipping tea on my couch. I have a crazy question about 1920s women's boots. I recently acquired a wearable pair of women's Chippewa lace up boots. They have 19 eyelets. I can't even find a chart for how long the laces would be. They are super similar to the American Duchess Bessie and the Redwing Gloria, currently the single mosted expensive boot Redwing makes. I brought them to the Redwing store in MN and they advised against leather because too thick. But I can't think what else bootlaces would be made of. They came with horrible rotted wrong shoelaces. No clue where to begin to look for anything like period correct. What would you do, Nicole?

[@NicoleRudolph]

The braided shoe lace (flat or round) has been around for a long time. The key differences are fiber (cotton and silk vs synthetic) and aiglets (metal vs plastic). There should be a number of high quality manufacturers out there for cotton boot laces with metal aiglets/tips still today! Just make sure they're long enough.

[@cinemaocd1752]

@@NicoleRudolph Thanks. That's great info. I will search for those. :D

[@tammiebroggins]

Leather cord . It comes in fine to thick . Try crazy crow trading post

[@dawnkindnesscountsmost5991]

(Disregard if you've already found your boot laces) To measure the length you'd need for your boots, use an inexpensive ¼" wide ribbon that is often sold for $1 to $2 at a craft or dollar store. Then: • cut a yard (3 feet/36"/.9 meters) of ribbon from the spool • put a boot on your foot • lace the boot with the ribbon • make the ends meet evenly • tie as you would regular laces • trim any excess off of each end of the ribbon • remove the ribbon from the boot, and measure its length You'll want boot laces no shorter than that measurement. Depending on the boots and wearer's taste, colorful ribbon laces could be a fun look.

[@JuliaShalomJordan]

What a treasure trove!!!!

[@c.s.7266]

Shoes from the Edwardian era through the early 40s are my favorite. Lovely collection

[@TheMetatronGirl]

Seeing the way each style leads into the next is so interesting. I love those sexy curves on the early twentieth century shoes! Thank you for sharing your beautiful collection.

[@juliettedemaso7588]

Elaborate vamp cutouts are my favorite design element on shoes. The perfect compliment to the natural shape of the foot; sexy, sultry, classy, practical, elegant.. swoon! 😍

[@kizpaws]

Very informative video; you have definitely done all your homework! Thanks so very much! ♥

[@emylee4130]

Those embroidered Oxfords are dreamy

[@sadurkee5]

I want them SO bad!!!!

[@emylee4130]

@@sadurkee5 I genuinely want to learn shoe making because of this channel and all the amazing makes and examples.

[@edwinmiranda8174]

Amazing. U should make more videos When I was in Venice. There is a museum called museum of fashion. So there are fashion of shoes , dress, for men an women, furniture, perfume. What I love most was the shoes and vest for men from the 1700, 1800 ,1900 . So make ur museum of fashion. I'm sure people would love to pay for it. People will not have a judgement rather a better understanding how shoes were developing in different centuries

[@CraftQueenJr]

Thank you! I’ve been hunting for information for 1888 shoes for a current project, this has some useful stuff for how to research.

[@Hiker_who_Sews]

I'm so glad that the algorithm suggested your channel to me. Thank you for showing your collection.

[@charlesperez9976]

That is a SHOCKINGLY impressive collection! And,I don’t know anything about shoes! I just love history,history of anything,so I thank you for sharing your collection!😊

[@TheLballou]

My fantasy for today is to visit the BATA shoe museum in Toronto, with you along as a guide. I learn so much from you every time I visit your channel. Thank you for the research you do, and for being such a very good teacher!

[@shirleykathan-sayess5764]

Fascinating!!! Thank you. ❤️ Shirley

[@audrey5941]

I love shoes, so a video on the history of shoes had me scrambling for snacks so I could enjoy the topic properly. So fascinating! It got me thinking about something quite unrelated and that is the Lizzie Borden story, and the crime scene photos. There is a pic of the step mother on the floor and the soles of her shoes are visible. I’ve always-as a shoes person- been interested in how flat and square the soles of her shoes were. That event occurred in 1894, so now I’m trying to figure out if her shoes were fashionable at the time… or out? How embarrassing to be murdered in out of date shoes! 🤪

[@shawnalynn5198]

As someone interested in true crime and fashion, I loved this comment ❤️

[@CountessKitten]

They likely are dated, or out of style. Andrew Borden was horribly frugal and never splurged his HUGE BANK ACCOUNT for any of the women in his life. The day The Bordens were murdered, they'd eaten ROTTEN, PUTRID MUTTON STEW FOR BREAKFAST FROM A WEEK EARLIER. The maid had had an argument with the step Mother that morning about washing the windows because the maid was actually ill from the putrid mutton! She tried to get out of it, uncharacteristically, but Mrs. Borden did not relent. She forced the maid to work sick that morning.

[@lillyrose3545]

Same.

[@zoetasia5138]

Thank you! I’ve always been interested in historical dress, particularly shoes. I’m pretty much gobsmacked that you make your own.

[@cherylvanepps66]

The bow rosette on the 1861 boot reminds me of: we bought large pom poms to adorn the toes of our white rollerskates- fashion circling back in the early 1980s.

[@rebeccaturner8340]

Ahhhh!!!! You have a Perugia! I am so jealous. Beautifully done as always

[@emilycanfield2634]

I really love the shapes of the actual shoe! They seem to have a lot of space for toes, and more flexible than current shoes today. Idk why designers think we have to sacrifice comfort for style.

[@bellablue5285]

The 1850s-1860s Oxfords are beautiful, I'd wear those today. Though as someone with high arches, I'm curious how arch support worked, or if high arches just weren't a thing back then Edit: also heels which are centered on the heel - I don't admittedly know why those went out of favor, but dagnabit, I'm 5'10", those are so much more comfortable than centered only on the back of the heel

[@NicoleRudolph]

Arch support is not just from the sole, but from the entire shoe historically. Because they are tightly fitted with a narrow waist, the upper leather/fabric holds tight to the foot and essentially creates a suspension bridge by way of holding on to the top of your foot!

[@bellablue5285]

@@NicoleRudolph Appreciate the response! I think I follow in principle, next time I'm looking for shoes I'll have to see if I can find something closer to that construction (I basically live in sneakers at this point, and the support isn't great for long). Also just wanted to say the 1890s beaded pumps, also gorgeous. So many pretty examples!

[@cattycorner8]

@bella blue I am a fan of Stuart Weitzman exactly because their heels are centered, as you said. Sooo much more comfortable!

[@spiralpython1989]

@@bellablue5285 And that’s why ballet shoes (as opposed to fashion ‘ballet flats’) are comfortable; nice narrow waist and a firmly fitted upper, and the low front is counteracted by the firm ribbons as seen in pointe shoes. I see many women weightlifters in flat converse shoes, and they complain about no arch support, whilst I ‘flit’ about the weights room in leather soft ballet shoes.

[@jewelse1975]

Lovely shoes! I think I wore some similar in style in the 90s; more rounded toe, the straps with buttons, eyelets on boots.

[@lauraguglielmo]

This video is such a treat, I love seeing originals from eras I don't know much about! I liked the contrast between the two 1860s examples, it feels like time travel :D

[@lanawaldron6819]

Love your collection of shoes. Thank you for sharing them with us. Your knowlege is very impressive!

[@carly3500]

So nice to see someone who has an appreciation for things gone by. Thanks for rescuing and caring for these gems. It saddens me that Antiques have fallen out of favour. When furniture was built to last, the fine craftsmanship, the quality and care that went into each piece. Everything today is made by machine out of press board and has no soul or warmth.

[@kthippie6004]

Great video! Thanks for sharing the history of these unique shoes. Fascinating.😁🥰😘

[@elisabethmontegna5412]

I’m not sure what it is exactly but something about the pointy 1890s boots reminds me of fashionable cowboy boots from the 1980s. Maybe it’s the super pointy toe or perhaps the squiggle lines decoration. I love all of your shoe episodes. I don’t know, there’s something just very relatable about shoe fashion through the decades. It’s much easier to imagine what it would be like to wear 19th and early 20th century shoes on an everyday basis than it is to imagine what it would be like to regularly wear dress fashions from those same periods.

[@annseabolt6645]

I love shoes. I used to wear high heels almost every day. Back in the mid 80’s to mid 90’s we had to dress up at work and I had heels in many colors. Probably around 20 pairs and wore suits or dresses to work. Within the next 10 years office attire became much more casual as did our footwear.

[@reneew8082]

Beautiful shoe collection…. Thank you for sharing your wisdom… great video

[@PamComorski]

Love ,love,loved this video amazing history thanks so much for showing your collection,

[@AliceMayHallow]

Thank you so much for sharing this lovely collection! ❤️

[@stanleytines]

Thank you Nicole! This was an exciting collection to see. I have a collection of antique combs from 1820s- 1920s. You may have inspired me to make a similar video.

[@irishbeauty8908]

I didn’t realize I would ever be so fascinated with shoes. I feel like I learn a text book with these videos and I love it!

[@kimmaedke2763]

I love that last pair from 1923. I love the Art Deco era.

[@ghostsandcoffee126]

Okay but that strappy 1923 shoe though! Love that curve from the heel to the front. Love shoes with that lovely curving. It's so flattering!

[@titian-red]

I've been saving this video for when I could watch it in full, uninterrupted, and I'm glad I did! Such a satisfying and well-done video! Thank you!

[@FlybyStardancer]

It’s so fascinating to see the way the shapes flow from one to the other!

[@renee6989]

1850-60's really upped the shoe quality game

[@a_leaf]

Thank you ❤ This explains why some countries and societies are still emulating the styles from 1800s. Shoes tell you so much, and they really do influence the mind and the rest of the day!

[@TVhelmet]

Those white, elastic-sided, ankle boots from 1867 have so much in common with mod style shoes you'd see in 1967.

[@a.mie.533]

What a wonderful lively "hands on" presentation! I've never seen anything comparable before and am absolutely intrigued! Thank you for this time travel!

[@jojotrust1838]

This video is amazing, I have my own pair of Victorian leather boots ~1890 that I’ve worn too many times that they are starting to show lots of wear. Love the history of everyday objects, and love how much care and art you put into this video!

[@denisf.1744]

Hi Nicole,I have to say this is an awesome nice collection of circa1800’s and 1900’s women’s shoes,and this is a great collection with the video you put.together with good narrative information you provided as a good narrator,and i say keep up your good work,and keep more videos coming,lovin’it, thank you😘😊Denis

[@roismireag]

In the last cream shoes, how high is the heel, I love shoes, especially the older ones. Yes it is very nice to be able to see all around the shoe, especially with someone who can explain what to look at. Thank you. I don't live very far away from the Bata Shoe museum, in Toronto, Canada, but haven't been able to get there yet.

[@annetteboyd8940]

I could watch shoes all day .thanks for another great video!!

[@deniseyoung3738]

Wow! Thanks for this great overview of shoes! I love the 1910 gold shoes and would wear a pair like that!

[@grumpy_bait]

Hi, I was wondering if you could do a video on historical men's shoes. I'd understand if you don't necessarily have physical representation but it would be nice to see your take on them. I like the way you explain/present any items in fashion. It's very direct and easily understandable.

[@jeanetterule5420]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ BRILLIANT!! 5 out of 5! I love shoes, but never thought about their history. Fashion and practicality played a part. So informative!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ My feedback, the first pair of shoes I think were made of “kid” leather. I believe it was the skin of baby goats. It was also used for those glamorous long white gloves. Another later pair you called suede was likely the same leather. It was Extreme soft and molded to the foot or hand. This was an awe inspiring study of the development and history of shoes and I just can’t say enough about how wonderful it was. I’d totally enjoy another one like this describing the names of the parts of the shoe. Also, If you could design the most comfortable and stylish shoes or boots, what would they be? Thank you Nicole for a fantastic KZbin adventure!!! 👠🥿👞👢👠🥿👞👢👠🥿👞👢👠🥿👞👢👠🥿👞👢🥿👠👞👢 I love shoes. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜❤️🧡💛💚💙💜❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 I’ll say it again. I love shoes. ☺️😉👍😌👍

[@melissaelphinstone1354]

I love comparing the styles to the modern day shoes I have. Ballet flats made out of suede with scalloping or boots with decorative buttons.

[@robintheparttimesewer6798]

What a lovely collection!! I’m in love with all the boots and at least a half dozen shoes!!

[@venus_envy]

Your dress is from Voriagh! I recognize it! I am trying to make one by hand inspired by it. How cool to see it worn by someone, the pictures on their site are a little dark, so this was a great find. Also very interesting about the shoes, thank you for actually collecting them so we could see how they feel/move, that's not something I've ever seen before but I have wondered about it.

[@nancybaumgartner6774]

This lady does a wonderful job with this subject. So much better than politics !

[@jenniferkirchoff8820]

I love how wearable all the heel heights are. So practical but also beautiful. I would wear almost all of them. I wish we could buy modern versions of these in mainstream shops.❤

[@robinsiciliano8923]

This is really interesting. Thanks for sharing your collection. It’s fun to try to imagine each pair as they looked brand new.

[@elizabethhannah4704]

Thank You very much. That was extremely interesting.

[@ginalou5774]

Thank you for that fabulous TEDtalk. Those shoes were all gorgeous

[@allygarrison295]

I always learn so much from your videos!! When are you going to create an online class on historical shoe making?!! I would so be in!! I’m dying to make my own historical shoes, but have no idea where to begin.

[@elizabethsaltmarsh8306]

I love the use of the music from Coppelia, which I just caught as I was pausing to write this :) I'm wondering if something like your 1870s pair is what Louisa May Alcott was referring to in An Old-Fashioned Girl when Polly buys a pair of bronze boots. I always assumed they were somehow actual bronze but of course that doesn't make any sense. If so, thanks for making that passage make a bit more sense.

[@rejoyce318]

I missed Coppelia (I only recognize the Mazurka, tbh), but I recognized many of the composers's music that was popular in each of the eras (Chopin, Johann Strauss, Elgar, Satie, etc.).

[@elizabethsaltmarsh8306]

@@rejoyce318 I danced in Coppelia, so that one is pretty familiar to me. Well done with not only recognition, but realizing why those pieces of music were selected. I hadn't put that together!

[@rejoyce318]

@@elizabethsaltmarsh8306 I was a music major in college, tbh :)

[@angelmaden1559]

Those 1850’s oxfords! 😍

[@SarahGreen523]

Yes! My jaw dropped and I drooled a bit as I gaped at them.

[@Canuck13]

Beautiful video. Thank you

[@abrilbedoya9274]

Loved all the shoes! But 1865 boots are so cool! I would totally wear

[@claudiamandini]

Loved this exposition!!!!!!🥰♥️♥️♥️ Best regards from Venezuela, South America. I myself, discovered 35% of Irish blood from my mothers side of my DNA. My other half is Italian 100%🤣🤣🤣 Many warm huggies from this far spot of the world!!!

[@raraavis7782]

Fascinating stuff! I didn't know, you could just collect stuff like that - I guess, I kinda assumed, whatever examples of historical shoes were still in existence, were already in some museum or other. What good luck for us, that that is apparently not the case! This is so much more informative, then just looking at these items sitting in a glass case!

[@GiftSparks]

It is so interesting. She just collected stuff that interested her. It was probably affordable because people may have just considered them to be junk. The collection has incredible value in its own right due to the historical context she adds.

[@MissHazeleyed96]

Nicole, would you be able to do a video on when and how house shoes/slippers became a cultural norm, and if there is a historical reason why Americans wear shoes indoors while other countries refuse? Would love to see your take on this! :)

[@NicoleRudolph]

I actually don't think it's very historical! House shoes and slippers were VERY popular well into the 1960s (Daniel Greene brand for example, or the image of fetching slippers for "the man of the house"). My best guess is that it developed as athletic and casual shoes became the everyday norm. It makes more sense to remove the "uncomfortable" shoes you've been in all day. But I think it's between the belief that wearing athletic shoes is better for your feet than non-structure/less supportive options, even around the house, and the loss of the separation of house areas (front public rooms vs private space) as modern American homes were built at alarming rates over the last 50 years.

[@bridgetthewench]

It's always shocking to me that other Americans wear their outside shoes in the house, because.... Why do they want to track rain/snow/dirt/mud all over the house? It just seems so gross to me. I like to lay down on the floor in the living room or bedroom sometimes, but it would feel disgusting to do that if I were to wear my shoes through the house.

[@marylyn5965]

@@bridgetthewench I agree. My family wears slippers in the house. I was taught at a young age to do so by my mom and her family. Also, we keep a basket of slippers by the front door for guests to wear when they come into visit. This was, of course, before Covid.

[@bellablue5285]

@@bridgetthewench I have inside shoes and outside shoes, because a) hardwood floors wreck havoc on me without the support, b) I have an open main kitchen/dining/living room space (shoes removed before entering the bedrooms), and c) I have two dogs and my dogs are usually in the open main area. I have a fenced in backyard so I'm able to control some level of what they're exposed to (and obvious whether or not their paws need to be wiped down), but long and short of it, the floors will only be so clean in that main space.

[@1015SaturdayNight]

@@bellablue5285 I have rheumatoid arthritis and hardwood floors, so I must have supported feet inside the house!

[@Orochimaru741]

I love your collection! This is such a fun and interesting video. Thank you for sharing 😊

[@Emnms68]

Having worn a pair of straight-last shoes, yes they to become right and left after a bit of wear, but until that point it’s super confusing to put them on. You can wear them once for a few hours and the next time you go to put them on, if you haven’t marked which foot you wore them on last time, it’s hard to tell. So you can put them on the ‘wrong’ foot and they will feel a bit weird, so you switch feet and they still feel a bit weird because they feel a little like wearing your shoes on the wrong feet until they form into being left and right with wear anyway. You have to kind of guess which foot it feels less slightly weird to wear it on and hope for the best, because you want to continue shaping the shoe to fit the right foot.

[@pheart2381]

Ballet dancers mark R and L on their shoe sole. If you do this with pencil by the time its worn off your shoes should be visibly left and right. Or you could pencil a tiny l inside the left shoe. I do ballet exercises and have a handy bunion so I can tell my left shoe quite easily!

[@amandajane8227]

I got rid of a pair of boots with this problem. i just hated putting them on and then they didn't feel right.

[@barbaraferron7994]

I was told at a 17th century historic museum that people would alternate which foot they wore the shoes on so that they would last longer.

[@SomewhereInIndiana1816]

Really cool to see this! Thanks for sharing 😊

[@ellegy22]

The 1905 black shoes with cut-outs and beads are the most beautiful shoes I've ever seen. I really hope to own something like them someday :)

[@ritalawson7020]

There are beautiful bridal shoes with lace and pearls and flowers and ribbons in similar styles

[@meghannevans2411]

This made me so happy. I love looking at all the extant examples of historical garments

[@MsGreenmermaid]

I loooove the bronzey purple pumps from the 1870's 😍😍

[@carolelve3808]

Thank you! I love shoes and loved learning about this.

[@dawnagamble1549]

Wow I really enjoyed that,thank you for sharing 👍

[@sophierosebisou8420]

Amazing collection! Very informative! I know what brogue detailing refers to now! Thank you! Subscribed!

[@marymary5494]

Your knowledge and your collections are such a valuable resource here on KZbin.

[@truthseeker1546]

Fascinating info, and beautiful shoes. Wonderful presentation; thank you for sharing!

[@uleubner]

I am very curious as to how shoes worked for people with wider feet. I've seen your episodes where you explain how surviving shoes tend to be the narrow and short sizes. But looking at all of these shoes, absolutely none could be scaled up to fit my feet. By the time the widest point fit the widest point in my foot, it would be an inch or more farther from the back of my heel than was needed. (Size 6 in length, average width at the heel, just about twice as wide at the end of my little toe, and no more than 1/2 inch longer in total length. Hobbit feet.) Do you have any examples of genuinely wide shoes? Any research on how people with wider feet managed? I'm turning 50 this year. Since I was 15, I've had exactly two brands/styles/sizes of shoes that fit, and when the first was discontinued, it took me a couple of years to find another that worked. Yet my feet are healthy, because I only will buy shoes that fit. (I lost a job for this reason. My shoes didn't match their style standards. No shoes that fit did. But because my feet were healthy, because I wouldn't buy shoes that didn't fit well, I couldn't get a doctor's note that my feet were unhealthy and I needed an accommodation. Preventing problems from badly-fitting shoes didn't count.)

[@nancybaumgartner6774]

I would have been euthanized 100 years ago! No shoes for my size 10 clod hoppers !

[@MelindaMc]

My grandma who was born in 1900 had big feet like myself size 9 1/2 Wide. But there are pics of her in the roaring twenties wearing her flapper beaded wedding dress with pointy t-strap beaded heels.

[@withelisa]

Similar question! I have size 5 feet, but 3x wide. I once emailed a historical shoe maker who was adamant that I would be able to stretch the softer leather to fit my feet. But if course the return policy wouldn't cover stretched shoes so I didn't want to risk the purchase. Many of my living relatives have very wide feet as well and just say it's always been a struggle. Some ordered custom.

[@withelisa]

Also, so funny you say "Hobbit feet". I've used that same descriptor over the years haha

[@aiai-j7i]

@@withelisa Same, haha! Especially because I also have short toes...

[@alyssaworklightbourn9059]

Absolutely love the concept you had for this video and the shoes you showed! Fascinating! If you do any further videos like this, can I please request that you show a little bit more of the top of the shoe in the opposite side as well as the back. I found myself having drastically more time spent looking at the soul of the shoe for most of these examples. That is still fascinating, but I would like to see more of the top and different angles of the shoe please. But I really loved your video

[@bonniehancock8081]

I loved seeing and hearing about the different shoes.

[@beatrizmedina_mabe]

Great collection! If I could, I would remake some of these for me, mainly the 1910s and 1920s ones.