SANDALS

                                            

                                   

   


Early Foot Coverings

   Did you know nearly 5,000,000 years ago people wore shoes to? According to scientists they did. Scientists think the first shoes were worn by Native Americans. From artifacts  discovered there were proof of right and left shoes. The shoe was an oval piece of leather with the edges flipped up and had strong leather straps. The soles of the shoes were made from cowhide. Attached to the strap was a net, knotted from grass to cover the  the heel. Grass was probably chosen to fill the shoes and keep the feet warm. What I am describing is the shoe in the picture you see.

       


 

                                           


                                               

  The History Of Footwear



Do you know how far back shoes go to? Well i'll tell you. 10,000 BC is the time scientists believe the early foot coverings started.
 
  In the underground chambers used to multiple funerals, paintings were found showing the
all different kinds of sandals.
     In warm countries sandals are used but in cold countries
moccasins [a type of shoe] are used. Palm fiber and straw were used to make Egyptian's sandals. It was common to carry your shoe or sandals and walk or run barefooted. Only the noble man [or popular, well known, or faros ]
owned sandals in that period of time.

                   



                                                              



         

 

Chopine

In the sixteenth century women of Florence had begun to wear platform shoes or chopines. The chopines were worn to increase the height of women. Some chopines could be  two feet off the ground, so men had to escort ladies across the street. This is the time when walking canes became useful and fashionable. the man escorting the lady would stand on the right side of the lady to protect her from traffic coming. That is probably why a groom stands on the right side of the bride. There are not allot of portraits with ladies wearing chopines so it is estimated that it was a short lived style. The posture that was caused  by wearing platform shoes was probably the beginning of medical interest in elevated footwear.

     



             

Duck Bill Sandals

Popularity became very important at the end of The Middle Ages. Clothes, looks, even shoes were important. The color of the shoe was important to, it showed how you felt the darker colors would represent grief the lighter and brighter colors represented joy or happiness. Duck's bill shoes could get up to be 1 ft. broad.








 The History of Footwear; < http://www.sapatosite.com.br/ingles/opcoes/history.htm>, Last visited March 2005
Kippen,  Cameron ;  The History of Footwear; http://podiatry.curtin.edu.au/history.html, Last visited March 2005


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