Slippers & Heels - Courtly Footwear of the 17th and 18th Centuries

Special exhibition on courtly footwear of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The heel of the courtly shoe played an increasingly important role from the 17th century onwards, as it was intended to visually manipulate and elevate the outer appearance of its wearer.
Like no other sovereign, the Sun King Louis XIV (1638 - 1715), for example, presented himself as a ruler by the grace of God on earth and was the undisputed role model with his shoe fashion. Hardly a man's shoe remained unchanged at this time.
Time without a heel, which was also part of the cavalier's wardrobe. A red heel symbolised the representatives of the high nobility.
For a long time it was considered lewd to show legs, feet and ankles. Exposing the ankle or wearing slippers with open heels outside the private sphere was associated in the 17th and 18th centuries with a call to
Sexual intercourse equated.
In the 18th century, it was impossible to imagine women's fashion without heeled mules. Made of precious silk and richly embroidered, they became status symbols for aristocratic ladies. They were used in the - at that time quasi
public - toilet worn in the boudoir, but also at balls and even outdoors.
The penchant for mules was promoted by French Oriental fashion in the 18th century. Highly curved toes were now all the rage. With the upheavals
of the French Revolution, which did not stop at fashion, not only heels but also mules faded from public view.
The Weißenfels Museum's shoe collection contains 120 shoe models that vividly illustrate the development of the courtly shoe between 1600 and 1820.
This is a precious part of the historical collection that has not been presented so comprehensively before. The special exhibition now offers the opportunity to make these holdings accessible to the public.