When I suggested to our Editor that I would like to write about a museum dedicated to the history of footwear, she reminded me of the story of Saint John of the Cross, the great Spanish mystic, a member of the reforming branch of the Carmelites, who was imprisoned after he had encouraged members of his order to lead a simpler and more ascetic life, one that included forgoing footwear. This suggestion was not to the liking of the more worldly members of the order, who had no wish to be ‘Discalced’. In 1575 John was seized and imprisoned in a cell so small he could barely stand upright. It was during the nine months he spent in the darkness of this dungeon that he wrote his greatest work The Canticle.
In The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare puns the words ‘soul’ and ‘sole’. I remembered this during my visit to the Northampton Museum, which has a collection of ‘Concealed Shoes’, one of the fascinating byways covered by the exhibits. It has been suggested that unlike items of clothing, shoes retain the shape of the wearer, and because of this many people believe that they contain the spirit of the wearer. Concealed shoes have usually been discovered during restoration work to old houses and cottages, often having been hidden in parts of the wall nearest to doors and windows, or in the roof, perhaps to ward off evil spirits. A number of the ‘concealed shoes’ have been sent to the museum where some are on display. These are of particular interest to historians, because they tend to be shoes belonging to the poor, which would not otherwise have survived intact. Most of these shoes ‘are heavily worn and show evidence of multiple repairs.’ It is also possible that the concealment may have had been connected to the practice of witchcraft and magic rites.
In contrast, many of the display cases in the two galleries devoted to the history of footwear and shoemaking, glow and shimmer with inventiveness, colour, and glorious fun. The information provided by the curators is exemplary, revealing the extraordinary lengths that people are prepared to go to, in order to enhance their feet. Some of the historical excesses are distressing to view – in particular the tiny shoes worn by Chinese women whose feet were so cruelly bound from infancy – and others, such as Vivienne Westwood’s more extreme creations are, quite simply, daft. One learns how Moira Shearer wore out 25 pairs of ballet shoes during the making of the film The Red Shoes. Among the exhibits are, Turkish bathhouse shoes, toe-peg shoes from India, blue suede rock’n’roll shoes and even footwear for valued animals. On display are a silver satin boot for a dog with a sore paw, a pair of black rubber wellington boots made by Dunlop for sheep with foot problems, a sturdy leather boot worn by a pony, and another for an elephant.
Examples of present-day students’ work show that the future is in good hands; and I have a personal reason to be grateful to the famous Doctor Marten, a local man, whose sturdy shoes saved my feet when a car ran into me. ‘Doc Martens’ are in demand world-wide and until recently were made in Northampton, as the orthopaedic footwear supplied to the National Health Service, still is.
There are displays of expensive footwear for the rich and the royal, and many examples of the folly of those who have more money than sense. Most importantly, one learns something of the history of the shoemakers, descendants of the earliest cordwainers. (There was a street of cordwainers in the town by the 13th century.) In spite of the inexorable rise of mass production techniques world wide, Northampton remains a major centre for bespoke and beautifully crafted shoes. I don’t have space to do justice to such a fascinating collection, but for anyone seeking an enjoyable and informative day out, I recommend a visit to this unique museum.
You will not be disappointed and you will learn a great deal about the inventiveness, craftsmanship and skill of human beings.
The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is at Guildhall Rd, Northampton (tel: 01604 838111). It is open Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm; Sundays 2pm-5pm.Admission is free.
Cicely Herbert is one of the trio who founded and continue to run Poems on the Underground. Her poetry collection In Hospital (Katabasis 1992) describes her stay in London University College Hospital after a road accident in which she nearly lost a leg.
The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is at Guildhall Rd, Northampton (tel: 01604 838111). It is open Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm; Sundays 2pm-5pm. Admission is free.