History shows it’s human nature: we gotta have shoes. BY ARWEN O’REILLY
The first documented
shoes appear in pre-
historic Spanish cave
paintings showing animal
skins wrapped
around feet. »
Native Americans in Missouri leave behind the earliest surviving shoes.
In ancient Egypt, commoners wear sandals of woven papyrus or palm leaves. Pointed toes are reserved for royalty.
Roman tragic actors wear platform shoes, sandals called kothorni with high wood or cork soles.
Venetian courtesans wear exquisitely decorated silk chopines up to 30" high (and have servants to help them walk). »
A new last is developed which allows a sturdy, “true” heel to be worn in Queen Elizabeth’s court (rumors of such things existing in Russia for centuries may have spurred this innovation). Men wear them as well as women for almost two centuries.
Thomas Beard,
a Mayflower pilgrim, nails
together the first pair of
Euro-shoes in America.
Moccasins, which the
natives have worn for
centuries, become
so popular that the
colonies begin
exporting them
to England in
1650. »
The first American factory for mechanized shoe production is established in Lynn, Mass.
The cork platform and wedge make a comeback after centuries on the back burner. A shortage of leather in wartime leaves the cork soles exposed.
The stiletto appears on the market, becoming standard wear by 1955.
André Courrèges debuts a white plastic boot that is later named the go-go boot and enshrined in Nancy Sinatra’s hit “These Boots Are Made for Walking.” »
Nike athletic shoes are launched by Oregon’s Blue Ribbon Sports. The company is renamed Nike in 1978; the Nike Air debuts in 1979.
Illustrations by Tim Lillis
References:
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