Edwardian propriety dictated that ladies with wide feet or thick ankles should avoid boots with pointy toes or slender curved heels. Those possessing dainty feet with flat insteps were encouraged to choose lace-ups with a Louis heel. The beliefs that foot were more attractive in closefitting; smallish shoes caused many women to constrict their toes in tight, undersized footwear. “The uglier the foot the plainer and less obtrusive should be it’s covering,” proclaimed the popular London instruction manual, which further suggested that boots should be selected in accordance with one’s “personal defects and qualities.”

Vanity extended to the choice of construction materials as well as shoe style. Shiny materials, with their ability to attract the eye, were to be avoided by those individuals self-conscious about their feet.