The History Behind my Shoe Buckle Bracelets

Shoe buckles have a long history, dating all the way back to the 17th century, with its popularity peaking in the mid to late 1700s in Europe. Imagine Bridgerton-era ballrooms, with both men and women adorning their shoes with the most beautiful buckles they could afford.

 

Late 1700s French Costume Illustration (Getty Images)

I typically use two types of shoe buckles in my work:

Steel cut buckles were largely manufactured in England and France between the late 1700s, until about 1820, when they fell out of fashion. They were quite labor-intensive to create, as each individual steel stud was faceted, polished, and then riveted into a hand-pierced baseplate. While some of the buckles I use may date back this far, I believe most come from the resurgence of shoe clips that occurred in the early 1900s (this time, it was only fashionable for women.)

Examples of steel cut buckles (Getty images)

 

Paste (glass) rhinestones were invented in the mid-1700s. They were easier to cut and shape than diamonds and other gemstones, and obviously a more affordable option. Setting them into shoe buckles was only natural, with the high popularity of the trend in the late 1700s. Paste shoe buckles offered a less valuable “day-to-day” option for the wealthy, and allowed the less affluent to emulate the rich.
Again, the rhinestone buckles I find and use were more likely made in the 1920s and 30s, during the art deco era, but are still right around 100 years old! 

 

Paste shoe buckles, late 1700s (Met Museum of Art)

 

Showing off a variety of vintage shoe embellishments, circa 1928 (Hulton Archive/ Getty Images)

 

Vogue, 1925 (Getty Images)

 

Shoe, dated between 1909-1914 (Heritage Images, Getty Images)

 

Shoe buckle fashion, circa 1920s (Getty Images)

 

Own a piece of history, and shop my refashioned shoe buckle bracelets here.