Size 42 Loafers

Today, vintage and designer shoes by the likes of Chanel, Gucci or Versace are integral to completing your carefully orchestrated street-style or evening ensemble, but footwear wasn’t always the big deal it is for your average Adidas Yeezy enthusiast.

The decorative floor-length gowns that upper-class women of the 18th century wore meant that their shoes, then likely featuring high curved heels finished with woven or embroidered silks — a sharp contrast to the heavy, rudimentary form of the era’s footwear for men — were partially or entirely obscured by the base of their ornate dresses. What good is fashion if it’s tucked away?

Our modern age’s legions of sneakerheads might have trouble tracking down a pair of black-and-gold vintage Jordans but can at least fill their dream closets with original Adidas Gazelles or 1980s New Balances if they put the time in, while 1990s-era Prada pumps or a good pair of mid-20th-century jewel-tone heels in satin or silk haven’t lost their allure with today’s nostalgic fashionistas.

A pair of shoes can commemorate an achievement, mark an important trip overseas and is sometimes a rich manifestation of a hard-won physical feat. Whether they’re Hermès sandals, Off-White ankle boots, ivory-leather-and-pink-daisy heels by sublime shoemaker Manolo Blahnik or Louboutin platform pumps, you can find your next pair of legendary luxury vintage shoes today on 1stDibs.