Shose history
Shoes are a beautiful necessity of life; they have been around for so long that no one can say, with absolute certainty, what the first pair of shoes even looked like, but it is assumed that they would have been made from thick leaves or wood to protect from the rough terrain. Footwear is mentioned in the Bible, so it can be dated at least as far back as that, as well as other similar dated writings. What is known, is that today’s society has a love of shoes and the average person owns at least three pair; the norm being a pair of dress shoes, a pair of tennis shoes, with a third pair being either sandals, boots or flip-flops. While that is average, there are those who have a shoe obsession, and may own dozens of shoes! In the news, there have even been reports of women who own hundreds of shoes. It is clear that shoes have certainly left their print on history, style, and society.
Some people are very into fashion, and will wear whatever is in vogue at the moment; they will do so at the expense of both their pocketbooks and their physical health. To them cost is no option, even if their feet are cramping and their backs are aching, they must and will have the shoes that are most stylish, from high-end designers to pricey couture footwear. A woman may have started wearing 4-inch heels when they were young, and as an adult can’t imagine wearing anything else. Often such choices end with having to endure hammertoes and bunions when they are older, but even knowing that may not deter them from purchasing a smart shoe over a more fashionable style. Other people most concerned with comfort; they may say they like sensible shoes, and may even choose to wear slippers at times, but often they wear shoes of necessity, or shoes and boots that have either protective or practical use in the work they do each day. Whatever the reason for buying particular shoes; for practicality, sports, sophistication, or pleasure, one thing is sure; Shoes have transformed from simply a necessity, to a way of displaying a person's taste and style on their feet.Middle Ages
square toes, but later versions were pointy toed and could be curled up at the toe. They were boot-like, flat and soft, but not inexpensive, so during the warmer seasons, most people would walk barefoot through the streets and marketplaces. In some areas, it was not uncommon for people to wear wooden shoes, which were basically two pieces of wood that went under the foot and up the back of the leg and than were wrapped in fabric of some sort. Other forms of wooden shoes, such as clogs, were also worn, but it seems that whatever they wore, most people were often never really comfortable in their footwear.
1970
Shoe styles and a boxier squared off shoe were common in the 70’s. Shoes like the earth shoes, which had a heel that was lower than the toe, were widely popular. Shoes were comfortable for the most part. A wooden slip on shoe from Doctor Scholls comes out at that time as well. For the disco lover, platform shoes were the way to go, some were chunky, and most all flamboyant, either in color or decor, some went so far as to have small aquariums in the high wedge heel.
1980
Slips on tennis shoes, or skate shoes, are huge in the 1980’s, and just about any other kind of low-rise tennis shoe. Ballet flats as shoes and Jellies were new to the 1980’s. Jellies are a gel or plastic-like shoe that is usually clear, colored, and has some sort of sparkle to them. Also popular among young people on the 1980s were lace up platform boots and another black boot that looked almost military. Beatle boots and Clunky Mary Janes, which are low heel dress shoes with a thick ankle strap, were common as are strap up the leg heels. The 80’s seemed to have a combination of light and comfortable to dark and utilitarian when it comes to shoes.
This decade is best known for bulk, if it was a chunky shoe, it was fashionable. Grunge took over everything from clothes to shoes. Platform sneakers, Doc Martens and Mary Janes were some of the styles. Most shoe styles from the 80’s carried over into the 90’s, with boots or boot-like shoes considered the most awesome !~!
Present Day Shoes
The shoe styles of the early 2000’s up until now are basically a mix and match of styles from all other decades. While the bulky shoes of the 90’s have pretty much faded away, they still hold for some people as a symbol of their favored time and style; but one can expect to see anything from sneakers to heels, and from loafers to classic laced shoes when out and about.
