THE STORY OF THE SHOE

A Necessity

The invention of footwear dates back to the days of our primitive ancestors.
Footwear, which is now primarily categorized as a product of the fashion world was basically invented for the purpose of protection.

Our primitive ancestors sought out to footwear as they found it difficult to walk for miles in search of food and shelter along the jagged rocks, burning sand, and rugged terrain.

Evidence of humans protecting the feet is evident in the Egyptian, Chinese and other early civilizations and since shoe making has became one of the most important accessory for the people.

In Its First Form:

In those days, just like clothing footwear was also made of leaves.  It was very artistically made with plaited grass or rawhide and was strapped to the feet. It is quite interesting to note that most shoes made in those days were on absolutely straight lasts - there being no difference between the right and the left shoe.

Traditionally before mass production, shoe making process involved the duplication of the customers’ feet by creating a stone or wooden mould. The upper shoe was then stitched to the sole by hand.

The Tools:

Before the invention of machines in the 19th century, shoe makers were using the same set of hand tools that were used in Egypt as early as the 14th century B.C.

Later they added the curved awl, chisel-like knife, scraper, pincers, lapstone, hammer and rubbing sticks to their tool box.

1800s:

The year 1845 made a revolution in the history of shoe making, when the Rolling Machine was invented which replaced lapstone and hammer.
This was followed by Elias Howe's invention of the Sewing Machine in 1846. The success of this major invention set up a chain reaction of research and development that has bloomed ever since.

In 1852, shoe making became easier and cheaper with the invention of Lasting Machine by Jan Matzeliger. It was used to stitch the top leather part of the shoe to the bottom sole. While most people were able to make only fifty pairs of shoes a day, Matzeliger's machine was capable of making four hundred.
Improvements were made on these machines and Gordon Mc Kay built his custom model which later came to be known as the “Mc Kays”.  Welt and Turn shoes came into existence after the invention of Goodyear Welt Sewing Machine in the year 1875.

1900s:

20th century gave a new dimension and look to the shoes, with much importance being given to design and fashion. This brought a boom to designer’s footwear and shoes became more of a fashion statement.

This century also introduced a wide range of shoes - Lace ups, Straps, Court Shoes or Pumps and people welcomed these changes all the more.
Of all the styles available in the 1920s, the bar shoe fastened with a strap and a single button became a trend.

World War II brought about a lot of change in all walks of life and shoe industry was not an exception. Only those materials that were not essential to the war efforts were used for the shoe production and so, wood became popular for the soles and heels of shoes.

1950s

popularised the Stiletto for women, which was usually worn with matching gloves, hat, handbag and even umbrella. Men continued to wear the styles that had been developed a century earlier – Brogues, Oxford and Derby shoes.

Synthetic materials were increasingly used to make boots and shoes with the aid of the technological advancements.

With the late 60s disillusioned with new technology, ethnic look took off with Hippy culture. The Platform Shoe, popular in the 1940s, was revived. It was worn by men and women in increasingly brighter colours and high heels throughout the 70s.

By 1980’s the shoe fashion was totally revolutionized with the introduction of huge number of styles. There was no one dominant shoe shape that was worn by everyone. There were however, strong trends with people tending to buy flats one season, heels in another.

Contemporary Shoes:

One wonders if there are any more inventions to be made as far as shoes are concerned.

Today we are provided with a wider range of choices of footwear right from, casuals, outdoors, party wear, sport shoes, boots, sandals, clogs, lace ups, heeled shoes… and the list goes on.

With technology and trend going hand in hand the future has alot in store to reveal to the world of fashion.