Chelsea boot
The ankle boot with an elastic gusset in the side, made for Queen Victoria.
Vulcanised rubber, which Charles Goodyear patented in 1844, made it possible to weave elastic bands. Queen Victoria’s shoemaker Joseph Sparkes Hall made a boot with elastic gussets that was easy to put on and take off.
The boot was popular in the 19th century and returned with swinging London in the 1960s, when the Beatles wore a version. Today it is made by the finest shoemakers and is a classic.
Materials: Leather, elastic band of rubber and fabric
Manufacture: Made by shoemakers in London from the 1850s; since then made everywhere.
The shaft without lacing.
The elastic gusset in the side.
The pull tab at the back and the low heel.