Laars van lichtbruin kalfsleer c. 1925 - 1935

This light brown calfskin leather boot was crafted by Dorndorf. Boots like these speak to the social and industrial history of shoemaking, mirroring broader trends in production and consumption. Before the mid-19th century, shoemaking was largely a craft. The rise of factories transformed this, introducing mass production, and fundamentally changing labor practices. Shoe factories often employed women and children at lower wages. The ready-made footwear became available to a growing middle class. These shifts had implications for social mobility, consumer culture, and the overall economics of fashion. Understanding an artifact like this requires delving into diverse resources such as trade journals, factory records, and sociological studies of labor. Through careful study we can explore these boots as a potent artifact of social and institutional change.