Mother Nature Children's Shoes
Clothing/Dress/Costume
1910-1918
RE-CL-2026-0012
Shoes
Boots
Shoes
child
Boots
Shoes
Unisex
Leather
Cotton
Black
Construction & Materials Upper: Black leather (likely calf or kid) Closure: Cloth uppers with white porcelain/glass buttons Sole: Leather, stitched and pegged Interior: Textile lining Toe shape: Rounded child’s last Heel: Minimal, appropriate for early walkers These are early 20th-century children’s button shoes, designed for toddlers or very young children. The use of fabric uppers with leather soles is typical for children’s footwear of this period—lighter, flexible, and economical.
Chicago Mail Order Company
circa 1910 – circa 1918
20th Century
Printed lid: “Mother Nature Footwear for Children” Slogan: “Scientifically Designed and Carefully Built to Guide the Tender Feet in the Way They Should Grow” Advertising insert for C.M.O. (Chicago Mail Order Co.) paints Company founded 1889 Clear mail-order catalog era graphics
Description
Children’s Shoes with Original Box United States, c. 1910–1918 Leather, textile, glass buttons, printed cardboard These early twentieth-century children’s shoes were sold through mail-order catalogs by the Chicago Mail Order Company under the “Mother Nature” brand. Marketed as “scientifically designed” to support healthy foot development, such shoes reflect Progressive Era concerns with childhood welfare and modern parenting. The survival of both the shoes and their original retail box is exceptionally rare, offering valuable insight into early consumer culture and children’s everyday dress.