The Fascinating History Of Footwear

By Kiri Picone
Published April 23, 2013
Updated May 11, 2018

Believe it or not, the accessories that currently cover your feet have a 40,000-year history.

It’s hard to imagine a time before the invention of shoes. Yet what started as a practical venture
has grown into a varied, booming industry just as concerned with art as it is with functionality.
Though all shoes share basic characteristics, their coloring, materials, and designs have
transformed drastically over thousands of years in the fascinating history of footwear.

Source: US Storage Research

From archeological and paleoarcheological evidence, experts hypothesize that shoes were
invented around in the Middle Paleolithic period approximately 40,000 years ago. However, it
wasn’t until the Upper Paleolithic period that footwear was consistently worn by populations.
The earliest shoe prototypes were soft, made from wraparound leather, and resembled either
sandals or moccasins.

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Source: PLOS Blogs Network

Jump ahead a few thousand years to the beginning of modern footwear. In Europe’s early
Baroque period, women’s and men’s shoes were very similar, though fashions and materials
differed among social classes. For common folk, heavy black leather heels were the norm, and
for aristocrats, the same shape was crafted out of wood.

Source: Chron

In the 18th century, fabric shoes like the silk pair below were very much a la mode.

Source: Two Nerdy History Girls

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In the early 1800’s, women’s and men’s shoes finally began to differ from one another in style,
color, heel, and toe shape. Cloth-topped shoes made an appearance during this era, and boots
grew exceedingly popular. After much fluctuation, the standard for a man’s heel finally settled at
1 inch.

Source: J Horrox

Up until 1850, shoes were made straight, meaning that there was no differentiation from left and
right shoes. As the twentieth century approached, shoemakers improved comfort by making
foot-specific shoes.

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Source: Phys.org

Source: How To Shoes

In the 20th century, the face of footwear changed drastically from decade to decade. This was
due in part to a variety of technological advances that made the shoemaking process simpler.
Source: Manitoba Museum

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During the Great Depression, black and brown shoes dominated the American market. Shortly
after, Oxfords became a popular male choice and cork-soled, platform shoes grew popular
among women.

Though men’s shoe styles remained relatively unchanged following World War II, women’s
shoes made another dramatic alteration in their appearance. Women’s shoes were now arched,
sophisticated and made to highlight the foot. Delicate heels grew narrower as the decade
progressed.
Source: Edelweiss Patterns

As the female presence in the workplace grew in the last few decades of the 20th century, so
too did their heels. In the early seventies, platform shoes and wedges were popular among
women, though they became less-so in the eighties and nineties.

Men’s shoe trends, however, were markedly static, as oxfords and loafers remained the
dominant style. In 1986, Doc Martens, once heralded as an anti-fashion statement, were
considered socially acceptable.

Source: Trollar

These days, there are shoes for every occasion, mood, and preference. There has also been a
movement away from styles that focus primarily on comfort and function, as many designers
are shifting interest from a matter of practicality to that of aesthetics. Celebrities like Lady Gaga
have introduced the world to footwear that’s more art and armadillo than it is clothing. If
footwear trends continue in this fashion, we can expect the shoes of the future to be even more
out-of-this-world.