The oldest
known leather shoe, about 5500 years old, found in Armenia.
* Archaeologists
estimate that the leather shoe was made between 1800 and 1100 BCE, making
it the oldest article of clothing discovered in Scandinavia. However, it
is estimated that shoes may have been used long before this, but it is
difficult to find evidence of the earliest footwear due to the highly
perishable nature of early shoes. Earliest designs were very simple in design,
often mere "foot bags" of leather to protect the feet from rocks,
debris, and cold. They were more commonly found in colder climates.
As civilizations began to
develop, thong sandals (the precursors of the modern flip-flop) were worn. Ancient Egyptian
sandals were made from papyrus
and palm leaves.
The Maasai of Africa
made them out of rawhide.
- In India they were made from
wood. - In China and
Japan, rice straw was used. The leaves of the sisal plant were used to make twine for sandals in South America while the natives
of Mexico used the Yucca plant.
While thong sandals were
commonly worn, many people in ancient times, such as the Egyptians, Hindus and Greeks, saw little need for footwear, and most of the
time, preferred being barefoot.
The Romans, who eventually conquered the Greeks and
adopted many aspects of their culture, did not adopt the Greek perception of
footwear and clothing. Roman clothing was seen as a sign of power, and footwear was
seen as a necessity of living in a civilized world, although the slaves and
paupers usually went barefoot.
Did you know that during Weddings on this period, a father
would give his son-in-law a pair of shoes, to symbolize the transfer of authority?
A common casual shoe in the Pyrenees during the Middle Ages are espadrilles. These are sandals with braided jute soles and
a fabric upper portion, and often includes fabric laces that tie around the
ankle. The term is French and comes from the esparto grass.
The shoes originate in the Catalonian region of Spain as early as the 13th century, and were commonly
worn by peasants in the farming communities in the area.
Many medieval shoes were
made using the turn shoe method of construction, in which the upper was
turned flesh side out, and was lasted onto the sole and joined to the edge by a
seam.
By the 15th Century, pattens became popular by both men and women in Europe. By 1580, even men wore them, and a person with authority or
wealth was often referred to as, "well-heeled".
It was in 1935 that the Italian designer Salvatore
Ferragamo created the wedge shoe. He designed the orthopaedic wedge in 1935 and the wedge heel in 1936. Salvatore
Ferragamo used cork and wood because of a leather and rubber shortage. Cork was
more popular than wood because it was lighter. The cork sole was also sturdy
and durable.
Finally,
in the 21st century, cork will again enjoy the respect and admiration that the
Greeks and Romans afforded it as a noble and adaptable material.
In this century in
which environmental concerns have become a constant, the use of an ecological,
recyclable and biodegradable material such as cork has increased, particularly
in innovative areas such as Design for Sustainability and Eco-Design.
Fashion Cork UK
bought to you articles, such as Shoes, table, kitchen, leisure, furniture –
Made from Cork material, that is one
hundred per cent natural and contribute to environmental sustainability.
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