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    The Netherlands - Patent leather ladies’ shoe with silver buckle

Dutch traditional attire is in most cases strongly related to the fishery community. Fishing villages like Scheveningen, Urk, Marken and Volendam until today attract many tourists from all over the world for their colourful sights. Some more inland communities however, like Rijssen and Staphorst also maintain their century-old cultural habits until today. Not for the tourists but for their way of life based on strict religious beliefs. A common factor for all traditional costumes in Holland however is footwear. It is either the famous wooden shoes mostly worn on weekdays or the black leather shoes with silver buckles for festivities and Sundays. Above is an example of such a shoe originating in Staphorst. The hallmark on the buckle dates it to 1917.

     
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 200820092010
   
         
Research and text by : W.A.H.M. Habraken-Oosterhout-Holland
Illustration by
: Colin Ball - Waalwijk - Holland