Some people go barefoot quite often and develop calloused feet and stronger muscles in their feet and legs. I wonder how shoes have become so mainstream and how they have developed over time, all over the world. Once people started needing protection for their feet, they probably started wearing shoes of different kinds and types of materials.
Archaeological findings seem to indicate that humans needed shoes more as their feet evolved thinner skin. Shoes were traditionally made from wood, leather, and other materials available to people of different regions.
When conditions were harsh, such as in sharp terrain or cold weather, people would create shoes to protect their feet. Shoes have been around for at least years. The first leather shoes were found 5, years ago. Leather for shoes could be from many animals available in the environment that had thick enough skin. If a hunter could capture an animal for food, its skin might be used to make something, including shoes. They have been able to create clothing from seal and caribou skins sewn together with a bone needle.
They use animal bones, skins, sinew, and other animal parts to help make clothing and shoes. The mukluk was used by the Inuit as boots and shoes. They are made from the seal, caribou, and reindeer skins for their protective properties against the harsh weather. People in different areas of the world have designed shoes with the materials available in their area. About years ago people started using wood shoes to help keep their feet protected and dry.
It was made using two stilt-like wood pieces that held up a wood platform that was used like a sandal. But wood sandals were time-intensive to make and may have cost more than people could pay. They were easier to make and less expensive. It seems that people started using grass sandals more, possibly because of the availability of the materials or the difficulty of labor, or the availability of wood when making wood sandals. Rice straw was widely used to create sandals in Japan and China.
If you were in mountainous or rainy areas, shoes could help prevent cuts and keep your feet out of the mud and water a bit better. Ask a friend or family member to join you as you explore the following activities: Could you make your own shoes at home one day with advanced technology?
Check out These Shoes Are Made for Printing to learn more about special shoes made from plastics that can be injection molded and, one day, possibly 3D printed. What kind of shoes would you make if you could create a pair from scratch with a 3D printer?
Have you ever heard of boat shoes? Adidas now makes a shoe out of plastic recycled from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Would you wear a pair of these shoes made out of recycled materials? Why or why not? If you're really up for a challenge, it IS possible to make your own shoes at home.
You will need quite a few special materials and tools, plenty of patience, and lots of help from adult friends and family members. If this sounds like a challenge you're up for, then jump online to read through How To Make Shoes to review the many steps in the process. Good luck! Did you get it? Test your knowledge. What are you wondering? Wonder Words gym ease tasks tough tackle terrain iconic design blades primitive essential barefoot multitude sensation expensive protection handcrafted departments Take the Wonder Word Challenge.
Join the Discussion. ALton spencer Oct 8, Oct 16, How did we make this Wonder? We're not sure what you're asking, ALton. Sep 19, We hope that you like this Wonder, too, aiden! Sep 17, Hi, george! We sure think that you are awesome! And thanks for the suggestion! Tiara Sep 10, From to , the rubber footwear divisions of U. Rubber were manufacturing their products under 30 different brand names but the company decided to consolidate their brands under a single name.
The initial favorite was Peds, from the Latin for foot, but another company already owned that trademark. The "k" sound won out and Keds were born. The same year, Keds introduced their Champion Sneaker for Women. Keds were first mass-marketed as canvas-top "sneakers" in Henry Nelson McKinney, a copywriter who worked for the N. Other shoes, with the exception of moccasins, were noisy while sneakers were practically silent. Converse All Stars, the first shoe specifically designed for the game, were introduced.
Soon after, Chuck Taylor, an iconic player of the day, became the brand ambassador. The design has remained pretty much the same over the years, and remain firmly ensconced in the cultural landscape today. As at the close of the 19 th century, low-heeled shoes began to fall increasingly out of favor and as the new century dawned, higher heels made a huge resurgence. However, not everyone was willing to suffer for fashion.
In , Chicago-based podiatrist William Mathias Scholl launched his eponymous brand of corrective footwear, Dr. By the s, morality and fashion were increasingly at odds. Spectator shoes, the two-toned Oxfords commonly worn by British patrons of sporting events gained huge popularity among the well to do in England at the close of WWI. In America, however, spectators became part of the counterculture instead.
One of the most innovative shoe designers of the 20th century, Salvatore Ferragamo, rose to fame in the s. In addition to experimenting with unusual materials including kangaroo, crocodile, and fish skin, Ferragamo drew on historic inspiration for his shoes.
His cork wedge sandals—often imitated and reimagined—are considered one of the most important shoe designs of the 20 th century. Meanwhile, in Norway, a designer named Nils Gregoriusson Tveranger was looking to create a shoe that was truly comfortable and fashionable.
His unisex innovation, a slip-on shoe called the Aurland moccasin was inspired by Indigenous moccasins and slip-ons favored by Norwegian fishermen. The shoes took off, both in Europe and in America. Not long after, the Spaulding family based in New Hampshire launched a similar shoe called "The Loafer," which would eventually become the generic term for this slip-on style.
In , G. Weejuns had a distinctive strip of leather across the saddle featuring a cutout design. Kids who wore them started putting pennies or dimes into the slot, and the shoes became known as—you guessed it—"Penny Loafers. The boat or deck shoe was invented by American boater Paul Sperry in After watching how his dog was able to maintain stability on ice, Sperry was inspired to cut grooves into the soles of his shoes and a brand was born.
WWII was the crucible for a number of shoe trends. Doc Martens, combining comfortable air-cushioned soles with durable uppers were invented by Dr. Klaus Maertens in In , Brothel creepers, the brainchild of British shoemaker George Cox, transformed the sole of an army boot into a thick exaggerated wedge made their debut. They are thought to be the first to fit the sandal to the foot.
Roman sandals also known as gladiator sandals typically came up below the knee and had multiple straps lacing up the boot. These became known as sandal boots. Interestingly, only the Roman emperor was allowed to wear red sandals and the number of straps was used to signify the rank of the soldier who was wearing them; the more straps, and the thinner the sole, the higher the rank. The Romans typically constructed their shoes from papyrus leaves or leather.
During the middle ages, a lot of new footwear trends emerged. The first heel on a shoe was made and typically only worn by men.
This is also when the first pointed toe shoes can be seen. The length of the tip eventually evolved to represent social status. It is also around this time that shoes can be seen with different types of luxurious material such as velvet. These shoes were the prototype of the platform shoe. Leading up to the 18th century, the pointed toe was swapped out for a more rounded shoe.
It was also during this time that the baroque period emerged, with more embellishments and fancier material being used; things like lace, satin, and silk were now the standard of shoemaking. The 19th century is mostly to thank for the standard shoe making practices of today. By this time, there were more than 15 techniques developed for handcrafting shoes.
Low-rise shoes gained popularity among men, and subsequently women. By now, shoe fashion was mainly being dictated by Hollywood and celebrity figures. Shoe making by hand had flourished in the 18th and 19th century, that is, until the industrial revolution.
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