Shape 03 · anatomy of an icon
The button boot
Victorian precision
A row of tiny buttons turned practical footwear into a carefully considered fashion object.
Button boots fitted closely around the ankle and usually fastened at the side. Their many small buttons often required a special buttonhook. Dressing took time, but produced the smooth, controlled line admired in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Many pairs combined two materials or colours: dark leather for the foot and lighter fabric for the shaft, for example. Even though much of the boot disappeared beneath a skirt, it remained a refined expression of taste and craftsmanship.