The history of shoes is as ancient as the history of human culture and the shape of shoes, like all other parts of clothing, has changed at all times and in all nations.
Though craftsmen, soldiers and people of the lower classes of ancient Egypt went barefoot, but the Egyptians belonging to the higher classes, carried sandals which, however, always were removed in the presence or in a palace of tsar. The Egyptian sandals made of palm leaves or papyrus were attached to a leg by a transverse belt from which the second belt went downwards in all length of a leg, fastened between the thumb and second toes at the beak-shaped sandal at the end and the sandal bent upwards. Belts were often richly decorated. High-ranking Egyptian women wore a gold bracelet, decorated with colored enamel, on their feet, in addition to the elegantly cut sandalwood.
The Semitic Assyrian belligerent tribe had not only sandals with a backrest to protect the heel, but also straps attached to the leg, tall shoes that resembled modern shoes. Ancient Jews wore shoes made of leather, wool, cane or wood. In the house, they took off their shoes during the mourning or in the presence of a guest to whom they wanted to express their respect. Warriors wore iron and copper shoes.
In the Greeks, we already find, apart from the simple sandals on most of the ancient statues, as well as lacing boots, which were mostly worn by women. The clay figurines from Tanagra, depicted in such boots, are painted red on the found clay figurines, except the sole of which is yellow. The belts used for lacing were also painted and painted. Then there was a variety of beautiful white shoes called "Persian", which were worn mainly in courtesans. Lakonskaia or Lakonskaia, named after the lacquer of the demon town of Amicle, was called Lakedemonyan shoes, which were red.
The Romans had two types of shoes: one "calceus" covering the entire leg (strongly reminiscent of our modern shoes) and tied in front with a belt, ribbon or cord; the other was "solea" (sandal) covering only the sole of the foot and attached to the straps. The Roman, who appeared publicly, always wore a "calceus". The women wore sandals when they went outside. The senators' shoes were black in color and reached to the ankle; images of the month made of silver or gold were attached under the knee, which served as a distinctive sign of the senators-patrizia and called "luna patricia". Women's shoes were usually white, but sometimes purple, scarlet and even yellow I was decorated with embroidery and pearls. The men's shoes were black and some wore red. At the time of the emperors, the shoes were decorated with gold, silver and precious stones. According to some authors, the senators attached their shoes with four straps and the plebeians with one.
14th century. Ordinary nobles, according to fashion, were supposed to wear shoes or shoes one and a half times the length of their feet, and barons - by two. Princes and enterprising negociants could wear shoes even three sizes larger than they actually needed. The night part of the shoes had to be tied up with twine so as not to fall while walking and bowing...
Europeans paid special attention to shoes. The ability to wear it beautifully and elegantly was a sign of good tone. The French king Philip IV established by law: all princes of royal blood can wear shoes demolition of the full-time part of any length and still bent upwards. For noblemen's shoes, a limit was set of no more than 60 centimetres (2 feet), and for townspeople, no more than one foot. The fashion for long-nosed shoes quickly covered all European countries. A flair and, which were, as you know, at all times, attached to the tip of the sock a bell or rattle bell.
In Macedonia, in the Golichnik district, there is a custom: after the wedding, friends take the young people overnight to the basement, where they lie on the floor with a hat and boots. The newlyweds immediately fight for these items. With the hat it is easier: believe me, if the wife takes away her horror mind, she will be happily married, so that her husband resists only for the sight. But with the shoes more difficult: the one of the newlyweds, who missed them, will be under the heel of another his whole life.