History of shoes from ancient times to the present day

The history of footwear is about 30 thousand years old. During this time, many styles and models have changed, but still it remains the most necessary and important thing for the wardrobe.

Shoes of the most ancient times

According to the conclusion of scientists who studied and analyzed the found remains of primitive people, the structure of their skeleton and the bones of their legs, the first samples of ancient footwear appeared at the end of the Paleolithic epoch in the western part of Europe. It was during this period that changes began in the structure of the feet of ancient people: the pinky began to decrease along with the general shape of the foot, which was due to the wearing of narrow shoes.

The beginning of the history of footwear was the result of the cooling and the founding of the first ancient civilizations that took place in this period: to protect themselves from the cold, people began to put on animal skins and to wrap their feet with pieces of leather. For warming, a layer of dry grass was laid between the skin, and bark from a tree bark was used as fasteners.

The history of the appearance of shoes in more hot countries, such as Ancient Egypt, is associated with the appearance of sandals that people wore to protect their feet from hot sand, and they always walked barefoot indoors. Sandals were stitched from papyrus or palm leaves, attached to the leg with leather straps. When they were made, they used patterns that were the same for both legs. The richer Egyptians wore sandals with beautifully decorated straps. Another type of footwear popular in ancient Egypt, found on excavations of settlements, is very similar to modern slippers with a closed toe.

Shoes in Ancient Greece

What shoes looked like in ancient Greece can be judged from the frescoes depicting the Greek gods: they were sandals of "crepe", which were fastened to the foot by lacing almost to the knee. According to historical data, it was the Greeks who first began to sew shoes with symmetrical patterns for the right and left legs.

In addition to sandals, among the ancient Greek women, "endromids" were popular - high boots with a sole and a leather boot stitched to them, which was pulled by a long cord in front, with the toes peeking out. Legislators of fashion were hetaera, who wore the most refined, richly decorated shoes. Women's sandals that left the inscription "Follow me" on the sand were in vogue at the heather, "peaches" (boots-stockings) were also very popular.

Another type of footwear - "koturny" on a high platform - was made famous by the Greek actors who dressed it during the performances so that they could be seen by the public.

Shoes in Ancient Rome

Ancient Roman footwear was divided according to social status and sex:

• Calceus - closed shoes with strings in front wore only plebeians;
• Solea - sandals with straps, similar to Greek, poor Romans could use only 1 strap, and rich patricians - 4;
• Women wore only white shoes, men - black;
• The festive shoes were red and richly decorated with embroidery and stones;
• Military shoes, which were worn by Roman soldiers - sturdy shoes, in which the sole was nailed, called caligae;
• Actors could only wear slippers on socci ropes.

A great variety of famous ancient Israel, where the shoes were sewed very high quality, using wool, leather, wood and reeds. It was shoes and sandals, shoes and high boots. On the ancient Israeli land, shoes with high heels appeared, in exclusive models in which heaped fragrant perfume bottles.

Scythian Shoes

The history of the shoe of the Scythian peoples, which were the ancestors of the Eastern Slavs, shows that they were most popular with high soft leather boots, which were stretched with straps, and multicolored ornaments sewn from rags were used as decorations. They wore boots over felt stockings. Boots of such boots were sewn with a mosaic of pieces of fur, colored felt and leather. Pants specially tucked inside boots to demonstrate the beauty of shoes.

The shoes of the Scythian peoples were externally similar to the boots worn by the northern nationalities in Russia. Female boots were not so tall, but were made of red leather, they were decorated with patterns, a red woolen strip with applications of leather was stitched at the junction of the head and boot .

The most original feature of Scythian shoes is richly decorated soles of boots, embroidered with beads, a multicolored thread of tendons. A similar tendency to decorate the soles existed among the Asian steppe peoples, who had the custom of sitting with their legs folded, exposing their heels to the outside.

Shoes in Medieval Europe

The history of European shoe was marked in the Middle Ages by a fashion for shoes-"bullets" with curved noses, which were so long and so abundantly decorated with bells that they had to tie to the leg so that you could walk normally. Such shoes in the 14th century, representatives of noble families were required to wear the decree of King Philip of France on the 4th.

The 15th century brought a new fashion to footwear: shoemakers begin to sew only blunt-nosed models, and as the nose part expanded and enlarged, the back became narrower. Already at the beginning of the 16th century. The shoes had to be tied to the legs at the level of lifting. At this time there are high heels, trimmed with leather, and, due to the hobby of hunting, fashion includes boots with very high bootlegs - "boots", which were comfortable while riding a horse.

Fashionable shoes in the 16th century were masculine: it was men who could flaunt new red boots with heels, and women hid their shoes under lush skirts, and no one saw them.

And only from the beginning of the 17th century, when shorter skirts became fashionable, women were able to show to their fans elegant silk, brocade and velvet shoes on small heels. Rich ladies wore shoes, richly embroidered and decorated with stones.

The epochs of baroque and rococo were marked by the flowering of luxurious ball shoes, richly decorated with bows, beads, ribbons. Sami models were sewed from expensive fabrics and leather of various colors (red, yellow, blue, etc.). To decorate the men's boots and for the convenience of riding, spurs were added to them.

In the late 18th century, in the Age of Enlightenment, the place of cloth shoes was occupied by more practical leather boots, which women and men gladly began to wear. The boots had comfortable fasteners or lacing, a small heel-glass, winter models were decorated with fur.

Wooden Shoes

In ancient times, wood as a material for making shoes was rarely used, because it was considered to be quite rough and restraining movement. The only exception can be considered the manufacture of soles for sandals, which in ancient Rome were tied to the leg with pieces of cloth and put on the feet of captives so that they did not escape.

In Europe in the 16th and 18th centuries, wooden "klogs" (or clogs) with a thick sole, which were fastened with a metal hoop to the leg, were fashionable. Rich women dressed them not to get stained with street mud. The poor peasants used to have galoshes with a wooden bottom and a leather upper, in which it was convenient to walk through the mountains.

The popularity of canvasses and galoshes was purchased in the Netherlands and in the north of France because of the strength and convenience: in such shoes you can walk in wetlands without the risk of getting your feet wet. They made it from tree species that did not crack: poplar, willow, etc. In 1570, a guild of shoemakers specializing in the making of klogs was created, such wooden shoes are still worn by some Dutch peasants during field work.

Wooden shoes later became popular in England, where they were worn by peasants as everyday shoes, which during the holidays were replaced with leather boots.

Footwear for warriors

Ancient Roman warriors began using sandals as shoes because they had to travel long distances on rough terrain. Military sandals were strengthened with belts, nails. Later, they began using shoes that were laced on the upper part of the shin, and it was possible to determine the class and rank of the warrior according to the decorative elements.

Since ancient times, soldiers have worn boots, most often red, because they did not see blood during the battle or bloody calluses after the exercises. Later, when the uniform was introduced, military footwear began to be produced in black. In Europe, boots became popular after the invasion of the steppe armies in the era of the resettlement of peoples, they began to be worn not only by cavalrymen, but also by cattlemen.

In the Middle Ages, when the clothing of knights consisted of metal armor, also socks of knightly footwear (Sabatons) were made of metal. A sharp patchy sock on this boot served as an additional tool for the warrior: they could mortally hit the enemy. Later Sabatons began to do with a rounded toe, they were called "duck paws."

In the 19th century, the British army began sewing high boots with lacing for their troops, nicknamed "Blyukhers." According to legend, such boots were worn by soldiers of the Blucher Army during the Napoleonic wars. They have existed as a military footwear for many years.

In the 20th century. During the First World War, armies of European states were equipped with "trench shoes" on a firm sole made of thick leather. Beginning in 1941, the US Army uses leather shoes with laces on synthetic soles.

Shoes in Russia

The history of footwear in Ancient Russia begins with the most common, which was worn not only by peasants, but also by poor townspeople - it's bast shoes. Such footwear existed only in Russia, the material for its production was birch bark (lime, willow, oak, etc.). To obtain one pair of bast shoes, it was necessary to peel 3-4 trees.

There were bast shoes, everyday and festive, more elegant: pink or red. For warming in winter, straw was stolen in the bast shoes, and a rope made from hemp was sewn from below. To their feet they were fastened with shields (narrow straps of leather) or with mochentsi (ropes made from cannabis). One pair of bast shoes was enough for a peasant for 4-10 days, but they cost cheap.

The most ancient leather Russian footwear - pistons, soft shoes from a piece of the whole skin, attached along the edge to the strap. Great popularity in Russia over time acquired boots that were sewn the same way, for both men and women. Leather boots appeared in Russia due to the raids of nomadic Asian tribes. They were made by leather-shoemakers, who independently prepared rawhide leather. The sole was sewn from several layers of cowhide, from which, in time, heels were made.

The top of the ancient boots were cut obliquely so that the front part was higher than the rear. Usually they were made of black leather, and festive morocco boots, sewed from red, green, blue skin, staining it when dressing. Such boots were made in Russia first from imported material, then from the middle of the 17th century, the morocco began to be made in Moscow at the factory of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

The morocco boots were made of goat skin, which was specially soaked for 2 weeks in a lime mortar, and then carefully polished with a stone to get a shiny surface. They were usually stained with aniline dyes, additionally a special pattern (shagreen) was added to the skin.

In the 19th century. Appeared originally Russian felted shoes: felt boots and rods, which were made from sheep's wool. Their price was great because of the laboriousness of manufacturing, so most often in the family had one pair of felt boots, which they dressed in turns.

In the 20th century. In Russia shoemakers were nicknamed "tops" because they worked on the outskirts (shoe shops were located in the Marina Grove), and worked like wolves alone.

19-20 century and the emergence of the shoe industry

The first guilds and shoe shops appeared in Europe during the era of feudalism, then the shoes began to be manufactured in small batches by orders. In the first place in their activities come out the quality and appearance of the products.

In the Renaissance began to build manufactories, when the shoes began to do in stages, but each pair was still made on an individual order. And only in the 19 century. To replace the velvet shoes come more practical and comfortable leather shoes and boots.

In these years, the mass production of shoes begins, taking into account the configuration of the foot, asymmetry and division of the pair into left-right. The footwear industry is becoming more mechanized, shoe factories are emerging, where manual labor is replaced by machines. By the beginning of the 20th century. The production of footwear products grows to 500 pairs per worker, and by the middle - up to 3 thousand pairs.

In the 20th century, footwear began to play an important role in creating a woman's image: owing to the shortening of skirts, women were able to demonstrate their beautiful legs and elegant shoes or shoes, women's sandals became fashionable again. Depending on the weather and the destination, the shoes were made of leather, satin, suede or silk, and shoes learned to do not only on laces, but also using hooks and buttons.

In the 1930s, fashion for shoes began to change: platforms and wedges appeared. At this time, the designers S. Ferragamo and S. Arpad began their work, who began to professionally manufacture modern models and invent new styles. Over time, shoes and shoes begin to do not only from the skin, also used fabrics and wood, rubber for making a "bot".

Early 1950s marked the emergence of a novelty - a small heel-stud, as well as styles without heels, designed for convenience during dances (rock'n'roll, etc.). Till now disputes concerning the one who became the ancestor of hairpins do not stop: Frenchmen R.Vivier, R.Massaro or the Italian
S. Ferragamo.

Factories of footwear of the second half of the 20th century work already with incredible capacities, where the process is fully automated and controlled by software. They produce thousands pairs of fashionable shoes every month, which is made of both natural and synthetic materials.

Fashionable shoes in the 21st century

21st century - the time of constant improvement of shoes (new pads, molds and insoles are regularly invented and manufactured), as well as changes in the forms of its sale. Shoes can now be bought, as in a small boutique, a large supermarket, and via the Internet.

Collections of the newest models are presented on the catwalks in each season by a large number of countries and famous designers, where there is a summer, and a winter, and a demi-season, and evening shoes. Modern footwear is a variety of styles and models that were popular and many centuries ago, and appeared quite recently: sandals, shoes, shoes, moccasins, clogs, boots, sneakers and many other kinds. Modern designers and manufacturers, equipped with the latest technology, can easily implement all of their ideas in life.