The Guild 7-19-2002 The History of Shoes

North Hampton Museums and Art Gallery ^

[BigWaveBetty]

Early Shoes

The simplest way to protect feet was to grab what was handy – bark, large leaves and grass – and tie them under the foot with vines. In hot countries this developed into the sandal made from woven palms, grass or plant fibres and attached to the foot with toe loops. Examples of early sandals have been found in Japan, Polynesia and America.

We know that early man used the skins of slaughtered animals for clothing, eventually discovering how to tan and preserve them. In cold countries shoes were made from animal skins to give better protection and keep the feet warm. A piece of treated skin with holes punched around the edge was put under the foot and laced with a leather strap that acted as a drawstring to hold the shoe in place around the foot. This was an early example of the moccasin.

The earliest footwear in Britain must have resembled the pampootie from the Aran Islands, Ireland. Few early shoes have survived. Fragments of Bronze Age footwear have been found in excavations but not enough to determine styles. But from the Roman times onwards many shoes have survived suggesting that there were many more shoe styles than one would expect.

Roman Shoes

The Romans produced a variety of footwear. They arrived in Britain wearing the military sandal, called the caliga, which exposed the toes, had a lattice – patterned upper, front lacing and a heavily nailed sole. Other styles were the calceus and the gallica, both with a closed toe – a style more suited to the British weather.

After the Romans left, Britain began producing its own styles, usually a closed toe leather shoe with an oval or round toe shape. The ankle shoe was popular in the 9th Century and was made as a turnshoe, which meant the separate upper and sole were thonged together inside out and then turned. Some of these shoes were straights, made for either foot.

Medieval Shoes

Footwear styles continued to change during the Medieval age. The sole and upper were no longer thonged but stitched together with thread and the toe became a sharp point, known as scorpion tails, they began to get longer in the 1320’s and became known as pikes, crackowes or poulaines. The length of ones toe was an indication of status. The King and his court had shoes with the largest toes. This style wasn’t worn by women. The ankle shoe remained popular, it was usually side laced with three pairs of holes.

The pointed toe disappeared at the end of the Middle Ages and was replaced by round and square toe shapes. At first a sensible size, toes became larger and larger. During the reign of Henry VIII soles reaching 6½ inches wide were common and known as foot bags.

Another popular style was a low cut shoe with a strap and buckle fastening across the ankle and a square toe. Both styles could have slashed decorations on the toe.

Tudor Shoes

After 1500, a blunt pointed toe returned, followed by a round toe in the 1590’s. From 1570 shoes develop latchet ties which tie over the tongued front. It’s about this time that heels emerge. By the end of Elizabeth I’s reign heels grow to 2-3 inches, all footwear is made straights and sides are opened up. During the reign of Charles I, flamboyant knee boots are popular.

17th Century

Pair of men's mules 1620-30

In the 17th Century, men wore shoes and mules with a square toe, often blocked and domed. Women decide that a pointed toe is more feminine. An important innovation in 1660 was the buckle to fasten a shoe. Samuel Pepes’s writes in his diary of 22nd January 1660, "This day I began to put on buckles to my shoes".

At first popular with men, women eventually wore them too, replacing ribbon latchets with buckle latchets.

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Click on the image to find out more.

18th Century

Click on image to view several varieties.

In the 18th Century, women’s shoes reflect the elaborate patterns of their dresses and have similar embroidery and trimming. Bands of metallic braid were popular as decoration on shoes. The silver or gold braid was transferred from one pair of shoes to another. Other characteristics include pointed toes, ribbon and buckle latchet ties, a white kid leather round between the shoe sole and upper and high covered wooden heel. Men’s shoes became quite plain made of black leather with pointed toes and low heels.

By the end of the 1760’s, thick heels begin to thin down but became not very strong, the top becomes wider and more wedged like, producing in the 1770’s, the ‘Italian Heel’ for women's shoes. Towards the end of the 18th Century and beginning of the 19th Century women's shoes became lower and lower cut, heels became lower until they disappear altogether and the pointed toe is replaced by first narrow oval toes and then square toes. Shoes become so dainty made from satin and silks that ribbon ties are added to keep the shoe on the foot.

19th Century

Click image to view several varieties.

The 19th Century is characterised by the predominance of boots both for men and women. Popular styles were the Blucher boot with an open tab front and lacing, cloth boots with side lacing, the elastic sided boot, the button boot, and the Balmoral boot, which was front laced with a closed tab. Apart from boots, women wore court shoe style shoes in a variety of different materials, from satin and silk to reptile and drawn leathers. Men had a choice between the Oxford shoe, with front lacing and a closed tab and the Derby shoe, with front lacing and an open toe.

20th Century

The 20th Century has seen a variety of shoe styles and the rise of the shoe designer. From 1920’s bar shoes to 1930’s co-respondent two-colour shoes to 1940’s utility styles to 1950’s brothel creepers to 1960’s winklepickers and stiletto heels to 1970’s platform soles, shoe designers have been prominent throughout the 20th Century, but the 1980’s and 1990’s have seen greater success for shoe designers such as Patrick Cox, Red or Dead, Emma Hope and Jeffery West.

20th CENTURY FASHIONS

MODERN DESIGNS

Click image to find out more about 20th Century Fashions and Modern Designs.

PREVIOUS THREADS

[Teacup]

Her campaign manger thought a dance would be an easy way to make more money. They figured ole "Shake and Bake" Janet is grooving most of the time anyway. I wonder if she'll faint again? She always faints when she wants attention. Ever notice that?

[BigWaveBetty]

Don't we all wish HLL lived closer. But then the poor woman would be barefoot.

Good luck with your endeavor (pardon pun) today!

[Endeavor]

You are ahead of your time, BWB. And we love you for it.

[BigWaveBetty]

OMG, there's a web site! Link

[Teacup]

BREAKING NEWS!

AN ARREST HAS BEEN MADE IN THE KIDNAPPING OF THE SAMANTHA RUNION. SOMEONE NAMED ALEJANDRO AVILA. MORE TO COME IN NEWS CONFERENCE.

[Iowa Granny]

I want to put in a plug for Clark sandals. A good alternative is Keds leather sneakers.

[Endeavor]

Thank you, BWB. I really DO hate shoe shopping. I have a narrow foot and have a hard time shoe shopping. And let's face it, I'm not a shoe freak. I do live in my multiple prs of topsiders except at work. It puts me in a sailing state of mind.

I'm off to Woods Hole next week - well, mainly Boston but I get to go down to WH on Tues and looks like I'll have time to take the ferry over to Martha's Vineyard for lunch. If I see anyone famous (or bent) I'll let you guys know.

[Endeavor]

Here's an interesting little tiff Hillary! had yesterday: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/4249p-3893c.html

[mountaineer]

I'm envious - have a good time! My mother is convinced Mr. M and I would move to Boston if we could, although I don't know what I'd do with my gun if we did. ($&@# Marxachusetts!) Why don't you fly to Nantucket and check out the Old Crusty sightings from her corporate donor junket of a few days ago? Wonder if she left any tips for the little people.

[BigWaveBetty]

You have such an exciting life! If you see the bent one yell out to him, "Eat worms and die!"

Thank you for the kind compliment in the above post, I love you all too!

HLL probably won't talk to me after I say this but, I hate shopping for shoes too. They NEVER have my size in the pair I want. Which is usually the only pair on display I like.

That reminds me, my sis-in-law used to buy ugly shoes because she felt sorry for them, that nobody else would buy them. LOL! Even the people who marry into my family are weird.

[Endeavor]

I promise you, if I see the bent one, I'll say something much stronger than that.

Here's a long, but very interesting article on the Clinton Liebrary: http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020719-817909.htm

The pig is including a burial area - like a big tomb. How precious is this liebrary gonna be, I ask you?

[BigWaveBetty]

Tonight's Reno dance party a hot ticket

By Brian E. Crowley, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 19, 2002

Ja Rule, Busta Rhymes and Ashanti bring the hip to the hip hop at Level -- one of South Beach's hottest clubs -- but it's Janet Reno who club owners say will pack the house tonight.

"Tickets are selling like hotcakes," said a nearly breathless Gerry Kelly, former fashion designer turned club owner and host of tonight's "Janet Reno's Dance Party."

More than 2,000 partygoers, including a few of Republican Gov. Jeb Bush's campaign staff, are expected to show up and watch Reno hit the dance floor.

"I came up with the idea about a month ago and contacted Reno's campaign," said Kelly, who hinted that Reno might not be the only celebrity in the room tonight. "I don't want to promise anything but I think it will be a very exciting night."

Already there is a "media frenzy," Kelly said. "We get a lot of local press and some national press but this is becoming one of the most highly covered events I've ever had."

Network TV, foreign reporters, even a Denver radio station are showing up for Reno's party. One big question is whether she will wear the blue dress made famous by Saturday Night Live actor Will Ferrell, who dressed like Reno for an ongoing skit called "Janet Reno's Dance Party." [well you know you're a lesbian when people wonder this sorta thing]

"We just have to wait and see what she does," Reno spokeswoman Nicole Harburger said. "We think the whole night is going to be a lot of fun and give Janet a chance to bring some young people into the political process."

Tickets cost $25 with the money going to Reno's campaign. Reno is being challenged for the Democratic nomination by Tampa attorney Bill McBride and state Sen. Daryl Jones of Miami.

brian_crowley@pbpost.com

Since it's such a hot ticket they're wishing they had charged more. hehehe

[lodwick]

Level Night Club

I'm taking the under on Janet
making it through the night - upright.

One way or another.

[lodwick]

Ooops - read the thread before posting lodwick. Sheesh.

Good work Betty - the website's well done - I think.

[lodwick]

I'm off to Woods Hole next week - well, mainly Boston but I get to go down to WH on Tues and looks like I'll have time to take the ferry over to Martha's Vineyard for lunch.

Now you've made us all jealous! Let me go there, and I'll send you to Threadgill's.

We love the Cape, MV, and Nantuckett - great places except for the politics. But you can take tours and see where MaryJo was murdered and other Kennedy crap.

[Teacup]

That article on Janet's Hot dance party, sounds more like wishful thinking. Read this article:

Some Democrats fear Janet Reno will lead them to defeat in November

MIAMI - Janet Reno ( news - web sites) is the clear favorite among rank-and-file Democrats in her run for governor of Florida, but some party strategists fear she will only lead them to defeat in November.
Some Democrats worry that her high negative ratings and her weak fund-raising may foil their grand plan: ousting Republican Gov. Jeb Bush and getting revenge against his brother in the state where the 2000 race for the White House was decided.
Less than two months before the primary, Democrats face a dilemma: Should they choose Reno, who is the darling of South Florida's condos and Democratic clubs but is disliked in more conservative parts of the state? Or should they go with Bill McBride, a first-time candidate with war hero credentials but little name recognition?

Recent polls show McBride narrowing the gap but still trailing Reno by more than 20 points for the nomination. Still, Reno's unfavorable ratings top 40 percent in some polls, in part because of some of the decisions that marked her eight years as President Clinton ( news - web sites)'s attorney general — namely, the move to seize Elian Gonzalez and send him back to Cuba.(Read the rest on link)

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Sounds like the Rats must decide on Reno or McBride.

[lodwick]

Huh - They don't have their primary until September 10. I guess someone wants all the candidates to spend everything they have - or someone else has right up to the last minute.

Here in Texas we get the blood-letting done in March so the candidates have plenty of time to savage each other until the fall.

I have GOT to get off this puter and do something constructive, quickly. ;-)

[BigWaveBetty]

Clinton Library will extend from shore on stilts in a way intended to memorialize the "bridge to the 21st century" that Mr. Clinton evoked in his acceptance speech at his renomination in Chicago in 1996.

Oh PUULEEEEEEEZE!

The designer, whose credits include the U.S. Holocaust Memorial in Washington, sticks to the party line when asked how he plans to depict some of the administration's tackier moments.

"You just handle it," he replies, saying everything will be included in the 110-foot-long, two-story centerpiece exhibit displaying official schedules for each of Mr. Clinton's 2,923 days in the White House.

You just handle it? eeewwwwww! He meant ignore it. Wasn't that the LONGEST 2,923 days of your life?!

Certain to be included in the Clinton museum are statues of Socks, Chelsea Clinton's cat, as well as Buddy, the chocolate-colored pet Labrador killed by a car in January

OMG!! That would be the cat they abandoned?! And the dog they murdered?!

Mr. Clinton himself insists that there will be some of the embarrassing stuff. "Impeachment?" Mr. Clinton asked at a ceremonial groundbreaking six months before construction actually began. "Absolutely. What I did was a matter of record, but what I want is the whole record out."

But it will be in the bathroom behind the trash can.

Mr. Rutherford won support by estimating the library will draw at least 300,000 visitors a year to the city.

"The tourist estimates seem very high. I'm skeptical. It's a good thing and can benefit the city, but I think they're being pretty optimistic," Mr. Henry says. Indeed, some backers seem to imagine the library as something of a Disneyland.

Well now doesn't that just sum up liberals for ya?! :-)

" Mr. Travis says. "President Clinton represents eight years of American history plus eight years of pretty wild stories out of the White House."

Surely some entrepreneur will pick up on that and emulate the Washington sex-spots tour and organize a Clinton crawl.

Oh boy! What fun!!

Legendary Porn star Ron Jeremy at Paul Sevigny's birthday party, held Atlas on 38th Street. - Photo by: DMI

No doubt this slug will be first in line. No wait, it'll be Larry Flynt because he'll have handicap access!

This is a far as I can get for now, son is chomping at the bit to get on the computer.... Thanks for the link E, much interesting stuff! ... back later. :-)

[Utah Girl]

Angie and Billy Bob wanted TEN children??? Oh my. And I was sooo shocked when she filed for divorce, NOT. I just feel bad for the little baby they just adopted.

[lds23]

I wish I had my old steel-toed cowboy boots from 1976 with the bicentennial eagle and lightning bolts on the sides.