Let’s go shoe shopping with Martha Washington and discover what kind of shoes a young, chic Virginian would have purchased in the 18th century.
Before Martha Washington married then-Colonel Washington, the dashing gentleman planter and rising young military star, she had been Martha Dandridge Custis, a twenty-seven-year-old widow with access to a vast fortune. Before her wedding to Washington, Martha would have experienced a flurry of preparation; this includes writing a letter to request a most significant purchase—her wedding shoes.
Custom Couture Shoes
Similar to watching what comes down the runway during Paris Fashion Week, wealthy women in the American British colonies looked to London to delineate the latest styles and sought the best craftsmen to make them, just like intentionally choosing well-known designers today.
Upper-class colonists like Martha Custis ordered footwear from London knowing that bespoke, or custom-made, shoes would be on-trend and of the highest quality. Only the wealthy could afford shoes made to their specifications and by doing so, women like Martha consciously aligned themselves with the tradition of the British gentry.
Martha Custis Washington's wedding shoes, worn on her marriage to George Washington on January 6, 1759. Silk, linen, leather, metallic lace and sequins, and wood. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
Similar to watching what comes down the runway during Paris Fashion Week, wealthy women in the colonies looked to London to delineate the latest styles.
A Fashion-Forward Bride
Sitting down at her writing table, Martha Custis would have penned a letter to a London agent who would handle the purchase of her wedding shoes for her, describing with great care the fabric, color, and size she desired.
The shoes she ordered might surprise you. If you’re thinking pilgrim-hip and made from the back end of some cantankerous cow—not quite. Martha Custis’s glittery wedding shoes were haute couture, equivalent to today’s most exclusive, stare-at-me stilettos. Crafted from lush purple silk and couched with sterling silver braid and spangles, these heels were show-stopping. And because they would only demurely peep from beneath a long silk petticoat, their secret seductive power was heightened.
Throughout their marriage, Washington regularly placed orders for Martha's shoes through a London agent. Shortly after they wed, George Washington ordered Martha “the most fashionable colored silk shoes” at her request.1 On another occasion he placed an order for “satin pumps embroidered with gold.”2
Perhaps these glitzy heels, adorned with shimmering metallic threads, would have complemented a specific gown Martha had in her wardrobe. Or possibly, gold embroidered heels were the “it” shoe of 1764.
In her 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond, Mrs. Washington was clearly concerned with the latest trends—and her societal position. In the 18th century, imported silks were the most exclusive and luxurious textiles. Sporting such finery was an open declaration of social rank and the buying power of one’s purse.
Young Martha Washington, ca. 1904. (Library of Congress)
Martha Washington and Wedding Fashion
"Martha Washington" reminisces about her wedding day and the fashionable attire that marked the occasion.
Martha's Wedding Shoes
ca. 1750-1759
Martha Washington's Wedding Shoes, ca. 1750-1759.
Elegant lines: A side view showcasing the tip of the shoe. Note the stitched white rand running close to the base of the sole.
The front of the shoe, lappets extended.
Inside the tongue of the shoe. Silk brocade lining.
Another view of the side. The shoes are purple silk, covered with a lightweight mesh called crepeline as part of our efforts to conserve and care for ...
Buckled to Perfection: The two lappets, as shown here, would have been inserted into a buckle that would secure the shoe over the foot.
Note the delicate detail of the pattern, visible on the back of the heel.
The sterling silver spangles and couching (embroidered stitching) creates a swirling design of flowers and trailing lines.
A peek inside tells us that the lining of this shoe is kid, or the extremely soft tanned leather of young goats.
When she married George Washington on January 6, 1759, Martha Dandridge Custis is said to have worn a "petticoat of white silk interwoven with silver," a gown of "deep yellow brocade with rich lace in the neck and sleeves," and these lavishly embellished shoes of "purple satin with silver trimmings." The combination of expensive, imported yellow and purple silks with silver and gold decorations would have produced a regal appearance that conveyed her elevated social and economic standing.
Objects of the Washington's Unalterable Affection
Join Associate Curator Amanda Isaac as she presents items from the Mount Vernon collection that celebrate the Washingtons' love and marriage—including Martha's wedding shoes.
Martha's Shoe Collection
Surviving invoices tell us that Martha had these types of shoes in her closet:
| TYPE OF SHOE | DESCRIPTION |
| Slippers | A light, slip-on shoe with no fastening constructed of silk or thin leather, meant only for indoor wear at balls, parties, and other social events. Also called "mules". |
| Gloshes | An overshoe fastened to the foot to protect the main shoe. Also referred to as "galoshes". |
| Sandals | A kind of overshoe; more open than clogs or galoshes. |
| Pumps | A light shoe with a snug fit and no fastening; a low-heeled shoe. |
| Clogs | A leather open-toed overshoe or sandal worn to protect the feet from mud and dirt, usually with a wooden sole. |
George Washington, Invoice of Sundry Goods to be Ship'd by Robt. Cary, Esq., and Company for the use of George Washington, May 1759. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
Getting the Right Fit
The General, always fastidious with details, wanted to ensure that his overseas shoe purchases would be fulfilled to his expectations. In many of his instructions to his agent, Washington noted the specific size of his wife's shoes—the “smallest fives”3 or “large fours.”4 According to the calculations of modern experts, this means that five-feet-tall Martha Washington would have been a contemporary shoe size 7.
However, making sizing requests would sometimes be of little benefit. On a 1761 order for Martha’s shoes, Washington noted that “those sent last year were too narrow over the instep and rather too short.”5 In another instance he recommended that the shoemaker alter the fit to be “broader in the soles and not so straight over the toes as they were last year.”6
And if there would be any question as to the size of his wife’s foot, the General sent one of Martha's cast-off shoes to the shoemaker in London to ensure that new shoes would “…be made by the shoe sent (having Martha Washington wrote therein) by Gresham at the Crown in Covent Garden who is desired to keep the shoe by him to save the trouble of sending a measure every year.”7
As modern shoe shoppers know, sometimes a purchase just doesn't work out. On March 15, 1789, George Washington again wrote to his broker: “Mrs. Washington’s slippers and clogs have come safe to hand, the latter, however, are not as she wished to have… and will, by the first convenient opportunity, return the clogs to Mr. Palmer and get a pair of galoshes.” Thomas Palmer, a shoemaker whose shop was at 74 Chestnut Street in the main shopping district of Philadelphia, 8 probably re-sold Mrs. Washington’s returned custom pair to a middle-class shopper.
18th-century foot-measuring device from the collection of master boot and shoemaker D.A. Saguto.
Advertisement for shoemaker Jno. Didsbury of London. George Washington regularly ordered shoes for Mrs. Washington from Mr. Didsbury through a London agent. Image courtesy Al Saguto.
Fashionable Shoe Styles of the 18th Century
The styles that on-trend women (like Martha) would have worn...
Women's shoe. Blue satin with silver lace, ca. 1750-1760. Image (c) The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Martha Washington purchased shoes from London shoemaker Gresham. Shoe: Women's shoe. London, England. ca. 1750. Silk damask. Maker: Gresham at the Cro...
Said to be worn by a woman who danced with George Washington, these shoes were made by John Hose, London and worn in America, ca. 1760. Brocaded silk ...
Brocaded silk slipper with leather heel, ca. 1770s. Image (c) The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Overshoes, ca. 1790-1810. Leather. Made in Europe. Image copyright (c) The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image source: Art Resource, NY.
Women's "Grecian" sandals, ca. 1792-1795. Black and white/yellow kid. Image (c) The Bata Museum, Toronto.
Clog, brocaded silk with applied silver trim, 1730s. Image (c) The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Closet Envy
Martha Washington possessed an impressive shoe collection which would have been far above the norm in the founding era—in England or America. Records outlining her shoe purchases from 1759 to 1773 indicate that she bought approximately six pairs of shoes per year. In 1757, British political economist Joseph Massie calculated that “two pairs of shoes for each person upon average may well be taken for the median annual consumption of shoes.”9
Just like today’s array of sandals, wedges, and wellies, in the 18th century different shoes suited different needs, both stylistically and practically. According to records of her purchases during her marriage, Martha Washington owned slippers, “gloshoes”, sandals, pumps, and clogs; evidence that she was an active, energetic woman who engaged in a variety of social and outdoor pursuits.
Reproduction women's shoe made by apprentice milliner and mantua-maker Sarah Woodyard of the Margaret Hunter Shop at Colonial Williamsburg.
What Were 18th-Century Shoes Made From?
| TYPE OF FABRIC | DESCRIPTION |
| Satin | A very smooth and shiny material generally made from silk |
| Calimanco | A worsted (made from wool yarn) fabric with a light sheen |
| Calf | Soft, fine grain leather |
| Silk | An expensive cloth woven from threads sourced from silkworms |
| Everlasting | Sturdy, closely woven fabric, usually in black; often used for ladies' shoes |
| Stuff | General term for worsted (made from wool yarn) fabrics, or any shoe with a fabric upper |
| Chamois leather | Porous leather known for its softness |
| Velvet | Fabric with a pile; made of silk, wool, or cotton fibers |
| Morocco leather | A soft, pliable leather usually made from goat skin and dyed in a variety of bright colors to imitate leather from Morocco; often used for ladies' shoes |
Shoe buckle, which may have been worn by Martha Washington, ca. 1760 - 1780. England. Silver, glass, and iron. Gift of Leila Garnett Burdett Daingerfield in the name of Edward Abbott Burdett. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
This silver buckle was likely acquired by Martha Washington during her first marriage to Daniel Parke Custis, and may have been used by her to accent a sash around her waist or fasten a shoe. London, England, ca. 1740-1760. Silver, glass, and gold. Purchased with funds donated by Mrs. William H. Borthwick, Vice Regent for California, and Mr. Borthwick, 2008. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
Freedom of Fashion
As the talk of independence from England rose to a fever pitch, women of all social strata in colonial America began to feel compelled to patronize local trade shops. With patriotic fervor came a call to action, and in the 1760s non-importation agreements blocked English trade in the colonies. As a result, American shoe production skyrocketed. After the war, these shoemakers began to develop a luxury market that directly competed with England.10
Extant invoices of Martha Washington’s shoe purchases from London cease after 1773. Invoices resume in 1784, describing Martha’s shoe purchases from American tradesmen in Philadelphia, signaling the dramatic shift from the colonial mercantile system to the birth of a new nation.
After the United States won its independence from England in 1783, Martha continued to purchase shoes from American shoemakers and merchants, a sign of the new nation’s growing economy. Certainly, to many fashion-forward American women like Martha, being able to purchase stylish shoes in one’s own country would have indeed been “the pursuit of happiness.”
Before the importation of British luxury trade items was halted by the colonies' non-importation agreement, George Washington purchased these fine garnet earrings from London for his wife Martha in December 1760. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
About the Author
Dr. Cynthia E. Chin is an art and material culture historian of early America and Britain in the 18th century, specializing in dress, textiles, identity, and collecting.
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Footnotes
[1] Washington, George. Invoice of Sundries to be Sent by Robert Cary and Company for the Use of George Washington, 9/1759. The Writings of George Washington, 2:330,331.
[2] Washington, George. Invoice of Sundry Goods to be Sent by Robert Cary Esqr. and Company for the Use of George Washington, 10/12/1761. The Writings of George Washington, Colonial Series, 7:77, 78).
[3] Washington, George. Invoice of Sundry Goods to be sent by Robert Cary Esqr. and Company for the use of George Washington. Abbot, the Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, 7:164, 165).
[4] Washington, George. Letter to John Didsbury, 8/10/1764. The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series. 7:321.
[5] Washington, George. Letter to John Didsbury, 7/20/1797. The Papers of George Washington, 2:464.
[6] Washington, George. Letter to Clement Biddle, 1/20/1789. The Papers of George Washington, 30:182.
[7] Abbot, The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, 9:65
[8] Abbot, the Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, 7:287, 293).
[9] Reillo, Giorgio. A Foot in the Past: Consumers, Producers, and Footwear in the Early Eighteenth Century. London, Oxford University Press. 2006. 22.
[10] Reddick, Meghan M. “American Shoe Industry, 1715-1785,”. in Clothing and Fashion: American Fashion from Head to Toe. ed. Mary D. Doering. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, forthcoming.
Additional Resources
Baumgarten, Linda. Eighteenth-century Clothing at Williamsburg. Williamsburg, VA: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1986. Print.
Baumgarten, Linda. What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America: The Colonial Williamsburg Collection. Williamsburg, VA: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Association with Yale UP, New Haven, 2002. Print.
Brady, Patricia. Martha Washington: An American Life. New York: Viking, 2005. Print.
Garsault, François A. De and D. A. Saguto. M. De Garsault's 1767 Art of the Shoemaker: An Annotated Translation. Williamsburg, VA: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 2009. Print.
Haulman, Kate. The Politics of Fashion in Eighteenth-century America. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina, 2011. Print.
Montgomery, Florence M. Textiles in America: 1650-1870: A Dictionary Based on Original Documents, Prints and Paintings, Commercial Records, American Merchants' Papers, Shopkeepers' Advertisements, and Pattern Books with Original Swatches of Cloth. New York: W.W. Norton, 1984. Print.
Riello, Giorgio. A Foot in the Past: Consumers, Producers and Footwear in the Long Eighteenth Century. Oxford: Pasold Research Fund/Oxford UP, 2006. Print.
Special Thanks
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Bata Shoe Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Elizabeth Todd and The Shoe Hive in Alexandria, Virginia, and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and their experts Linda Baumgarten, Al Saguto, and Sarah Woodyard. Header Image Credit: (c) The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Used with permission.