This week in textiles conservation, Alex Phillips, a summer intern sponsored by the Sowell Foundation, helped our textile conservator care for and repack shoes in our collection.  The sandals in the upper left corner, which are worn with a knob that fits between the toes, are from Saudi Arabia.  The black shoes in the upper right are from a  matador’s costume. The pairs of tall wooden sandals in the foreground are bath shoes attributed to Palestine.  The height protects the wearer’s bare feet from the heated floors of the bathhouse. Each pair gets a tray lined with foam to support it and hold it in place.  The trays fit into a larger box in storage that further protects them.