Shoes

Hurd Shoe Co.

1935–49 · leather · Costume Institute

Reptile leathers came into use for footwear in the third quarter of the 19th century and were employed primarily for menswear until the later 1920s, when snake and other skins became fashionable on women’s shoes, particularly as trim material. Reptile looks were especially strong in the 1930s and 1940s, and leather stamped with a reptile pattern was commonly substituted for the genuine skins on more moderately priced footwear. This classic girl's Mary Jane is made unusually fancy by the inclusion of mock snakeskin detailing, emulating a common decorative scheme of adult women's shoes.

Artist

Hurd Shoe Co.

Date

1935–49

Medium

leather

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Kenneth S. Hurd, 1959