Description

Shoe: One black leather shoe found in wall at 446 Fifth St, Red Wing when the house was insulated. The sole is multiple layers of leather. Shoe nails cover the entire exterior sole and there is a horseshoe nailed to the heal. The shoe upper is made with two pieces of leather. There is no tongue, but a leather tie joins the quarters about mid foot. The interior quarter surrounding the heal is reinforced. The shoe is very stiff and worn.

Research has it that a shoe found in a wall is called a "Concealment Shoe". This was an old English tradition that was brought from England, and was said to keep a household from bad luck. The shoe most of the time was placed near a weak spot in the walls.