Shoes

Shoes with an arched sole and heel emerged at the end of the sixteenth century, a novelty that was to become a predominant feature of men’s shoes in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. During the reign of James I (1603-1625), masculine court fashions became particularly flamboyant and stockings and shoes became a key focus of attention. The shoes of the wealthy began to be decorated with large bows, rosettes, or “roses.” The rise of France as an international fashion center under Louis XIV (1643-1715) promoted the popularity of French court styles. Shoes were adorned with decorative buckles, a style that remained highly fashionable until the 1780s. Buckles were bought as separate items and by the late eighteenth century they were available for all tastes and pockets, from sparkling precious stones for the wealthy, to plain steel, brass, and pinchbeck for the lower orders.

New shoes became more accessible to the middle classes in the eighteenth century, owing to relative increases in incomes and new manufacturing methods. The development of large workshops, which produced ready-made shoes by hand helped to make shoes more affordable. (Encyclopedia Of Clothing And Fashion, Shoes, Men’s)

The “macaronis” of the 1770s were a reaction against [the new clothing style of the 1760s in Europe]. They wore very thin shoes with enormous buckles made of gold, silver, pinchbeck or steel and set with real or imitation stones. (Laver 139)

Pinchbeck [is] an alloy of copper and zinc where the zinc only comprises about 15-20 per cent of the total metal, which then resembles gold. Introduced in the early eighteenth century by Christopher Pinchbeck, a London watchmaker, and named after him. Used for simulating gold in making less expensive jewelry. (Encyclopedia Of World Costume, Pinchbeck)