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Description
Original Antique 1898 magazine Ad for SOROSIS, “The New Shoe for Women,” offered by A. E. Little & Co. of Lynn, Massachusetts. This 2.5 x 2.5 inch advertisement features a detailed illustration of the Sorosis women’s shoe, promoted as a high-quality alternative to custom-made footwear.
The ad highlights perfect fit, multiple styles (button or lace), and the offer of a free catalogue. Priced at $3.50, Sorosis shoes were marketed as a premium product “made from the finest black kid and swellest shades of tan.”
Written text from the ad includes:
“Catalogue Mailed Free.”
“Introductory orders delivered free of express charges.”
“The illustration given is from a direct photograph of the shoe.”
“Some are mannish in shape, all are perfect-fitting.”
This is an authentic 1898 magazine clipping — not a reproduction.
Fun Fact
Sorosis Shoes became one of the earliest nationally recognized women’s shoe brands in the United States. Founded in Lynn, Massachusetts — the “shoe manufacturing capital” of the late 19th century — Sorosis emphasized comfort, fit, and fashion at a time when mass-produced women’s footwear was just starting to evolve. Their catalog mail-order system made stylish shoes available to women across the country decades before modern retail chains.
Collector Appeal
Excellent for collectors of:
Antique fashion & footwear ads
19th-century women’s apparel
Lynn, Massachusetts shoe industry history
Victorian mail-order advertising
Early 1900s retail & catalog ephemera
Features
Brand: Sorosis
Company: A. E. Little & Co.
Type: Magazine Ad
Year: 1898
Location: Lynn, Massachusetts
Subject: Women’s shoes
Price Listed: $3.50
Size: Approx. 2.5 x 2.5 inches
Original: Yes
Condition
Strong, clean printing with minor natural toning. No major tears or defects. See photos for details.
