Red Silk Tango Boots

Everyone should learn to tango in Argentina before they die.

 -- Ian McKeever

Going out this weekend? Dancing? Beware of the lascivious Tango warned the Ladies Home Journal in 1921! Shoes and boots like these, which usually featured criss-crossed laces, became know as Tango shoes in the early 20th century when the dance first flourished in America. The high, shapely heel flattered the ankle and leg as the dancer was "dipped" by her partner.

Red silk satin barrette style Tango boots are on view at the
Currier Museum of Art "Killer Heels" exhibit through May 2016
@Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada

These red, silk satin French-made “barrette/Tango boots” are in the collection of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto (http://www.batashoemuseum.ca) and date circa 1910s-1920s. Even if you do not fancy dancing, they just beckon you to have some fun, don’t they? In order to dance the Tango, the shoe needed to be well-fitted and secure. The lacing, or barrette-style straps, run up the ankle (and often the calf, as in this example) adding a provocative, sensual twist – appropriate for the dance itself.

The designer, Nicholas Greco, is responsible for some lovely footwear in the 1920s and 1930s. Extant examples may be found in collections including the Metropolitan Museum and the Shelburne Museum (http://shelburnemuseum.org/visit/), such as this pair of suede and grosgrain, circa 1930.

The red silk satin barrette style Tango boots are on view at the Currier Museum of Art "Killer Heels-The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe" exhibit through May 2016. Organized by the Brooklyn Museum. @Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada

Red Pumps With Moosehair Embroidery, 1850-1875

Red shoes -- what is it about red shoes? No matter what the style or the era or material - they hold our interest, perhaps more so than any other footwear (except maybe Cinderella's glass slippers.)

I recently came across this intriguing pair of mid to later 19th century pumps in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. According to the object label, they are a “Pair of red wool pumps with red leather covered Louis heel. The wool with Native American (Huron-Wendat) moosehair embroidery depicting colourful flowers.” Originating in North America, the maker is unknown.[1]

In the design, we see the Victorian style associated with footwear of this period – rich embellishment adorns the uppers with especially detailed ornament at the toe. The skill of the stitching for the red leather clad Louis or French heel is especially interesting in a time when many shoe makers were opting for a “knock on” heel. The shoes are well-made and the design, well-balanced and proportioned – a visual delight.

All images are courtesy of the Victoria & Albert Museum.

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O361127/pair-of-shoes-unknown/

[1] Additional reading:

Phillips, Ruth B., Trading Identities: The Souvenir in Native North American Art from the Northeast, 1700-1900. (Seattle & London, 1998)

A Red Like No Other: How Cochineal Colored the World: an epic story of art, culture, science, and trade, Padilla, Carmella, ed.. SkiraRizzoli, 2015

A Perfect Red. Greenfield, Amy Butler, Harper-Collins, 2005