Most of us either don’t care much about our shoes or we collect them until we have to buy a new shoe cabinet. Here are a few facts about footwear and how people have treated it over the centuries.
- The Middle East is usually scorching, so heels were added to shoes to allow more space between the hot sand and the foot.
- Samuel Pepys started adding buckles to his shoes in 1660.
- Shoes were once considered unisex in Europe, with the same styles worn by women and men.
- For centuries, the Japanese were known to wear shoes raised on wooden blocks, some as high as 10 inches but usually 3–4 inches. When buying shoes, people considered the sound the heel would make upon walking.
- Sneakers came into existence in the early 1800s in Europe. Once the United States started manufacturing them, sneakers became the most desired item on the footwear market.
- To ensure the safety and happiness of the couple, some Chinese brides throw a bridal shoe on the roof of their home.
- The stiletto heel was created in 1954 by Roger Vivier. The name was derived from the Latin word meaning “small knife” or “stake”.
- In medieval times, the groom would obtain the shoes of his bride from her father.
- Alongside tin cans, some newlyweds also tie shoes to their “Just Married” car as decoration.
- The desire to collect high-heeled footwear is termed altocalciphilia.
Those were indeed some peculiar facts. Shoes mean so much to some of us, which is why we’ll always keep buying them, beyond the usual necessity.
