I thought they were cross country ski boots...

[Answerguy]

...I don't think they are now. They are obviously old and made of leather and they have these interesting metal connectors. My son's guess is that they are cross country tap shoes.
(And now I have to figure out how to include a picture)

 

[Answerguy]

 

[duggap]

Old tap dancing shoes?

 

[Bruce R]

For attaching polio braces ?

 

[bradyboy]

ice skates shoes?
need better pics of the metal heel an tip to see if the metal accepted a device
Brady

 

[tamrock]

I think they're down hill ski boots for early step in bindings.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

I think Bruce nailed it with shoes fitted for braces.They have buckles on the side also.

 

[Answerguy]

I would've never come up with polio shoes on my own. That seems to be a good guess. I checked eBay and I can't find any exactly like them but I will keep researching. (It didn't help that eBay search suggested "did you mean Polo Shoes?")

 

[Bruce R]

Look for polio prosthetics, and why am I telling you? You're the Answerguy !

 

[Answerguy]

I'm not totally convinced that they were a polio prosthetic shoe. But I have them listed on eBay now and we will see if anybody there has more information. FWIW my eBay name is Answerguy8

 

[HAPPYCAMPER]

Heres a pair of ski boots that seem to have same front attachment point.Antique leather lace-up ski boots.

 

[Bruce R]

If you list them on eBay, you can say they're anything you want them to be, everyone else does.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Run Forrest Run

 

[diggummup]

Leather era ski boots

 

[Answerguy]

The metal attachments do look like they could be to attach to a downhill ski but this boot is much more flexible than any downhill boot I've seen before.

 

[kcm]

Hmm...I wonder how many people bought new, manufactured ski boots back in the Great Depression? It could be that these used to be "normal shoes" that were converted for skiing. ...But don't ask me - I'm from Texas! (well, originally)