The History Of The Shoe
From ancient history to modern days, shoes have never been just a matter of covering, with the exception, perhaps, of the cave men. Even now, shoes are status symbols and beautifiers, from the brand we wear to who wears the brand. Shoes in various styles have been part of many stories - Seven League Boots, Cinderella, Puss in Boots. They're even mentioned in the bible, with Hebrews giving them legal significance to seal a bargain.
Although not what we think of today as a shoe, there is evidence that primitives made a form of foot covering as one of their first "inventions". Animal hides or thick leaves, tied on by animal sinew or strong vines, were the raw material used to start the ball rolling towards the shoes we know now.
In early Egypt, where the lands are hot, sandal making became a well-recognized art in the country's early history. Many sandals were beautifully crafted from plaited papyrus leaves, artistic yet hardy enough to protect feet from burning sands and jagged rocks.
In Roman history, the sandals your wore spoke of your station. The Campagus, a laced sandal worn by officers, had different heights that went up the leg. The higher the lacings, the higher the officer's rank. Leather Buskins, part of a tragic actors costume, had high legs, an open toe and was tied shut. The sandal was also worn in Greece, with carved tongues indicating whether the wearer was a free man or a citizen.
The main difference between the two, however, indicated a difference of the mind. Romans, a military people, focused on comfortable movement. Sandals were made to withstand marching for leagues at a time. Greece, on the other hand, dedicated to the arts as well as athletically minded, created sandals that flexed with runners, supported the legs. Yet, they also crafted beauty and design, reflecting the artistic nature of the nation and time.
For colder countries, such as Mongolia and areas of the Orient, the moccasin replaced the sandal, but not moccasins as you might think of today. Originally, moccasins had a puckering string that pulled the entire covering over the foot and tied around the ankle. All that remains in most moccasins is a leather strapping around the boarder of the shoe.
Throughout much of early history, most forms of shoe were only worn on ceremonies occasions. The lavish design and ornamentation gave the official dress even more importance. However, while the look of the shoe was extremely important, the fit and comfort of the shoes didn't matter.
This has never been more pointed out than by 15th century English and French styles. Known as peaked shoes or "Crackows", shoes - and even chain mail coverings - had long, pointed toes. Laws actually had to be put into place to set the length of the toes to no more than 5 1/2 inches.
One of the most interesting points in the history of shoes is that, until around 1850, a shoe could be worn on either foot, have no right or left turn. Not only that, but there were only two sizes: slim and stout. If someone needed a stout shoe, a cone was simply added on to make more foot room.
1845 saw the first working machine to make shoes, known as the Rolling Machine. In 1846, when Elias Howe invented the sewing machine, many more styles became available, as well as designs, to the "every day" public. Since then, we've seen women's silk upper laced boots and alpine boots with bent nails for climbing. 1870 brought alligator, reptile or kangaroo boots.
Moccasins became the casual shoe for the United States, and European women's styles have brought us the woman's contemporary dress pump. As new styles fade and old styles become new, the shoe in some form will always be part of the human culture - but who knows what they'll look like next!
About the Author
Get taller shoes can increase your height 2"- 4" invisibly. They are also referred to as lift shoes, height increasing shoes or elevator shoes. How to grow taller without losing any comfort has never been this easy. Visit online at http://www.gettallershoes.com/ today.
Rating: Not yet rated