THROUGH THE AGES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 85, 12 April 1937, Page 11

THROUGH THE AGES

STORY OF BOOTS AND ;SHOES

Early man wore>a rough covering of rawhide to protect his feet, and after this the first constructed foot covering was undoubtedly the sandal,-states the "Sydney Morning Herald.'-' , , '..' Great attention was paid to shoes by, the"'.early. 'Romans, among ■ whom the shoemaker 'was- called "sator:"".; Some oi the Chores' were -so beautifully made. ;and so'highly valued that! many .of the 'wealthy" were' buried' with .their shoes upon their feet. The nailed shoe of the Roman'soldier (caliga) and the laced sandal' of the; aristocrat have, in-recent years, been unearthed from the soil of ancient London." V

In England the word-boot was taken from the Welsh "taptes," which means shoes. The. craft'seems \to have made its first headway in England about the time of the Norman Conquest..

In the tenth century,: wooden shoes were worn in Europe, even tiy : great princes. The very, poor, wore -a thick cloth wound round foot and leg. Shoemakers, a little"- later; began to,experiment in rich and ornamental footwear. We read that at the Court of William Eufus there was a great beau called Robert the: Horned,'; who wore shoes, with long/toes-twisted like a ram's horn, and stuffed.-:with-tow.- •■•■■

:, -,The-. shoemakers, formed .themselves into a guild, and were granted, charters By Edward. 11, Henry VI, and William aiicl Mary, successively. ' : "

There was a' charity fund connected'with the'guild, which functioned for six centuries, arid did -much to alleviate, distress among ill: or ' unfortunate members.- ~ ''. ■■

'.->.v-Jn the fourteenth century, patterns, ..■which .were- something like the pre-sent-day -goloshes,, were,made,in Eng.•:larid, and largely-worn by the gentry .1 and; the clergy. To ensure their light--ness, they were constructed of aspen,. •;arid sometimes had a small iron ring .•..on the sole to prevent them slipping.

'•:-3xl the reign of Henry VIII, shoes were * made very broad. -The King had to have them so on account of his gouty feet,-and,-after the manner of the present day, because they were favoured by Royalty, they .immediately became very fashionable, but the -fashion was carried^ -to.r such extreme lengths that in the reign of. M&ry the law regulated the width'across the toes to six inches. Then there came a craze for slippers, which' reached its height in the reign of Charles,!. • ■ .

In the Stuart and Tudor periods, the -.shoemaker was .allowed, to. let his -imagination run,riot-on fanciful deco- ; rations for shoes, and the wealthy, had it.ltem of silk and velvet and coloureii .leather, frequently, embroidered with •jewels. . ■ ■

■"Queen Elizabsth had -a v.cry expensive taste in shoes and boots, which she possessed in large number, for, in those"halcyon days a monarch could always afford- to indulge in any extravagant: taste. ■ '

' Probably the most ridiculous shoes 'in history were the Polish shoes. They were, so fashioned that they curved right up'to .tha knee::, v,rhcrc they wore fastened with either silk or gold.