Shoe (Chopine)
1590-1610 Italy
Silk, metal

“While this single chopine is very typical of the form in design and decoration, the blue color is less commonly seen than red or green. An additional feature of note also found on many other surviving examples is the leather sock lining with incised pattern of concentric squares.” 

Shoes (Chopines)
1550-1650 Italy
Silk, metal

“The chopine was a tall clog worn in primarily in Venice to elevate the lady above both the dirt and the hoi polloi of the street. While relatively few shoes survive from the period of the 15th to 17th century, chopines are inordinately represented in museum collections as they were saved most probably due to their outlandish peculiarity. This exemplar illustrates all the classical characteristics of this specialized form: red or green velvet covering, lobed platform sole trimmed in gold lace with hobnails, gold braid edging, shirred ribbon trim on the vamp, and beard-like tassel below the open toe.”