Beginning in the 16th Century, men and women visiting the hammam, or communal bathhouse, in the Ottoman Empire commonly wore bath clogs – or «qabâqib» in Arabic. A trip to the hammam was part of everyday life, and originally bath clogs had a practical function: they were designed to raise the bather above the hot, dirty, slippery floor. In time, though, practicality was sacrificed on the altar of fashion – as attested by this improbably tall pair of wooden qabâqib used in 19th Century Egypt. Lavishly decorated with shell and metal inlay, they are 28.5cm (11.22in) high, making them the tallest shoes in the V&A’s new exhibition, Shoes: Pleasure and Pain. They would have ensured that their affluent owner could elevate herself above her fellow bathers.