Shoes. Culture: probably British. Date: 1795-1805.At the end of the 18th century, fashionable Europeans turned to ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration. Women's dress was radically simplified in emulation of historical styles, and numerous fashions developed which made reference to those of the past while maintaining at least some regard for the contemporary standards of decorum and functionality. These "sandals" were inspired by Classical footwear and would have complimented the neoclassical fashions of the period. While what we now think of as a sandal (a sole secured to the foot with straps) is documented in a few illustrations from the Neoclassical period, the wearing of such flesh-baring footwear was considered by most to be beyond the limits of decency. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.