Shoe

A shoe is a covering for the foot. Many are made of leather, although several natural and man-made materials are also used. Shoes include soles, which protect the bottom of the foot from surfaces. The upper part of a shoe may cover a small portion of the foot or most of the foot up to the ankle.

Humans have worn shoes of various kinds for tens of thousands of years. Cave drawings from more than fifteen thousand years ago show people wearing animal skins wrapped around their feet. In ancient history, the Romans, Egyptians, and others wore sandals. Throughout history, footwear has changed significantly based on necessity and fashion, as well as the availability of suitable materials. Shoe trends change, but fashions are often recycled with styles out of history reinterpreted by subsequent generations.

Background

Some of the oldest recorded evidence of shoes is found in cave drawings in modern Spain. The 15,000-year-old artwork shows humans whose feet are wrapped in furs or animal skins. Ötzi—the 5,300-year-old mummified traveler found in a European glacier in 1991 and dubbed the Ice Man—was wearing animal skins stuffed with straw and strapped to his feet with laces made from cattle hide. Before humankind domesticated cattle, people had to scavenge or hunt to obtain hides for clothing and footwear. In cold climates, foot coverings were necessary to avoid hypothermia.

As civilizations emerged, shoes became more common and were made of a variety of materials. Leather was a common choice, because it provided protection from rough roads and stones, but wool, plants, and other materials were often used. Ancient Egyptians wore sandals and shoes made from papyrus and palm leaves. Some shoes dating to 5,000 B.C.E. in China are made of woven straw. Roman gladiators—and gods—are depicted in ancient artwork wearing laced-up sandals.

Shoes were common and highly prized in Europe during the Renaissance. Wealthy men wore slippers with laces or ornate buckles. Women usually wore soft slippers of brocade, embroidered leather, or silk. These delicate shoes were easily soiled. Wealthy individuals protected their footwear by wearing overshoes such as the patten when they went out. A woman's patten usually had a wooden sole and a leather vamp. From the fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries, the courtesans of Venice were fond of chopines, which were pattens with tall platform soles. The sole could be up to thirty inches thick. The chopine overshoe was practical in that it protected the slippers of well-dressed women when they walked in the muddy streets, and kept their dresses from being soiled by elevating the wearers. The chopine was adopted by women all across Europe. A similar style was worn in China for centuries.

Until about 1830, shoes were not contoured to fit a left or right foot—both shoes had the same shape and through use stretched to conform to the wearer's foot. Throughout the centuries, footwear for the wealthy became very ornate.

During the Renaissance, the toes of men's shoes became increasingly wide. These so-called duck-billed shoes were leather, with slits cut into them to show off a colored lining. The toes, which reached nine inches in width in the 1540s, were stuffed with moss or hair to help them hold their shape.

In many cultures, shoes or lack thereof indicated one's social status. Male royals of sixteenth-century Europe wore shoes with red heels. During the seventeenth century, commoners wore heavy black leather shoes. Fashionable shoes—with pointed toes and towering soles—were impractical for laborers.

The Industrial Revolution made footwear more widely available to people in all socioeconomic classes. Specialization in footwear largely began during the late nineteenth century. Competitive walking made way for running, and the oxford running shoe was designed for male athletes during the early 1860s.

Athletic pursuits were popular among upper-middle-class business owners during the early twentieth century. Leisure activities were a hallmark of success. Athletic shoes were designed for active consumers who could afford them, and the development of rubber helped advance shoe design.

Impact

Shoes, in particular athletic shoes, reflect changes in society from the nineteenth century through the twenty-first century. The growing middle class clamored for footwear to go with their leisure activities. Dancing slippers, dress pumps, and walking shoes became common. By the 1920s, the role of women in society was changing rapidly. Women were engaging in sports and demanded athletic shoes. What they got was a shoe designed like a man's oxford running shoe but with a feminine heel.

Lifestyles have dictated changes in footwear. Following World War II, the baby boomers focused on youth culture, and many adults favored sneakers over other shoes. Specialized athletic shoes were developed during the 1950s. Athletic leisure pursuits became increasingly common, and sports enthusiasts wanted shoes that were designed for performance. Modern athletic shoes were designed not only for specific sports but also for varied surfaces, such as running on dirt or paved paths. Athlete endorsements increased consumer desire for certain brands of sneakers.

The development of running shoes has changed the way people run. When most people ran barefoot or wore light foot coverings, such as sandals or moccasins, runners touched down on their toes or midfoot. Studies have found that barefoot runners hit the ground toe first, while those who are accustomed to wearing running shoes hit heel first. The latter subjects the body to a great deal of force, while the former cushions the impact more.

Modern running shoes provide protection for the heel through the development of specialized materials and cushioning designs. Despite the abundance of running shoe styles, some athletes insist that barefoot running is preferable. Some advocates of barefoot running have come to spurn running shoes, while others have embraced minimalist footwear that protects the foot from hazards such as rocks or glass but largely lacks cushioning. Some styles look like gloves for the feet.

Advances in technology have changed shoe designs and manufacture. The stiletto heel, which appeared in the mid-twentieth century, became possible with the development of steel reinforcement. New materials, including rubber and plastics, offered many possibilities for footwear designers. Designers incorporated velcro, zippers, and high-tech fibers into shoe designs.

In the world of fashion, many designers have recycled ideas from the past. Gladiator sandals are perennial fashion favorites, and chopine designs have been adapted multiple times as platform shoes.

Bibliography

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