Pumps

The Osgood collection comprises 179 objects, chiefly fashionable Italian-made women's shoes dating from the years 1954 to 1958. The shoes were collected by Charline Osgood, Director of the Kid Leather Guild, a trade organization of American kid leather manufacturers. Highlighting the use of kid leather in footwear, the collection provides a fascinating and enticing view of high-style European shoe design from the period, representing many of the finest and most inventive Italian makers.
Osgood noted that this was "one of the hottest shoes on the Continent" and its influence was evident in the work of other designers. In retrospect, the theme of square shapes, wider toe, and movement away from the severe stiletto heel is prescient of 1960s styles.