The ad shown here, from Ladies Home Journal in June 1904, features a shoe style available in both lace up and button styles. This type of shoe was widely worn by women during the Victorian era through the Edwardian era, when long dresses were the style of the day. Showing ankles in public when lifting your dress to cross a muddy street or when climbing steps was inappropriate for a proper lady so high-top shoes were imperative. Even lower cut versions still covered the ankle.
The high-top button styles required a special implement to pull the numerous tiny buttons through the eyes on the shoes, which were are more akin to ankle boots, or "booties," by modern standards.
See page 2 for 1920s styles.
