Delicate French footwear would not have been common in Taranaki and this pair of opulent calfskin and silk shoes would have turned heads.

The slip-on shoes with Louis-style heels are thought to date from the late 1600s to the early 1700s and feature a cream silk covering with an intricately embroidered flowing floral pattern in blue, silver and gold that continues on to the heels. The shoes have needlepoint toes and are fitted with Replica Rolex a white kid lining. They are designed as straights, which means they can be worn on either foot.

Taranaki Museum records show they were donated by a Miss Humphries in 1947, but their original owner and how they arrived in Taranaki are shrouded in mystery. Due to their age, much of the silk covering is missing and that which remains is fragile. They were painstakingly conserved in the mid-1990s after a generous fund- raising effort by the Friends of Taranaki Museum.