In Van Gogh’s paintings, there are a lot of shoes as a single subject of the work.
Not quite sure why Van Gogh has such an interest in shoes, when I take a look at his works, I certainly do not know enough about the art of painting, but it is quite fun to talk about shoes.
Shoes, September-November 1886
This painting would have been Van Gogh’s first work of shoes, a pair he bought second-hand from a flea market and then wore after walking through a muddy road.
This boot is still available in a similar style till this day, and the most eye-catching part is definitely the hook at the very top of the laces.
If worn badly, it will look like the one in the painting.
Dirty old shoes, January-February 1887
This pair of Chelsea are pretty fucked up, the soles are also worn out, and the elasticated straps are fully spread.
Van Gogh liked to paint these objects, and perhaps people, that had endured the ravages of life.
This Chelsea has a feature that you don’t see on current shoes. Chelsea haves pull ring on the back for pulling them apart when worn, but these shoes have them on the front as well, what the purpose of this is not clear to me.
Shoes, summer of 1888
These shoes were painted by Van Gogh in Arles, France, and are speculated to be the shoes of Escalier, a peasant he painted many times in his works.
As we see it today, it’s more of a suede Chukka boot with Crepe sole.
A Pair of Leather Clogs, autumn of 1889
These shoes were worn by Van Gogh when he was recuperating in Saint-Remy, France.
It’s very much like a traditional Italian slipper-style loafer.
Name Unknown, unknown year of creation
The biggest features of these boots are the bumps on the soles as well as the spikes on the heels.
These bumps in the forefoot can still be seen on golf shoes.
The abrasion-resistant studs on the back heel are functionally great in my opinion, however they can only be found on Vintage US shoes now.
