Wooden sole that screws into the boot or shoe and has a metal blade underneath. Openings to allow the straps to attach to the boot.

Handcrafted.

The object reflects an activity traditionally practiced in Quebec. More specifically, the object reflects the practice of ice skating, a popular winter activity in Quebec and the Gaspé Peninsula. The metal blade and woodwork suggest that these are handmade skates, likely created by a blacksmith and carpenter. It is said that "the steel blades screwed and stapled to the shoes were manufactured in Canada in the 1850s." (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/patinage-sur-glace)

Ice skating is an activity practiced by many peoples around the world, including in Scandinavia, where it was used as a means of transportation. It was then popularized in Europe, including France and England, where it gained popularity as a sport in the Middle Ages. In Canada, ice skating was practiced by the Iroquois, who skated "wearing moccasins to which they attached animal shinbones with leather straps." (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/patinage-sur-glace). According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, "French explorers were skating in Acadia as early as 1604." Skating quickly became a social activity practiced by the entire population of Quebec.