Who invented Shoes?

Primitive man felt the need to cover his feet to protect them. So the first shoes were probably sandals made of mats of grass, strips of hide or even flat pieces of wood. These were tied to the feet soles by throngs that were then bound around the ankles. In colder regions, these sandals didn’t protect the feet much, so they sometimes wore bags padded with grass and tied around the feet. In time, these foot coverings developed into the moccasin of the Eskimo and the Indian. Egyptians were the first among civilized people to make shoes.

They used pads of leather or papyrus which were bound to the foot by straps. The Romans went a step further and developed the “calceus”. This was a kind of shoe having slits at the side and straps knotted in front. The beginning of modern shoes can be traced to the Crusades. The crusades went on long pilgrimages and therefore, needed durable shoes. In time, leather shoes of great beauty became popular in Italy, France and England.

Shoes took various shapes and designs with changes in fashion. For example, at the time of king James I England, soft leather high heel shoes were fashionable in society. At one time before the upcoming high heel, long toed shoes were considered fashionable. The shoes were very narrow, and the toes were 12 to 15 centimeters long and pointed. Shoe making was introduced into the United States in 1629, when Thomas Beard arrived under contract to make shoes for Pilgrim colony.