Fun Facts About Your Shoes

• Published by Editorial Staff
• Posted on March 10, 2013
• Tweet

There are many things we take for granted. Every now and then we might try to slow down and enjoy those things, but do we ever really think about all of them? Pens for example; what did people do before pens were invented. How much would we really write if we couldn’t just grab a pen off the counter? Before cars were our main form of transportation, how did people get to the next town to see a doctor? Did they walk? Did they have shoes?

Shoes, now there is something we don’t think about not having. Shoes have been around almost literally since the beginning of time, or at least very close to it. The earliest known shoe was in BC time. There have been shoes discovered in various parts of the work that date back from 3500 BC to 8000 BC.

Shoes made of leather or even bear hide and tied together with a single lace of leather. Since leather does not do well when it is wet it usually was not worn during wet seasons. Outside of animal hides there were some shoes believed to be made out of different leaves and plants. Plants were not as durable as leather but since most who wore shoes only wore them for certain times of the year or for certain occasions temporary plant made shoes were completely acceptable.

Many North American natives wore moccasins. Simple fitted leather shoes usually adorned with bead work. The modern day flip flop seems to have stemmed from the Egyptian paintings of their thong sandals.

The Greeks believed shoes were self –indulgent and unnecessary, quite opposite of the Romans beliefs that clothing and footwear showed power and status. Since the Romans defeated the Greek the beliefs and practices of the Romans and their footwear spread.

In the 15th century the first form of high heels were invented. Both the heel and toe were actually elevated on the original idea. However when they were first introduced men and women wore them. Some as high as 7-8 inches were known to be popular in places such as Venice. Even in the 15th century shoes were still only wore by royalty or the wealthy, peasants and poverty stricken people were still usually barefoot.

Although there was the traditional leather to lace up the first invented shoes, the invention of the actual shoelace with shoe holes did not come about until 1790. It is amazing how something that seemed to just be part of the original invention took so much longer to evolve.

While shoes evolved it was not until 1818 when the idea of left and right assigned shoes even became apparent. Shoes were still being produced and manufactured with a round kind of fit to fit both feet the same. It was not until 1850 when opposing shoes finally became a widespread idea. Imagining the pain it would have caused to break in a new pair of shoes, especially boots is quite unbearable. The only decision was a “slim” shoe or a “fat” shoe.

Up to the 1850s the same tools were used to create the identical shoes that were used originally in 14th century BC in Greek. The first machine for shoe making was introduced until 1846. However was not widely accepted for a few years later. It was only widely accepted due to the fact most shoe makers were sent to the war and there was a shortage of boots for soldiers as well as everyone else. The machine started mass producing shoes to keep up with the growing demand.

Technically shoes have proven to always be a symbol of stature. Even in today’s society they make a statement of status. Not the fact of owning shoes anymore that is the status quo, however the type of shoes you buy or where you buy them from makes a statement for you. With the advances in material so has the options of shoes has expanded greatly. The material they are made out of, the uses for each material, and the different reasons to wear each style. More protective soles to protect the hiker, boots for skis, classy high heels, and even sassier stilettos the variations are never ending.

Although the origins of the shoe goes back to the times BC it seems to carry pieces of its origin as well as the new additions of today all at the same time. There really is nothing that can manage to look so much like its first generation and nothing like it simultaneously. It really is an ancient/modern marvel in its very unique way.

Here we are closing with an interesting info-graphic from visual.ly about shoes:

• Tweet