American Historical Ephemera & Photography, Featuring Property from the James Milgram, M.D., Collection of Broadsides, Ephemeral Americana & Historical Documents

Pair of wooden-soled shoes with leather uppers and iron toe plates. "Horseshoe" toe and heel cleat plates attached to bottom of sole with large nails. Overall length approx. 10 1/2 in. with 1 in. heel. 

Next to the food shortage, the shortage of shoes was one of the most pressing problems for the Confederate Army. Southern manufacturers utilized wooden soles and iron heel and toe plates to keep their armies shod, though individual brigades and divisions were known to make their own shoes resulting in a variety of styles of Confederate footwear. Of the 266 known patents issued by the CSA government, 7 were for wooden-soled shoes. 

Consignor relates the shoes were acquired from a Fort Worth, Texas, estate.