Burial shoes

Here we have a selection of lovely shoes that were, as the box in the 3rd photo proclaims, practical. Because it did not matter whether they pinched the wearer's toes - just whether the funeral director could get them on swollen or misshapen feet. That was, and is, the main reason for burial shoes. Unless the family gives other instructions, funeral directors will provide any clothing and accessories that the family does not supply. It is no longer the custom, as it was in cultures where shoes were too valuable to relinquish, to bury the dead in bare feet. And as you can see, these vintage burial shoes now fetch a fair price above ground.