Heart in Heels

Pair of heart heels / cast brass / c. 1870s

Rare and wonderful new old stock cobbler’s brass heels with silhouette hearts for ladies’ boots, c. mid-19th century.

I heard about an antique example of heart-heeled footwear some time ago and searched the known world for a period example, to no avail. The idea of heart-shaped feminine footprints in the mud and slush of Victorian streets seemed too good to be true. And then quite by chance, I found proof that those footprints once criss-crossed streetscapes: A small collection of those elusive brass heels, unused by the shoemaker a century and a half after their casting.

Given their cross-hatched casting for traction, it seems likely the heavy-duty brass heels were intended for winter boots to contend with icy sidewalks. They look just as well tacked onto a wall.

From my research, one apocryphal story purports that women who wore such heels could safely proposition men in the street by instructing them to follow their heart-shaped footprints home. It’s an idea too absurd not to be true.

Price is per pair. Multiple pairs available.

Condition

New old stock brass with aged patina.

Measurements

Approximately 2 inches long

Shipping

Free in the continental United States. If an international buyer, please contact me for a shipping estimate by clicking here.