Pattens

Unknown

late 18th century · leather, wood, metal · Costume Institute

Walking on rough unpaved or cobbled streets was perilous business in the thin silk-covered shoes of the 18th and early 19th centuries. This pair of overshoes is a rare and interesting combination of the two styles worn at the time, the clog and the patten. The clog was essentially a thick sole made to conform to the bottom of a shoe, with straps securing it to the foot. The patten consisted of a wooden sole elevated on an iron ring. The hobnailed leather pads and serrated iron ring suggest that this pair was made for icy winter conditions.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 18th century

Medium

leather, wood, metal

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Brooklyn Museum Collection