Up until the mid 19th Century, cricketers had worn tall hats and buckled shoes. But with the rising popularity of the game, dress began to change to take into account the need for easier movement. The hats were replaced by caps of varying kinds, and the shoes with buckles, which dangerously interfered with the sweep of the bat on occasions, with boots. The player in the present picture is still wearing the shoes with buckles; the boots were not worn until the 1860s.