File:Post medieval leather shoe (FindID 192396).jpg

English: A modern leather child's shoe originating in eastern Europe, with copper alloy buckle and rivets. The number 2 is stamped on the sole.

June Swann comments: "This is quite a sophisticated 1-piece strap shoe for a child: the hole in the sole at the toe and wear at the heel implies it has been worn. The front and back seams are thonged, making a T-back seam, and with the end of the thonging from the front seam continued round the top edge for reinforcement. The zigzag edges at the V-shaped throat and toe edge of the thonging would have been cut with a special iron tool. There is also leaf- and crown-shaped impressed decoration, requiring stamps. The instep strap was slit at the retaining end to incorporate in the top edge thonging, unlike our medieval way of attaching them. The oval buckle to fasten is presumably brass, and has raised knob decoration, a smaller version of the three studs decorating the front seam thong. The size '2' stamped on the sole is late 19th century onwards. The stiffness of the leather is due to having been wet, though would not originally have been much more flexible.

The style, workmanship and impressed decoration resembles 19th century shoes from the Balkans, though whether from Greece, Albania or the old Yugoslavia area I cannot say for certain. It's the sort of souvenir frequently brought back by tourists, children's shoes have a special attraction I never quite understand. Some people bury old shoes in the garden to keep away pests - or of course it may have belonged to an immigrant or serviceman in World War II."