Shoes

Hill & Novis

ca. 1935 · leather · Costume Institute

The "white buck" is an icon of flashy male footwear, and this high quality pair of bucks is a classic example of the style. True to form, the pair is cut in a full-blown oxford brogue pattern with robust perforated design. The name comes from the deerskin, or "buck leather", from which the shoes were traditionally made, although due to its tendency to yellow and its limited supply, "bucks" are more commonly made of sueded cowhide. The use of white leather for the welt (the strip of leather along the top edge of the sole) is an unusual detail which indicates the high quality of these shoes.

Artist

Hill & Novis

Date

ca. 1935

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 Michael Abraham, 1976