Survivor: Much Worn, Much Mended, Embroidered Antique Red Leather Doll/Child Lace Up Shoe hand puppet Or perhaps the five spikes

Or perhaps the five spikes for its body served some other practical function

and a perfect English-American hybrid

with a small loss to the top edge of the box at one end such the slide lid is not completely tight

but is pretty perfect just as it is

Survivor: Much Worn, Much Mended, Embroidered Antique Red Leather Doll/Child Lace Up Shoe hand puppet Or perhaps the five spikesI had to rescue this one, long ago having lost its mate, which I have to guess deteriorated to the point of no return! This soft leather bootie was mended and mended and mended again, with the combination of its original construction, black hand embroidered details along the front, and all the hand stitched mends in black and brown thread yielding what feels to me quite a singular and poignent object. I might hang it on the wall (or rear view mirror!)