Our Victorian (pre 1920's) shell High-Top boot-buttons have a rich past and here are some pictures and examples. Handmade in Muscatine, Iowa from freshwater mussel shell from the Mississippi river. In the 1890's Muscatine was known as the Pearl Button Capital of the World! The boot buttons were exported worldwide for lace-up boots. At that time, over 2,500 workers were employed in different button-related businesses. These buttons are beautiful, versatile, historical pieces and the boots themselves are pretty awesome!