People wanted to create shoes in order to protect and comfort their feet. It is very difficult to find evidence of the earliest shoes ever made. Yet, the first shoes ever to be found in the world were sandals from approximately 7 000 – 8 000 B.C. After this period, the leather shoe was introduced in 3,500 B.C. It was made up for a single piece of cowhide laced, tied with a leather cord and seams at the front and back. In North America, the leather moccasin shoes were worn. They were chiefly made for Indigenous peoples for outdoor use and running. However, this type of shoes was not appropriate for wet weather. In rainy days, most of the people were barefoot.
Thong sandals were mainly worn in Ancient Egypt and Jerusalemfrom 4,000 B.C. They were made of wide variety of materials and papyrus leaves. However, many people from Greece, Egypt and India preferred being barefoot. Thus, athletes in the Ancient Olympic Games were usually naked and barefoot. Even their gods and heroes were barefoot. In Rome, footwear was seen as a necessity. Only slaves and paupers were barefoot. In the Pyrenees, a common casual shoe was espadrilles.
By the 15th century, the most common shoes in Europe were pattens. They were modern high-heleed shoes and only wealthy people could afford them. Chopines were also popular for their 7-8 inches height.
Now and then, people’s major goal was to design long-lasting, comfortable and well-made shoes. Looking at fashion now, it seems logical that there were many changes in footwear throughout the years. There were many differences in how shoes were made and how some remained the same. Nowadays, there are many shoe manufacturers which produce different kinds of shoes made of a variety of materials.
