Men's Shoes

• Men's shoes were crafted from stitched leather sidepieces and a leather sole. A wooden heel and a big brass buckle were often added to round out the Colonial design. Around 1730, shoes with rounded toes became stylish, replacing the older square-toed shoe. For the most part, everyday shoes tended to be low cut, but a Colonial gentleman might buy a pair of riding boots that rose past the ankle.
  
  

Women's Colonial Shoes

• During the Colonial era women sometimes wore fancy dress shoes crafted from silk or linen. Leather shoes were also worn by women of this time period.
  
  

The Wooden Last

• In Colonial times, a shoemaker worked on a wooden foot model, constructing the shoe around the carved piece of wood, which was called a "last." A Colonial shoemaker would have many lasts of different sizes in his shop.