In the course of the history of mankind, our feet have treaded on everything from potholes to tacks, flames to ice, and possibly just about anything else that can be named. What our feet feel have ranged from excruciating pain when we step on fire or the annoying uncomforting feel of mud between our toes. In response, our race has fought against these problems via the creation of a simple device. It keeps us warm, protects our feet from bodily harm, shies the water away from our feet, keeps the elements at bay and evens out the bumps on the road. Shoes, as we have come to call it, have progressed across the centuries as the living standards of human beings improved. Better materials were found, and as less time was spent on survival, more time was spent on innovation. Shoes became fashionable and more money than ever before was invested on the shoe market. The appearance of shoes has undergone dramatic evolution as time progresses. Yet, all the same, there is a disturbing similarity among the functions of shoes from past to present.

These similarities are indeed shocking. In the Dictionary of Leather-Working Tools, R.A. Salaman describes a cave painting of at least ten-thousand years past showing foot bags crafted of leather. Their function was painfully obvious; it allowed the warmth of our feet to be retained within our bodies. Then came moccasins, with the trademark puckered seam outlining the forepart of the shoe. Finally our current times have opted for the fuzzy slippers; warm, comfy, and enough room to wiggle your toes in. 

The ancient Grecian soldiers wore shoes called krepis. These shoes, although much like sandles, covered much more of the heel and sides, protecting them more from nuisances that distract soldiers from the battlefield. The thick soles allowed them to stride over water and pebble alike. Compare that to the combat boots of today. They cover everything up to the shins, thus protecting soldiers not just from the pain of walking on water or pebbles, but from virtually anything in the environment!

Shoes have been found across the world to be a radiant sign of power. Any civilian in ancient Egypt glancing at a shoe with a long, peaked toe would immediately recognize the presence of a Pharaoh in the vicinity. During the mid 1600's, The Sun King Louis XIV created a new fad of platform shoes, simply because he had the royal power to do so. The platform shoes soon became the symbol of nobility. The power shoes impart to people still remain to this day. On February of 2001, Mexican President Vicente Fox gave US President George Bush a pair of cowboy boots and another pair of handcrafted dress boots. According to the Times Mirror Company, "The cowboy boots have come to symbolize the hopes of many Mexicans that Bush and Fox will together build a more relaxed, balanced relationship between these neighbors." Fancy footwear seems to not just have power within themselves, but the power to mend and restore alliances!

It would seem that shoes have not developed any new purpose, instead only building onto their precedent, but this is not so! The major difference between the past and present is the available leisure time the middle-upper class has! With it, shoes have been created beyond our ancestor's wildest imaginations. Among those are the moon shoes, mini-trampolines made for feet so that people can jump with an anti-gravity effect. There are basketball shoes, tennis shoes, running shoes, and shoes specially designed to suit the needs of every person. From ice skates to bowling shoes, technology has allowed shoes to deviate from their original purposes to allow in some good old-fashioned fun.

We have much to look forward to, if the current trends of shoes continue. With shoes devoted to the passions of the past and others to the love of leisure, there would be shoes abroad to suit any man at any time. Even with over a history of over ten thousand years, shoes still provide the same benefits as today. Even with the better materials and the increased technology, they still protect against the elements. They still protect us from bodily harm. They still keep our feet warm. Yet technology continues to create change in shoes. Why? With the growth of technology allowing for creation of better shoes, we have created more potholes for our shoes to walk over. That having been said, is the advancement of shoes a good thing or a bad thing?

~scqjayce

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