Manchu Banner Shoes

Manchu Banner Shoes

　　Manchu women favored wearing wooden-soled shoes, reflecting the ancient custom of their ancestors to “carve wood into footwear.” By the early Qing Dynasty, these had evolved into high-heeled, wooden-soled women’s shoes, especially popular among noble Manchu women. Manchu women generally did not practice foot binding and often had natural feet, typically wearing wide and roomy banner shoes. These embroidered banner shoes featured low vamps, short fronts, pointed toes, and were historically called “high-bottom shoes,” also known as “inch shoes.” They were highly distinctive. The soles were made of wood, usually one to two inches in height, with pointed vamp ends that curled upwards, resembling the shape of a boat bottom—hence they were also called “boat-bottom shoes.” Later, the height increased to three or four inches, with the tallest reaching around five inches, making up roughly half the length of the shoe. The soles were wider at the top and bottom and narrower in the middle, or wider at the top and narrower at the bottom in a trapezoidal shape, with a wooden cushion in the midsection. The wooden soles typically came in two styles: one was a horseshoe shape with a flat front and round back, leaving a horseshoe-like imprint when walked on, hence called “horseshoe-bottom shoes”; the other was wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, shaped like a flowerpot, thus named “flowerpot-bottom shoes.” Both were considered high-bottom shoes. These shoes were part of formal attire for Manchu women, usually worn during ceremonies or rituals. Those who wore them were mostly noble young women over the age of thirteen or fourteen. When dressed up, these women, wearing wooden high-platform shoes shaped like little boats, moved with delicate grace and elegance. The 30th chapter of the Qing Dynasty novel *Heroes of Sons and Daughters*, titled “The Bride Startled by a Thief, the Drunken Elder Craves Fish-Scale Tiles,” describes how wearing these shoes made one “hold their head high, chest out, and back straight,” while walking with a “click-clack” sound. This vividly brings to life the vigorous demeanor of Manchu women, and even today, we can still admire their grace on stage or in films. The decoration of these shoes was intricate—in another passage from *Heroes of Sons and Daughters*, it is written: “She came outside, took out a small red packet from her bundle… The Golden and Jade sisters took a look and saw on a tray a pair of large red satin flat-gold embroidered A-pattern brocade-soled ‘Hundred Bats in Flowing Clouds’ three-and-a-half-inch high-bottom fully-vamped banner-style double-faced shoes, along with a pair of fish-white labeled cloth socks…” The uppers of banner shoes were often made of colorful silk or satin, embroidered with vibrant designs, and sometimes adorned with various jewels. In addition to embroidery or decorative pieces on the vamps, the midsection of the wooden sole was often decorated with embroidery or beads. Some shoes even featured tassel-like cords woven from silk threads, hanging down to the ground. The wooden heels were wrapped in white cloth, and the soles were usually coated with white powder, commonly referred to as “powder soles.” The high wooden soles were very sturdy—often, the upper might be worn out while the sole remained intact and reusable. Wearing these shoes with a cheongsam accentuated a tall, slender, and graceful figure, adding unique charm. However, walking in them required special training.

　　There are various theories about the origin of these high-bottom shoes. The first suggests that Manchu women, who preferred long cheongsams that covered the feet, wanted the hems to avoid dragging on the ground while still covering their feet, so they added tall wooden heels. The second theory holds that the high heels increased the wearer’s height, and the resulting shorter steps created a graceful, lotus-like gait that highlighted feminine beauty. The third theory posits that Manchu women often foraged in the mountains for wild fruits and mushrooms, and to protect themselves from snakes and insects, they bound wooden blocks to their shoe soles, which later evolved into the refined high-bottom shoes. The fourth theory is that the embroidered patterns on the shoe uppers were meant to be protected from mud and dirt, so the soles were elevated. Another legend says that Manchu ancestors, in order to cross a muddy swamp and reclaim a city occupied by enemies, imitated cranes by tying tall tree branches to their shoes, eventually achieving victory and reclaiming their land. To commemorate this struggle and the usefulness of the high shoes, women continued wearing them, passing the style down through generations and refining it into the elegant form seen later. However, the history of these high-bottom banner shoes is not particularly ancient—they only became popular around the time the Manchus entered the Central Plains, as recorded in the *Manchu Archives*. These records mention various types of boots but not high-bottom shoes, indicating that women still rode horses at the time. It was only when horseback riding declined among women that these restrictive yet fashionable high-bottom shoes gained popularity.

　　Middle-aged women gradually reduced the height of their shoe soles as they aged, and by old age, they typically wore completely flat-soled shoes. Ordinary working women also wore flat shoes. The flat embroidered shoes worn by elderly women and laborers, also called “cloud-net shoes,” were commonly referred to as “flat shoes” or “thick-soled shoes.” These were the everyday shoes for Manchu women. The soles ranged in thickness from eight-tenths of an inch to one inch, one and a half inches, or even two inches. The sole length roughly matched the foot size, with the front slightly tapered for easier walking. The shoe uppers were typically made of cloth or satin in various colors. Both the vamps and uppers were embroidered with floral patterns, embellished with colorful threads or beads, and often featured “cloud heads” on the toe area. These were considered casual, everyday shoes. Most Manchu women’s shoes featured embroidery on the surface, and the socks were usually made of cloth—lined with thin cotton in winter and worn as-is in summer. The socks were pulled up to the calves, with embroidered patterns on the soles and sometimes trimmed with various types of brocade.