Chinese children's clothing and accessories in the Qing dynasty and the early twentieth century were decorated with auspicious symbols to protect the child from harm.
Fierce animals like the tiger or the dog were featured on the shoes to frighten away evil spirits which mothers believed were hovering in the air all around, ready to whisk their precious child away. Most of the shoes were made to be worn by boys however, since girls were seldom valued in the family except to produce more boys.
Shoes for young children
Very young children wore silk bootees which sometimes had ties attached to fasten round the ankle to hold them in place. When the child was transported in a baby carrier worn on the bearer's back, these bootees looked most colourful viewed from the front as they approached.They were made of red, purple or orange satin, embroidered with a design of the four-clawed dragon, a protector from evil. Other designs were of the phoenix, fish or the deer. Often padded animals and birds were suspended above the toe on wires. Long coloured tassels hung from the front, together with multi-coloured pom-poms.
Animal Shoes, the Tiger, Dog and Pig
Like the other accessories like hats and collars, children's footwear was also made in the form of a dog, cat, tiger, or pig for the purpose of frightening away bad spirits. Large eyes to see evil lurking, large furry ears to hear it, and whiskers all helped to suggest the creature being represented.They were usually made of red cotton or satin, with a brightly embroidered vamp and padded cotton sole, often with a design of the lotus flowers, bats and the shou or long life character on the toes. Some shoes even had bells on the toes to produce an audible warning for the spirits.
Shoes for Older Girls
When a girl was of age she would begin to have her feet bound and to wear the tiny embroidered shoes, for few mothers would risk their daughters being unable to marry if they allowed them to have natural feet. Footbinding began when the girl was aged between three and twelve years.
A binding cloth, made of woven cotton or silk, was tightly wrapped around the foot, starting at the toes which were forced in towards the sole. The bandage continued around to the heel so that the toes and heel were forced towards each other. The feet were usually bound to a length of 5 inches; the ‘3 inch lotus’ was quite rare. Books on Chinese dress give much more detail.
Shoes for Older Boys
Shoes for older boys were made of satin with a thick white sole, similar to those worn by men. The vamp was sometimes embroidered with auspicious flowers and insects, and had a centre seam reinforced with leather which extended over the rigid sole to give sufficient spring for walking. Another style was made in woven straw, for wearing in the summer in the southern provinces.These little shoes can be found in markets in China, in antique shops in Hong Kong and around the world. Others are on display in the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, a fitting reminder of a world and a custom now gone forever.
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