Victorian Era Boots
In Victorian era men wore boots which were fastened with buttons and hooks or with laces. Some of the boots even had elastic or spring siding so that putting them on and off was easier. Boots were typically designed to have pointed, narrowed toes with specifying at the edges. Some men even decorated their boots by covering them with spats.
Fashionable men wore tall leather boots over their breeches specially when the weather
The elastic sided boots continued to be in fashion till 1890s. One of the typical styles of 1880s was buttoned boots with cloth tops, which complemented the fashion of wearing short gaiters with knickerbockers while spats went along with more formal clothes.
Spats
Spats were usually in white, light grey or fawn. They had buttons on the sides and were fastened under the foot with the help of a buckle strap. Boots that had contrast top of kid or cloth tops, continued to be in fashion till 1920s along with spats. Till 1890s the colour of the boots and shoes were black or brown and white was introduced for summer wear by then.
Till 1890s, thinner soled elastic sided boots were worn by many men even for the evenings in place of pumps. However, from 1890s to 1920s, low cut pump made of patent leather which has a large flat bow made of grosgrain ribbon, was seen more common among men.