Tying of Footwear

As I understand it, shoes in the day were made specifically either to be buckled or to be tied. I’ve never found any pictures of originals made to be tied, but have given some thought to tying shoes made for buckles. Those for buckles have two straps over the instep which overlap. Those could be made shorter and have holes for laces in them on each side, or the straps could be made a little longer than that and then folded back on themselves and sewn. That would make loops on each side for laces.

Shoes were frequently described as being tied in the runaway ads of the day, usually just “with strings.”

The Pennsylvania Gazette
December 12, 1771
SIXTEEN DOLLARS Reward. RUN away,….black coat, red breeches, worsted stockings, old shoes, tied with strings;

The Pennsylvania Gazette
June 6, 1771
RUN away,….coarse speckled yarn stockings, and country shoes, tied with strings.

The Pennsylvania Gazette
June 19, 1776
RUN away….had on a white hunting shirt , much fringed, an old hat, one fine linen shirt, marked W.G. and one tow cloth ditto, tow cloth trowsers, two muslin stocks, old shoes, tied with strings.

The Pennsylvania Gazette
June 19, 1776
RUN away….a white hunting shirt , an old hat, a tow cloth shirt, brown thick cloth breeches, blue yarn stockings, new shoes, tied with strings.

Sometimes described as being tied with other things:

The Pennsylvania Gazette
February 5, 1794
One Hundred & Thirty Dollars Reward.
RAN away, ….and many other articles of wearing apparel which cannot be described, all of which it is supposed are in a leather or dark linen portmanteau, to which is affixed a leather strap, for the purpose of flinging round the neck, his shoes tied with ribbon.

The Pennsylvania Gazette
September 11, 1766
RUN away… a pair of old buckskin breeches, black yarn stockings, and shoes tied with thongs, one blanket coat

The Pennsylvania Gazette
November 15, 1775
FORTY SHILLINGS REWARD. RUN away ….a good felt hat, blue stockings, good shoes tied with straps, 

They did sometimes tie them although the shoes were made for buckles.

The Pennsylvania Gazette
September 28, 1758
RUN away...light grey Yarn Stockings, good Shoes, tied with Strings, though made for Buckles,

Men on the frontier didn’t always wear moccasins. Daniel Trabue was in the militia, stationed at Logan’s fort on the Kentucky frontier. On a trip from civilization back to the fort he and some others went hunting for bear, were ambushed by Indians and wound up in a desperate footrace back to the main group. He was wearing shoes, which occasioned this episode…
"My shews was wet and too big for me. I kicked them off and went pass them. I thought of the silver buckels that was in them which was worth $6. I turned around and reached them..."

Buckles were not always expensive, made of precious metals, etc. Rather the opposite among the servants and convicts which show up in the runaway ads.

The Pennsylvania Gazette

East Bradford, Chester County,
January 7, 1772.
FOUR DOLLARS Reward.
 ABSCONDED from his bail….old worsted stockings, and neats leather shoes, with brass buckles;

The Pennsylvania Gazette
May 7, 1772


FORTY SHILLINGS Reward.
RUN away….three pair of stockings, one blue and white worsted, one grey ditto milled, one white yarn ditto ribbed, strong shoes, with carved pinchbeck buckles,

The Pennsylvania Gazette

East Whiteland, July 6, 1772.
RUN away ….striped ticken trowsers, good shoes, large brass buckles,


The Pennsylvania Gazette

Philadelphia,
July 7, 1772.
RAN away….a pair of linen trowsers, half worn shoes, with block tin buckles.

The Pennsylvania Gazette

Pennsgrove Forge, Chester County,
August 10, 1772.

RUN away,….a new shirt of Russia linen, check silk handkerchief, new shoes, odd buckles, one brass, the other pinchbeck, and half the rim broke off;

Finally, not all shoes were shoes, but could still be tied.

The Pennsylvania Gazette
August 1, 1751
Run away ….a pair of grey ridged stockings, a pair of shoe packs , tied with strings,

I usually wear moccasins, but really enjoy wearing shoes on occasion. They hold up very well, mine are about 30 years old, I think, and I don’t baby them.

Spence

N.B. Neat photos, Keith.

I have a pair from Fugawee made from an outer and inner leather (liner) layer where trimming the flaps would disrupt the stitching. Ones made from a single piece of leather could be trimmed without a problem.
Even a Frontiersman of modest means might have a set of buckles...

To an extent - yes.

Those were the plainest buckles available - they come far more ornate if you are willing to pay...

I can see a noble Warrior such as yourself with engraved, gilded buckles with semi-precious stones...

You both are just dead on! :-)