1400s shoe

Date: Mid 1400s

Shoes with long, pointed toes, known as 'poulaines', were fashionable in the late 1300s. Although virtually all shoes at this time were pointed to some degree, it is likely that only the more fashion-conscious members of society wore such extreme examples. The shoe is fastened by a latchet - a leather strap passed through a pair of holes. This is one of a large group of shoes recovered from archaeological excavations at Baynard's Castle on the north bank of the Thames. It is thought that the group was discarded from quite wealthy households, since few of the shoes had been repaired. Some may even have come from the Royal Wardrobe, which lay to the north of the site.

Place of collection: Baynard's Castle, Baynard House, Queen Victoria Street EC4 [City of London]

Material: leather

Measurements: L 370 mm; W 107 mm

Source : Museum if London