As the vast majority of the world’s poor must walk wherever they go, a simple pair of sandals would be of enormous help in an already difficult existence. Any kind of footwear would protect these unfortunate people against soil-borne parasites, as well as cuts, abrasions and infections from being habitually barefoot. Additionally, shoes allow extremely poor people to go the extra distance to where they can obtain food, or water, or shelter, or medical help.

It was this elderly woman, Zhan Yun Ying, who would become Farrell’s first subject. “It was kind of shocking but in some ways beautiful,” she remembers. “When she took her shoes and socks off, her feet were totally, fully in lotus shape. To me, they represented the trouble and toil this woman [has] been through—and what women do go through—to attract a partner…There was something quite tremendous about it.”

Three jaw-less heads and one really old shoe. These aren’t the clues in a Law and Order episode; they’re findings from a limestone cave in Armenia. As described in a paper published yesterday in PLoS ONE, archaeologists believe they have found the world’s oldest leather shoe: it’s 5,500 years old.

“It’s pretty weird,” said lead author Ron Pinhasi to CNN regarding the disembodied heads and the placement of the well-preserved shoe. The ancient sneaker was stuffed with grass, though archaeologists can’t say whether the grass was intended as insulation or whether it helped maintain the shoe’s shape.

Take a look at these ancient shoes. Heels were obviously not practical for walking long distances, but doesn’t the shape look familiar?

they are very old snow boots

In the plains of modern China, shoes were made of grass, hemp, and kudzu vine, and were far closer in style to modern shoes than the shoe bags or simple sandals of the western world. People living in the more mountainous terrain of modern China sewed hide boots with hide thread and bone needles.

As the middle class grew in the West, cordwainers became a common profession (cordwainers make shoes, cobblers repair shoes). Shoes expanded up the leg, and boots were born. Buttons, pins, straps, and buckles were drawn into the mix. The wealthy wore shoes that fit with precision, but the poor went without shoes. As such, ridiculously proportioned shoes became the style.

The discovery was made in Vayotz Dzor province on Armenia’s border with Iran and Turkey by Diana Zardaryan ,of Armenia’s Institute of Archaeology. “I was amazed to find that even the shoelaces were preserved,” she said.
The discovery – made in 2008 – has been published in the online scientific journal PloS ONE.
Such a well-preserved artifact from a Middle Eastern archaeological site is unusual because the high content of salts and fungi in the soil, as well as fluctuations in temperature and humidity, usually fast-track the deterioration of organic materials. However the cave’s stable, cool conditions – aided by a thick layer of sheep dung on the floor – aided preservation. Other finds at the site included large containers, many storing well-preserved wheat, barley and apricots, plus a broken pot, fish bones and sheep’s horns.

Other unusual pieces on show include a dashing pair of red leather men's shoes, a stunning silken carnival mask and illustrations detailing the newly popular pastimes of shopping and balls.
The most notorious woman to appear in the exhibition is Fanny Murray, the mistress of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, and the star of an early tabloid sensation.
Her wanton antics inspired a pornographic poem entitled An Essay on Women, a parody of Alexander Pope's An Essay on Man, which was written by John Wilkes, an early press pioneer.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2507348/300-year-old-fashion-maga...
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The English shoe salon Hampton Hall adjacent to the Marriott Tverskaya Hotel is the proud curator of these precious shoes. Hampton Hall owner Linda Alexandrov says the shoes are more of a "museum piece" than an item for sale, but admits that the store can special-order the shoes from New & Lingwood in England if Moscow-based clients are willing to pay the price of $2,000.00.
In the 18th century, Russian reindeer calf was famous for its water resistance and pleasing aroma. The leather was specially treated with seal and mink oils, as well as birch tanning oil. Although nowadays the basic ingredients are known, the exact tanning recipe was lost in the early 1900s and has yet to be rediscovered.

his lovely lady wanted these amazing boots to return to their long lost home. Today, about 100 years later, the shoes have arrived back to where they were purchased. Upon opening the package in which they arrived I was astonished to discover that I personally own shoes only 6 months old that are in worse condition. This pair of black dress boots is in pristine condition and crafted of the softest leather. Sixteen eyelits run up the front of the front and the toe boxes are detailed with a quarter brogue cap toe.



They are very fine specimens indeed. I cannot thank the unnamed lady enough for her kindness. There is nothing better than coming across something special in your day without even asking for it

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