Adopt an Object – beautiful wedding boots

Want something a bit different to give as a present, perhaps for Christmas? Did you know you can help Horsham Museum & Art Gallery by adopting one of a dozen objects?

The money raised through this scheme helps fund important projects at the museum, such as the conservation of our collection and the purchase of important objects. You can set the adoption up to give as a present for someone else.

All the details can be found on our Adopt an Object web page.

In the run-up to Christmas we will be looking at the 12 objects in detail, and this week we look at the Wedding Boots.

This elegant pair of women’s calf length wedding boots, from around 1880, are made of white silk and calfskin.

They have a silk covered 4.5cm Louis heel, with a side fastening, scalloped button piece with nine pearl buttons and decorative top stitching.

They are part of a wedding outfit that the Museum has in its archive. The accompanying dress(pictured below) has a high neck with upstanding, lace trimmed collar.

Wedding boots began to appear in the Regency period (between c1795 and 1837); before this they were mainly delicate slippers.

When Queen Victoria arrived on the scene, though, many women and fashion designers looked to her for inspiration.

She favoured a boot, usually with an elasticated side, and so brides-to-be were soon following suit.

Fashion styles drove technology and so the boots became more sturdy and with decent heels. Plus they were more intricate in design, often with a row of buttons as seen with our example.

The boot design is still a popular one among brides even today, with a host of designs and styles available.