Walking the world: 9 spectacular shoes

The history of human development shows that the importance of protecting feet has always been recognized. In fact, the primary aim of footwear was to safeguard the feet from hot, cold and wet environments, as well as from discomfort. Besides that, footwear can tell a lot more: shoes are active witnesses of the evolution of fashion and have deep cultural meanings. 

The Geta sandals are a typical 10th century Japanese footwear, although they are in vogue still today. The sandal is a rectangular wooden sole with two wooden supports and a strap between the big toe and the second one. The importance of feet was first stated by Oriental cultures as they observed that, within feet, there are the final nerve endings of vital organs. The shape of these shoes reflects also the influence of the Japanese religion Shinto, that believes in reincarnation: the wooden supports are thought to not interfere with the ground and all kinds of living beings on it.  

Kub Kab are particular wooden shoes from the Middle-East, thought to be one of the first examples of heels in the history of fashion. The name Kub Kab comes from the sound produced while walking. Perhaps, this type of footwear was originally worn to ride horses, in the hamam (Turkish bath), or in the butchery (in order to avoid the contact with the infected blood on the ground).  

Padukas are a kind of footwear typically worn by Indians. Padukas are also known as “The Guru’s sandals”, since they are linked to the Hindu religion and mostly worn by monks or at religious ceremonies. They were usually made of wood, ivory, silver, jade, brass and gold. 

Moccasins were the most widespread type of footwear worn by Native Americans. Originally, the moccasins were created only by the women of the tribe, using buffalo, deer or moose leather. For wintertimes, they could be lined with hairs. The type of decoration of the upper differed from tribe to tribe; this enabled American Indians to distinguish enemies from friends just looking at their shoes! 

Slippers are a typical Turkish footwear. These shoes became very popular all over Europe, where the design was adapted to Western styles. In England, Italy, France and Germany, slippers were usually worn as evening shoes and featured metal embroideries, sequins and pearls. 

San Zun Jin Lian are the Chinese footwear generally known as lotus hooks, golden lilies and golden lotus. The ancient story of this shoe goes back to the 10th century, at the time of the ruler Li Yu. The legend says that his favourite consort bounded her feet in a dance that made him fall in love with her. Little by little, this trend became widespread in China. 

Finnish masculine and feminine shoe belonging to the 20th century, made in birch bark, called "Karelia". Since the birch is widespread in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, its bark is also used for the production of shoes and boots. Up till the end of the 19th century, women wore Karelia daily with cloth foot wraps; sometimes this footwear were used as overshoes to protect some more expensive leather shoes.

Juttis are the typical footewear from Pakistan and India. They are made of leather, fabric and coloured embroideries. “Jooti” is actually a generic term of many different types of slip on shoes characterized by rising high to the Achilles tendon in the back and covering the toes with a M-shaped embroideried upper. In Jodhpur (India) there is a street where the majority of businesses consists on producing shoes. All the family is involved in the production of the shoes: usually women embroider the uppers while men assemble the shoes.