Description:Straights are shoes without differentation between the left and right foot. They were made from about 1600. During the 1790s right and left shoes were re-introduced because the now popular flatter shoe made it easier to create a mirror image. Straights were uncomfortable, but continued to be worn throughout the nineteenth century.
This pair of slip-on straights is made out of cream silk and is decorated with a silk bow and an intricate bead design. The beadwork has been sewn to net gauze and then attached to the shoe. The nap of the silk runs in two directions around the body of the shoe, allowing the fabric to catch light. The toe is decorated with a silk bow and glass beads. The insoles are labelled as "gauche" and "droit" (left and right in French). This pair has a low heel (25mm) which was particularly popular in the 1850s. These shoes have suffered some damage, there is evidence of repair and the silk has shattered and spilt is places. The shoes have been machine stitched and repaired by hand.
They are believed to have originally belonged to a Penkridge family.