Silver shoe buckles like these were worn by both men and women in the 18th century. Shoes had straps, or “latchets”, that crossed over the instep and were fastened by the buckles. Shoe buckles came in oval, square and rectangular shapes. They could be plain metal such as iron, brass, pewter, silver, or gold. Many were decorated such as these, with designs in the casting. Others were set with clear or colored stones, precious, semi-precious, and paste.