The SHOE series makes up the largest portion of this collection. Through her world travels Lucy Morse accumulated many pairs of shoes that, along with the later additions, have become a collection of 82 different pairs of shoes (or single shoes that have lost their pairs). She collected shoes worn by women, men and children of all classes included nobles and peasants. She accumulated shoes from Argentina, Russia, France, Italy, Palestine, China, Manchuria, Japan, Venezuela, Mexico, the Philippines, Turkey, Greece, Armenia, England, Spain, Korea, Egypt, the United States, and others.

Most notable are shoes worn by women with bound feet, a pair of shoes worn (and signed) by the international singer Lily Pons, a pair of shoes that belonged to Mrs. Tom Thumb, a pair of shoes worn by a Palestinian bride, a pair of shoes found in an attic in Norton, MA, a pair of shoes bought right off the feet of the young girl who was wearing them, and a pair of shoes stolen from the Winter Palace in Manchuria. Both Emily Hartwell’s and Amy White Howland’s shoes are included in this shoe collection along with shoes of other donors.