Goody! Two Shoes.

Virginia has been voicing her disdain of homogenous, cheaply made footwear. I commiserate whole-heartedly with her as I firmly believe a man – or woman – should be both elegantly and comfortably shod when stepping out.

Yesterday a much anticipated parcel arrived containing the first of several pairs of reproduction eighteenth-century shoes and boots from American Duchess. Made in China, the quality of the shoes is natheless, astonishing (fig. 1) and after gambolling about in them for twenty minutes like one of the Bennets at the Netherfield ball, Virginia assures me they are exceedingly comfortable to boot.

Fig. 1. Virginia’s new red leather eighteenth-century style footwear. (American Duchess)

American Duchess also offers three styles of fairly convincing reproduction buckles to compliment their period shoes. Virginia ordered a pair of, again, very reasonably priced, imitation rhinestone buckles for every-day wear (fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Reproduction rhinestone shoe buckles. (American Duchess)

For special occasions, I have offered Virginia the use of a pair of genuine Georgian silver shoe buckles which belonged to one of my antecedents (fig. 3).

Fig. 3. Silver shoe buckles with steel bars, chapes and tongues, by Joseph Angell, London, circa 1818.

Jack Plane

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