# data[].attributes.body
In the 1920's the 'Flapper' girl's were the IT factor, the skinny strap with the buckle were all in fashion.
In the 1930's, it was the 'Era of Glamour'. Everything was painted and polished, shiny and new. Even if the war rationing going on, the heels got a little higher, and the shoes got flashier.
In the 1940's, the 'Working Woman' need less flashy and more office like. The first pair of leather shoes have a similar style to men's dress shoes. The style becoming more masculine.
In the 1950's it was the 'Hourglass', women stayed away from being super model skinny, and the Playboy bunnies took over. These classy, dainty shoes were all the fashion for the bunny or the prim and proper housewife.
In the 1960's it was 'Swinging', from hippies, to heavy eyeliner, to Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton. Studs all over the toes or open toes, the more the shoes standout, the better.
In the 1970's it was 'Disco' all the time. Although it's missing the Go Go Boot's, the crazy colours were all the rage. Short heels and straps to ensure you're staying on your feet when your dancing at the discotheque.
In the 1980's, it as the year of the 'Model'. These gold pointed tips are so posh, then the purple straps would walk the runway. Between big hair and shoulders these shoes would be perfect.
In the 1990's, year of the 'Waif', impossibly skinny, these simple chunky shoes were perfect.
In the 2000's spray tans and the perfect toned body were all the rage, the Stiletto's take over. Women have expectations to live up to, they need to look the part and dress the part, which means these outrageously high stilettos being added into everyday fashion.
(2016, August 31). Retrieved April 09, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTShDK_vdi0

# data[].attributes.body
I have owned Van's for years, so I thought this video was perfect for this topic. Heels are great but not very woman can wear them or wants to all the time. This video describes how Van's got created for the Surfing community, until Skateboarder's took notice. But, if you don't do either these shoes are still super comfortable. It's an interesting history.
(2016, March 15). Retrieved April 09, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5n2x0ox47w

# data[].attributes.body
Not every shoe needs to be sensible, and these shoes are definitely not. But they truly are interesting, these shoes were created all over the world. Shoes have come so far from being laced up pieces of fabric with hay at the bottom for warmth or cushion. Now they can actually be considered art and design. From being homemade to thousands of dollars, shoes have dramatically evolved over time. I must see someone walk in the octopus shoes, if it's even possible.
(2018, March 27). Retrieved April 09, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-b5hPV246E

# data[].attributes.body
This website gives a great description of 52 shoes starting in 1550 BC all the way to 2015. The evolvement of shoes from practical to fashion is crazy. This website tells you all about each type of shoe and how they came to be, when they were created and by who. Tells you all about how Uggs were not meant for the Winters we Canadians use them for.
History of Shoes. (n.d.). Retrieved April 09, 2019, from https://www.vam.ac.uk/shoestimeline/

# data[].attributes.body
Shoe Passion breaks down the Prehistoric, Classical, Middle Ages, 19th, and 20th Centuries main shoes. I found this site very interesting because it gives you interesting facts of the time. In Prehistoric times they used to use furs and animal hides to protect their feet from the
elements. Needless to say 'fashion' wasn't a 'sense' yet. In the Classical century, shoes would tell your social class. Not having any could mean your a slave. Shoes fall into the beauty aspect very easily, using beauty to dictate class, with these strict expectations.
ShoePassion. (n.d.). Willkommen. Retrieved April 9, 2019, from http://www.shoepassion.com/shoe-encyclopedia/shoe-history

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We detected that your JavaScript seem to be disabled.
You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website.

Customer Testimonials

We'd love to get your feedback. Take a look at what other customers had to say about their SHOEPASSION.com purchase.

Customer Testimonials

Shoe Experts

We've invited experts in the field to share their opinions on SHOEPASSION.com products. What do they think?

Shoe Experts

Video Gallery

Join us on an exciting video tour of our men's shoe collection. Get a closer look at our exquisite Goodyear-welted shoes.

Video Gallery

Our Shoeletter

New product announcements

Proper shoe care advice

General shoe-related knowledge

An inside look at shoe manufacturing

News about our Berlin store

40,000 years ago, humans had already developed the need to protect their feet from the elements. It took centuries, however, until the tasteful shoes of today were developed.

19th of September, 1991 was an important date for shoe history. On this day, a mummy was found in a glacier in the Ötztal Alps. Researchers also discovered a pair of well-preserved primitive shoes on so-called Ötzi's feet. The shoe uppers were made of deerskin, the insides of the shoes were made of woven linden bast, the cushioning and isolating layers were made of grass fibres, and the soles were made of bearskin. The footwear was estimated to be roughly 5,300 years old. This discovery, combined with research conducted upon 40,000-year-old Chinese skeletons as well as paintings found in the Altamira Cave dating back to 15,000 - 12,000 B.C., demonstrates that humans developed the need to protect their feet from the elements quite early on.

There was no one original shoe

That being said, shoe history cannot be traced back to a single, original shoe. Different climactic regions required different kinds of footwear, from animal furs wrapped around the feet and calves to palm leaves bound beneath the foot. These kinds of early shoes offered protection from the cold and heat, respectively. In cold regions inventions like these were the predecessors of boots, whereas in hot regions they served as the prototypes for sandals. As such, shoe development was strongly influenced by respective conditions. Mass migration from the ( 3rd to the 6th centuries) and the Crusades ( of the 11th through 15th centuries) enabled the combination of different footwear fashions, which had until that time remained disparate.

Bis daraus die heutigen bekannten types of men's shoes known today emerged. Much of the footwear available today is clearly influenced by the footwear of the past; shoe history lives on. Shoemaking, shoe contruction and shoe prodution methods have hardly changed since the 19th century. The only aspect of shoe production that has drastically changed is tanning. That which humans sought to achieve in prehistoric times is taken for granted today. Modern men's shoes made of premium leather last a very long time when treated with the proper care. They also promise a perfect fit, which in turn helps wearers maintain healthy feet.

An overview of shoe history eras:

Please wait...

was added to your cart

Loading...

We use cookies to ensure that you enjoy the best possible experience on our website. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. OK

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We detected that your JavaScript seem to be disabled. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. We'd love to get your feedback. Take a look at what other customers had to say about their SHOEPASSION.com purchase.

# data[].attributes.body
Alexander McQueen's, 'Armadillo Boot' in 2010, just shoes how any thing can be in fashion at this time. Getting closer to 2020, the fashion just keeps pushing farther and farther to art pieces instead of shoes.
2010s: Armadillo Heels & More, Bustle, 10 Feb. 2016, www.bustle.com/articles/139817-the-evolution-of-womens-shoes-includes-ancient-flip-flops-armadillo-heels.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Iconic Fashion Over the Years Website

# data[].attributes.subject
The Iconic Fashion Over the Years Website

# data[].attributes.body
All the way back to 960, the Chinese would use shoes for 'foot binding', beauty would measure up to how small your feet were. To the 1920's and 'Brogues', a pair of shoes to wear when watching sports specifically. Gucci coined the term 'Loafer' in 1953. Marie Claire goes over shoes across the globe, over the year's with interesting facts on the types of shoes,
Leaper, C. (2016, March 30). The History Of Shoes. Retrieved April 9, 2019, from https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/the-history-of-shoes-fashion-gladiators-wellington-boots-stilettos-ugg-brogues-51134

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's #ShoesFirst month at Marie Claire and to celebrate, we're charting some of the most influential and iconic design developments in footwear history.

It's #ShoesFirst month at Marie Claire and to celebrate, we're charting some of the most influential and iconic design developments in footwear history. From gladiator sandals to UGG boots, wellies to brogues, we're investigating where some of our favourite styles originated...

Roman Military Sandals
Let's start with the gladiators shall we? Because we could have gone way further back and kicked off our list with some flimsy Egyptian papyrus sock, but cage shoes were the first style that really made it onto the eternal fashion map. Gladiator flats and mega strap heels are still rocking the catwalks today and have been worn by everyone from Kate Moss to Sienna Miller over the years. We bet that's exactly where the Romans saw their military footwear designs ending up.

(Image: Example of ancient foot binding shoes)

18th Century Fancy Footwear
Rich women didn't get out much in the 1700s, and their boudoir mules were usually made from fine silks and delicate embroideries, which needed a leather over-shoe, or patten, over the top if ever they did venture outside. Manolo Blahnik recreated the ultimate 18th Century style setter, Marie Antoinette's, stunning shoe wardrobe for Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst's movie about the French queen of decadence in 2006.

Rules about heel height were introduced in the 1910s to make sure women always looked 'decent'. Anything above three inches was deemed too risqué, and a woman's gown had to be long enough to cover the top of her boots by two inches. How... limiting.

Brogues
The 1920s saw the popularisation of Oxford brogues, or 'spectator shoes' as they were known, because people initially just wore them to watch sports in. There really is a shoe for every occasion, isn't there?

(Image: Stella McCartney's modern take on brogues)

Natural Wedges
Salvatore Ferragamo invented cork wedges in 1938 after Italy's Facist regime left him without any leather materials to work with. The design was an instant hit around the world, and is now the summer shoe of choice for everyone from Kim Kardashian to Kate Middleton today.

(Image: Christian Dior holds Roger Vivier's stilettos)
UGGs Go Global
Until 1978, sheepskin UGGs had been the footwear choice of Australian surfers looking to keep their feet warm when they got out of the water. Then the company began exporting, and sales blew up, reaching a peak point in the early 2000s when they became the off-duty shoe of choice for almost every Hollywood star.

(Image: UGG Australia's AW15 ad campaign)
Trainer Tribes
Sales of specialised exercise shoes had been on the rise since the 1950s, but it wasn't until Jane Fonda and the aerobics explosion of the 1980s that trainers really became a fashion statement. As their popularity grew, so did celebrity endorsements and now, everyone's revisiting their cult favourite style all over again. So, New Balance, Stan Smiths, Reebok Classics, or something else; which trainer tribe are you in?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's #ShoesFirst month at Marie Claire and to celebrate, we're charting some of the most influential and iconic design developments in footwear history. It's #ShoesFirst month at Marie Claire and to celebrate, we're charting some of the most influential and iconic design developments in footwear history.

# data[].attributes.body
These unisex boots were different from the others because of the seam dividing the lower and upper part of the boot. These boots in the picture have a lower heel, they started out flat but the heel started to raise in the 1800's, as most females shoes do. These boots were durable for the working women or the women who can't afford the fancy, fashion forward shoes. These were one of the more practical boots and they are back in fashion now!
History of Shoes, Bellatory, 1 Aug. 2017, bellatory.com/fashion-industry/HistoryofShoes19thand20thCenturyWomensFootwear.

# data[].attributes.body
'Poulaines' were all the fashion in the Gothic Period. These pointed toes would dictate class. The longer the toes, the higher up in the social standings. Sometimes they would be so long they would have to tie the toe to leg so the wearer was able to walk. This wasn't the most practical style.
The silver shoes, Vic Matie's in the bottom right corner seem similar to the old style. The toes may not be a half a meter long, but fashion does cycle back.
History & Evolution of Shoes, Lolita, 5 Mar. 2018, www.dolitashoes.com/blogs/news/the-history-and-evolution-of-shoes.

# data[].attributes.body
I knew shoes have obviously changed over time but I never really took in how much fashion cycles back. Heels can be a source of power or objectification. From the classic 'Stripper Heel' to kitten heels, have historically had a part in hyper sexualization of women. Although thats not all they are, they can make a woman feel classy or sexy but also cause a lot of pain.
It's crazy majority of the shoes fashion seen in the video by Glam are still seen to this day. I personally love shoes, I was debating on taking a picture of my (homemade) rolling shoe shelf. I have around 30 pairs of the top of my head in every style you can think of. So lets say I love shoes, so seeing the change and learning about them was very interesting to me. Now I love the colour of the Armadillo shoes but I think thats pushing it even for me. Also, I have a boot very similar to the Balmoral Boot, so it seems crazy to me how long they have actually been around (over 200 years!).
I will never forget the fact that the the toe of someones shoe in the Gothic ages, could dictate your social class. Considering they could be like half a meter long and tied to someones pants just so they could walk, seems very dramatic and clown like to me. This topic hasn't changed me but if anything it's widen my eyes to whats in front of me. I get the luxury of buying shoes, keyword buying, not making them from fur, hides, and hay. People used to wear shoes just to deal with the elements, now it's matching outfits and standing out. Or how height meant class, and they didn't understand who heels can be back breaking. I am very thankful for orthopaedics and grips at the bottom of my shoes. She designers think of everything and their is so much more into making a shoe then I thought.