Elizabethan Menswear
Shoes
During Elizabeth's reign, heels on shoes make their first appearance. The shoe had a long front decorated with slashings (often caught with jewels), and an oval toe which became almost pointed in the last years of this century. The style covered more of the foot and a rosette could be attached over the latchet (the top front of the area of the shoe that covered the sides and back of the foot, which extended into straps). The front of the shoe gained height until it became a tongue. The tongue of the shoe was often colored to match the clothes of the wealthy. This period sees the appearance of latchets, or laces, crossing over the tongue from either side. Well to do men often had
shoes with tapered toes decorated with slashing or pinking. The Italian pantofle and Venetian heeled slipper came into use as well. These were soft and lightweight coverings into which the foot was easily slipped.
Shoes of this period were made predominantly of leather that was either fine and soft, or rough, depending on the price. Special orders could be made for velvet, satin, silk or brocades. Cork was a popular material for soles. The first form of the heel was a cork wedge placed between the leather sole and upper, elevating the heel of the foot. This fashion soon evolved into a real heel. The new heels were
made of either cork or wood,but could be covered with the same fabric as the upper. Later, the heels of men's shoes were often made of leather. It was during this period, in 1579, that the Guild of Cordwainers, or shoemakers, was granted a coat of arms by Queen Elizabeth.
Boots
Boots were made of smooth or wrinkled leather, fittings were loose or tight, used for riding and walking. Close-fitting high boots (Gamache), generally with serrated tops and thick soles curving into a short heel, are features of this time. A short top-boot rising to the calf (Buskin) was also in use, mostly with a little fur edge at the top, and these were often pricked with patterns.
Other styles of shoe:
Startups - Startups were leather shoes worn as protective coverings for outdoor use
Pumps - Pumps were light, or single-soled slip-on shoes
Chopines - Chopines, or Chapineys, were slip-on over shoes made of wood and covered with leather
Clogs - The clog was an outdoor, wooden shoe
Corked Shoes - Corked shoes featured a wedge of cork between the foot and the sole
Galoche - A Galoche, or Galage, was a protective overshoe
Pantofle - A Pantofle came in two styles - a protective, outdoor overshoe and a slipper for indoors
Pinsons - A pinson or pincnet was a delicate shoe.
