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.

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