Although this pair of women's shoes in brown brogued suede have the shape and general style of normal women's shoes at this time, their heel and construction point to a different history.
The heels are 11.5 cms high - much higher than normal shoes. The instep, the part under the foot, is very high, and the angle of the heels makes them difficult to walk in. Combined with their thin synthetic material sole with no platform, and poor quality of manufacture, it is thought these are fetish shoes, made in the East End and marketed to prostitutes. Their respectable styling would make them a discreet addition to the shop stock and eventually, the customer's wardrobe.
They were found among unsold stock when Rose, a shoe shop in Middlesex Street, Aldgate, closed down. A German-Jewish family had run the shop, which sold men's and women's shoes, from about 1917 to 1976.
