Shoes- Today’s Trendy Ones and the Days Gone
By
Why the Ancient People Opted For Shoes
Even in the olden times, the necessity of footwear
was apparent. This was so because of the ruthless weather
conditions, toothed rocks, blazing sands, and rocky
terrain where our primitive ancestors used to walk over
for continued existence.
Some of the first noted shoes which created a legend
were the stories found in the wonderful stories which
the children enjoy telling and retelling. They are the
Seven League Boots, Mercury's Winged Sandals, Puss in
Boots, Cinderella, and others. They all existed way
back ancient times and are still best loved even up
to now. There were also some folk who embraced to the
custom that throwing the shoe after the newly wedded
couple would somehow bring some good luck.
People during the near end of the Paleolithic Period
were said to be learning the art of leather tanning.
It was also during this times when they demonstrated
further evidences of the significance of having footwear
to protect their feet.
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How These Footwear Were Crafted
Most of the first pieces of footwear were made of
leather and dried grasses wrappings. But as time unfolded,
these shoes were remodeled into oval shaped of leather
supported by a strong piece of leather thongs. The first
pieces of produced footwear which were the sandals were
thought to be the descendant of the first few which
were plain wrappings.
Paintings showing the diverse phases of the production
of leather and footwear were made visible in the Egyptian
funeral chambers. It was also illustrated in the images
that shoes in Egypt were of high class and authority.
The turned up toes feature found in the Pharaoh’s
sandals were one of the obvious evidences that set the
Pharaoh’s footwear from those of the commoners’.
Egyptian sandals were made of papyrus, palm fiber, or
straw. At the later years, the Egyptian women started
to decorate their shoes with jewels and precious stones.
It was then apparent that Greek women were using their
footwear to reveal their elegance, extravagance, refinement,
and beauty. Elevated sandals were Greek women’s
way of attracting men because of its clacking sound
when the wearer moves.
Leather wrappings were tied to the feet with a similar
material in Mesopotamia’s bygone times.
In Rome, legions often travel to places on foot so
sandals were made of durable leather thongs. The consuls
in Rome wore white shoes, the senators put on brown
shoes, while the rest of the region wore a short pair
of boots which uncovered the toes. This practice exhibited
the social classes where the wearer belonged.
Shoes of the Modern Times
At these recent times, footwear comes in a variety
of materials such as leather, rubber, wood, canvass,
and even plastic. This was opposite to those of the
shoes which were simply made of grasses, straw, and
leather.
Shoemakers have to make sure that the main components
such as adhesives, cushion, counter fort, heel, hook,
insole, laces, sole, steel shank, tack, toe puff, tread,
and welt are available for the crafting of footwear.
At this point in time, footwear are categorized into
boots, shoes, sandals, and industrial footwear.
There are different kinds of boots available to suit
the buying public. They are galoshes, cowboy boots,
thigh boots, ski boots, etc. On the other hand, industrial
footwear comes in rubber loafers and plastics boots
which are commonly used in construction sites, production
lines, and laboratories.
Athletic shoes, clogs, climbing shoes, high heels,
moccasins, Mary Janes, loafers, mules, cross-training
shoes, and tap shoes are some of the sub-categories
of shoes. Sandals also come in different kinds including
flip-flops or thongs, slippers, espadrilles, and slide-ons.
Personality as they say can be depicted through the
footwear. A well-maintained shoe suggests that the owner
values cleanliness with high regard.
Up to these days, the moccasins which were worn in
the ancient times are still being worn in cold countries,
while in hotter countries; the Egyptian-patterned sandals
are still being worn.
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