Chinese Bound Foot Shoes

Also known as lotus shoes, these tiny shoes were made in China for a woman with bound feet, during the late 19th Century. The sole is made of layers of cotton and cloth pasted onto a wooden board and the upper is made of embroidered silk.
Big feet were seen as ugly so a woman skilled in foot binding would start binding girls feet when they were between 5 and 7 years old. They would be bound frequently over a period of about 2 years until they were the ideal size of 3 inches. The heel needed to be full and round with the big toe coming to a thin point.

Northampton Museums