Boots. Culture: American. Date: 1855-65.For the feminine foot, the ankle boot was the dominant outdoor footwear from the 1830s to the 1870s, a convention which continued to the 1920s for winter wear. This pair of boots - with the low straight top, side lacing, and squarish toe - is typical of about 1860. The side lacing was standard from the 1830s until gradually being replaced by front lacing in the 1860s. The small heel and abbreviated heel foxing are minor concessions to practicality in an otherwise very thin and flimsy shoe. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.