Sandals – a history

There is much evidence that foot protection was a priority of our primitive ancestors, as evidenced in ancient rock paintings depicting our Paleolithic ancestors wearing sandals 15,000 years ago. Necessity compelled these people to invent basic foot protection from ice, jagged rocks, burning sands, and the rugged terrain over which they ranged in pursuit of food and shelter.

These early pieces of footwear were made of wrappings, usually made of animal skins, leather or dried grasses, and wore away quickly. Later, as tools and skills developed, protective footwear was more thoughtfully crafted with oval pieces of leather bound by strong leather strapping lasting longer and affording better protection.

One of the oldest known artifacts actually found is the 9,000-year-old Oregon Sandal excavated the Fort Rock cave in 1938.

Greek running shoes

While evidences suggests that the Greeks took good care of their feet by using different footwear for different activities, it turns out that competition spurned sandal innovation in ancient Greece. In the ancient Greek games, the competitors ran barefoot. However, as the Greek empire grew, athletes from other civilizations brought innovation to Rome. One of those, the obscure Etruscans from northern Italy, were well known for their sandal making. The Etruscans developed a technique to attach the sole of the sandal to the upper of the shoe with metal tacks. Before this sandals broke easily. As soon as tacks could hold the shoes together it coincidentally offered greater sole traction to the ground and the crude running shoe was developed. The sole of the sandal needed to be securely attached to the foot and this necessitated leather thongs wrapped to the ankle and sometimes above.

Romans create sandals for war

Innovation in sandal making also played a large part during ancient Roman time, but for a completely different purpose – war. The Romans devised a military type of sandal, with durable leather thongs wrapped around the foot and ankles, which enabled their legions to travel on foot throughout their very large empire. Sandals also played into social life in ancient Rome. In Rome, footwear indicated social class. And in the more luxurious days of the Roman Empire, sandals were often beautifully wrought with ornaments of gold and precious stones.

Modern sandals evolve

The sandal still is the most generally worn type of footwear in many warm countries. In form and ornamentation it reflects the environment in which it was worn, together with the artistic tastes of the peoples. In some countries the sandal continues to be the same simple kind worn since the dawn of history, while in others the multiple forms of the straps and beautiful decorative work reflect the artistry, progress and prosperity of the wearers.