{"product_id":"rare-antique-high-cut-fetish-button-boots-ca-1900-victorian-edwardian-collector-s-footwear","title":"Rare Antique High Cut Fetish Button Boots ca. 1900 - Victorian \u0026 Edwardian Collector’s Footwear","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e\na {\n    text-decoration: none;\n    color: #464feb;\n}\ntr th, tr td {\n    border: 1px solid #e6e6e6;\n}\ntr th {\n    background-color: #f5f5f5;\n}\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRare Antique Fetish Button Boots, ca. 1900, Germany or Austria\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExceptional High-Heeled Antique Button Boots with Original Silk Lining and Remarkable Provenance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese extraordinary \u003cstrong\u003eantique high cut fetish button boots\u003c\/strong\u003e are a rare survival from the late \u003cstrong\u003eVictorian and Edwardian era\u003c\/strong\u003e, most likely originating from \u003cstrong\u003eGermany or Austria\u003c\/strong\u003e and dating to approximately \u003cstrong\u003e1900\u003c\/strong\u003e. While we confidently place them around the turn of the century, they may have been worn as early as the \u003cstrong\u003e1890s\u003c\/strong\u003e and remained in use until about \u003cstrong\u003e1910\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt an astonishing \u003cstrong\u003e85 cm (33.5 inches) in length\u003c\/strong\u003e, these boots are among the most dramatic examples of women's historic footwear we have encountered. Their elegant silhouette, extremely high shaft, refined craftsmanship, and pronounced heel create a striking visual presence that continues to fascinate collectors, fashion historians, and museums alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003efetish boots\u003c\/strong\u003e are constructed as classic \u003cstrong\u003ebutton boots\u003c\/strong\u003e, featuring a long row of closely spaced buttons that secured the shaft tightly around the wearer's leg. Anyone who has ever handled such footwear can imagine the daily ritual involved. Putting them on and taking them off would have been a lengthy process, often requiring a specialized button hook and considerable patience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Myth and Reality of \"Fetish Boots\" Around 1900\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday, boots of this type are frequently described as \u003cstrong\u003e\"fetish boots.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e This modern designation is closely linked to the perception of the \u003cstrong\u003e1890s as the \"Naughty Nineties,\"\u003c\/strong\u003e a period associated with changing attitudes toward femininity, fashion, and visual culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cstyle\u003e\na {\n    text-decoration: none;\n    color: #464feb;\n}\ntr th, tr td {\n    border: 1px solid #e6e6e6;\n}\ntr th {\n    background-color: #f5f5f5;\n}\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough these boots were not necessarily created for explicitly erotic purposes, their dramatic height, close fit, and elegant high heels contributed significantly to the growing cultural symbolism of women's footwear. During the late nineteenth century, artists, photographers, illustrators, and advertisers increasingly portrayed high-heeled boots as symbols of \u003cstrong\u003efemale sophistication, allure, and sexuality\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=us-ascii\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBut these boots were created for explicitly erotic and sexual purposes!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cstyle\u003e\na {\n    text-decoration: none;\n    color: #464feb;\n}\ntr th, tr td {\n    border: 1px solid #e6e6e6;\n}\ntr th {\n    background-color: #f5f5f5;\n}\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a result, the high heel gradually became associated not only with elegance and fashion but also with feminine attractiveness and erotic appeal. Many of these cultural associations established around \u003cstrong\u003e1900\u003c\/strong\u003e remain influential in modern Western fashion and popular culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is possible that these boots were worn with elaborate undergarments and period corsetry. Their exceptional height suggests they may have been secured with internal supports, garters, or other period methods of ensuring a close fit. Such interpretations remain speculative, but they illustrate the fascinating social history surrounding extreme and theatrical women's footwear of the era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginal Construction and Historical Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA particularly intriguing aspect of these boots is the discovery of \u003cstrong\u003eGerman-language newspaper fragments\u003c\/strong\u003e that had been stuffed into the toe areas. Unfortunately, the paper had become extremely brittle over time and disintegrated during removal. The fact that these fragments remained inside the boots for so long strongly suggests that they had not been disturbed for many decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe interior is lined with \u003cstrong\u003elight-colored silk\u003c\/strong\u003e, a luxurious material that has naturally darkened with age and shows expected signs of wear from use. The boots were clearly worn during their lifetime rather than being merely decorative pieces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral buttons have been replaced over the years, yet importantly these replacements were made using \u003cstrong\u003eperiod buttons\u003c\/strong\u003e, preserving the authentic historic character of the boots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA small hole measuring approximately \u003cstrong\u003e2 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e is present in the leather on one side of one boot. Apart from this minor issue, the leather remains remarkably well preserved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother distinctive feature is the attractive \u003cstrong\u003escalloped upper edge\u003c\/strong\u003e, a decorative design element often encountered in high-quality Austrian footwear of the period and therefore supporting a possible Austrian attribution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVery Good to Excellent Antique Condition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsidering their age of well over one hundred years, these boots survive in a truly remarkable state of preservation. Most comparable examples display significantly heavier wear, structural damage, or extensive losses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe silk lining exhibits expected age-related darkening and wear, several buttons are period replacements, and one boot has a small hole in the leather. Nevertheless, the overall condition remains exceptional.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are almost inclined to describe these boots as being in \u003cstrong\u003eexcellent condition\u003c\/strong\u003e, an assessment rarely justified for footwear of this age and fragility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeasurements\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLength:\u003c\/strong\u003e approximately \u003cstrong\u003e85 cm (33.5 inches)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhy Collectors Love These Boots\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCollectors of \u003cstrong\u003eantique fetish fashion\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eVictorian clothing\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eEdwardian footwear\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ehistorical corsetry\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003emuseum-quality costume pieces\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003erare high-button fetish boots\u003c\/strong\u003e value such examples for their extraordinary combination of craftsmanship, rarity, social history, and visual impact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFew surviving boots capture the atmosphere of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as vividly as this remarkable pair. They stand as powerful reminders of an era when fashion, femininity, craftsmanship, and cultural imagination intersected in spectacular ways.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Antique Gown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62708757135747,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0913\/1897\/6899\/files\/01-antique-high-cut-fetish-boots-1900.jpg?v=1790495389","url":"https:\/\/www.antique-gown.com\/products\/rare-antique-high-cut-fetish-button-boots-ca-1900-victorian-edwardian-collector-s-footwear","provider":"ANTIQUE GOWN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}