History Of Shoes

I found myself at the mall the other day, just doing a bit of window shopping, when i passed by a shoe store. In the window display there were shoes of every type and color. I began wondering who makes all these fashions. What do we really know about our beloved shoes? What dictates the styles that we wear? Shoes are something that we wear daily and yet we know so little about its history. So, check out the quick brief about the history of shoes.

From the earliest times, shoes were made with an important function in mind to protect the bottom of the feet. But as society evolved, shoes found their place as costume and ceremony. In these situations, special shoes were made very fancy with lavish design, but used only occasionally. Because of their infrequent use, comfort and function were not an important focus. Today, we've adapted that same attitude but but there is tremendous competition on a daily basis to wear the most fancy of shoes, no price barred.

ANCIENT SHOES

Long before history began wore shoes. During the ice Age people called Cro-Magnons wore simple leather boots. They lived during an ice age so protecting your feet from the cold was essential. In Egypt shoes were not necessary because of the hot climate. Most people went barefoot much of the time but they sometimes wore sandals made of papyrus. Well off Egyptians wore leather sandals.

Sandals made of Papyrus

Resources:  http://ittatoursegypt.blogspot.com/2013_12_01_archive.html

People called the Assyrians ruled an empire in the Middle East between 900 BC and 612 BC. They equipped their soldier with sturdy boots, which helped on long marches. Roman soldiers wore tough boots called caligae. Well off Romans wore a type of closed shoe called a calceus when they were outdoors. However Roman slaves usually went barefoot.

Roman Soldier Boots Caligae

Resources: http://www.costumidiscena.it/big/caligae_en.htm

MEDIEVAL AND TUDOR BOOTS AND SHOES

Saxon and Viking people wore simple leather boots and shoes but in the 15th century rich people wore shoes with long pointed toes. They were called crakows because they were believed to have originated in Krakow. However only the upper classes wore them. Ordinary people had shoes with round toes. At the end of the 15th century long toes went out of fashion and the wealthy began to wear shoes with square or round toes. In the middle Ages peasants wore wooden clogs for working in muddy conditions. In the towns people wore wooden platforms called patterns under their shoes. (They had straps to hold them on.) Some patterns were several inches thick.

Crakows

Resources: http://petermorwood.tumblr.com/post/67648871474/iamfireandiamsteel-designed-as-a-counter-to

In the Middle Ages shoe makers were called cordwainers. The word is derived from cordovan the name for leather from Cordova in Spain. In the 16th century some people had deliberate cuts in their shoes called slashes. Sometimes they were slip on shoes but sometimes they were tied with latches. Early Tudor shoes did not have heel. However in the late 16th century women in England began to wear shoes with high heels.

16th Century High Heels

Resources: http://world4.eu/16th-century-tudor-high-heel-shoe-style/

 In the early 17th century it was famous for the men to wear boots. However in the late 17th century some people began to wear shoes with buckles. In the 18th century there were many different styles of shoes. Rich people had buckles made of silver. Furthermore, in the 17th century and 18th century wealthy women wore shoes of satin or silk. Often they were embroidered. Outdoors people wore overshoes like sandals of wood or leather over their shoes to protect them.

Resources: http://aands.org/raisedheels/Other/Armor/armor.php

In the early 19th century shoes were made with aright foot and left foot instead of being interchangeable. Men very often wore boots in the 19th century and it became acceptable for women to wear them too. However at the end of the century it became fashionable for women to wear shoes again. In the 19th century shoes had laces rather than buckles. In the early 19th century a new type of boots was named after the Duke of Wellington. At first they were made of leather but from the 1850s they were made of rubber. In the 19th century boots and shoes were mass-produced for the first time and they were cheaper. However in the 19th century boots and shoes were still a luxury and some poor parents could not afford to buy them for their children. In many towns at the end of the 19th century a charity called the Boot Fund was founded to help provide boots and shoes for poor children. Nevertheless as late as the 1920s children played in the streets of British towns barefoot because they couldn't afford shoes.

Resources: http://venetianred.net/2009/07/22/a-history-of-lace-in-seven-portraits-louis-xiv/

20TH CENTURY BOOTS AND SHOES

In the 20th century with rising living standards there were a huge variety of styles of shoes. In the 1920s women's shoes were often decorated with beads. During the Second World War because leather was in short supply some people wore clogs rather than shoes. Then in the late 1950s stiletto heels became fashionable for women.

Resources: https://www.pinterest.com/mungoandmidge/shoes/

In the 1950s some women wore slip on shoes called mules. For men in the late 1950s shoes with long pointed toes called winkle pickers were popular. In the 1960s boots for women came back into fashion and in the 1970s shoes with platform soles were popular for both sexes. Meanwhile trainers were designed in 1949 by Adolf Dasler. Flip flops were invented in 1956. The famous Dr.Martens boots was introduced in 1960. A lot of women wear safety shoes.

Resources: http://www.davronline.co.uk/product/ladies-mary-jane-safety-shoe-sb

A SHOE FOR EVERY OCCASION

As footwear, the shoe is practical to help us get from point "A" to "B" without stubbing a toe or getting a splinter. Every occupation from construction worker to ballerina has a shoe just for them. They're also a fashion statement which can lead to an obsessive collector going a bit over boar. In the ongoing battle of the sexes, women care more about shoes than guys as it should. Today's shoe designers are happy to attract the billions of dollars spent on footwear every day. The goal is to get a celebrity wear a shoe to boost sales. Now days life depends on shoes.

                A woman with good shoes is never ugly

- Coco Chanel -

-Nani-