Shoes have been around for about as long as we have and we have used them to protect our feet not only from the weather but also other elements such as sharp rocks, tree roots etc.
The simplest form of shoes probably included skin of other animal wrapped around the foot and the earliest leather shoe, the Areni-1 was found in 2008 in Armenia and is estimated to be around 5500 years old.
Now let’s take a look at other some examples that I have taken from countries that have a booming modern shoe industry :
The Waraji are sandals woven from straw, and were worn by Samurai and commoners alike during the Edo Period.
The Geta are tall wooden sandal which were worn to keep the Kimono off the ground and therefore clean.
In modern Japan, bespoke shoemakers like Eiji Murata and Yohei Fukuda among many others are the pioneers of high quality, elgant albeit very expensive bespoke shoes.
In the medieval era in Europe, the higher classes took to wearing increasingly elaborate and impractical shoes, made of leather and sometimes even wood to show their status.
The impracticality of these shoes, called Poulaines or Carkow, meant that the people who wore them did not have to work and could afford to wear shoes to show off. Sometimes footwear known as Patterns would be worn on top of the Poulaines in order to protect them from dirt and other elements. Italian shoemakers such as Enzo Bonafe, Stefano Bemer and Antonio Meccariello are just a few examples of the industry.
Louis XIV had shoes with heels made for him in order to compensate for his short stature. The shoes were inspired by those of a Persian Ambassador-who went to his court to discuss the threat of the growing Ottoman Empire- and caused a craze the fashion world of Europe. Today artisans like Pierre Corthay , Stephane Jimenez , Aubercy are among the french artisans making shoes of the highest quality in France.
Centuries later the British Army that would come into contact with the Persians, they took some aspects of the Persian Culture that they deemed manly and incorporated them into their own, among the were the Cummerbund and the high-heel shoes.
The high-heel shoes have their origins in Persian mounted combat which goes back to the era of the Parthian Empire. The Parthian Mounted Cavalry would taunt the enemy and as the enemy gave chase they would turn around on the saddle, fastening themselves onto the horse by driving the heel of their shoes into the stir-up, and fire arrows at the enemy. This method was known as the Parthian Shot and later on morphed into the phrase “ Parting Shot”.
The British brought the high-heel craze to Britain during the Victorian Era and it caught on fast. Women, who were never far behind men in terms of fashion, quickly adopted the new trend and started wearing high-heel shoes. By the mid 18th century however, high-heel shoes almost entirely vanished from men’s fashion. Nowadays a 1 Inch/2.5 cm heel can be found on some classic shoes. Nowadays wokrshops like those of Gaziano Girling, John Lobb and George CLeverley are keeping the tradition of bespoke shoemaking alive.
Some basic shoe terminology:
The sole is the part that sits beneath the foot, the insole is inside the shoe and the outsole touches the ground, the outsole can be made of leather or rubber.
The upper is the part of the shoe that covers the foot
The eyelets are the holes through which the laces are passed.
The tongue is the part of the shoe that is under the eyelets.
Now let’s take a look at two of the most common shoe types:
Oxford is distinguished by the eyelets which are sown under the the vamp, the front part of the shoe which covers the toes, also called a closed lace system. These shoes have been virtually unchanged since the 1840s. In America they are sometimes known as Balmorals.
Derbies or Bluchers are shoes in which the eyelets are sown over the vamp, also called an open lace system. They are by their nature a bit more casual and not suitable for evening events. They are however better suited for men with bigger feet because of the additional space they provide due to their construction .
Decorations
Brogues are perforations used since the 17th century to allow the shoe to drain after the wearer had stepped in a puddle or crossed a river. Nowadays they do not go all the way through the leather, unless you ask a bespoke shoemaker to do it for you, and are purely decorative. There are different forms of broguing including medallion, quarter brogue, semi brogue, full brogue and austerity brogue.
The medallion is simply broguing on the vamp, right where above the toe-line.
The broguing is, generally speaking, a casual decoration and the more broguing on a pair of shoes, the more casual they become.
Wingtips are the W or M shaped pattern on the vamp of the shoe. See the picture above.
Spectators are shoes made of two different materials or colors , usually contrasting ones in order to make the shoe stand out more. The name Spectator comes from the cricket scene in England around the 1870s.
Material
Calfskin leather, or Vellum, is the gold standard for dress shoes in the modern era. It combines the strength , durability and thinness and can be polished to a shine.
Shell Cordovan while technically not even technically leather, Shell Cordovan is a layer of flesh from the hind of the horse and is made is Spain, it does have a very passionate following among menswear enthusiasts due to its natural sheen, extreme durability and the fact that they do not crease and instead gain a weave-like pattern.
Pebble Grain or Scotch Grain is a type of relatively informal leather that is particularly popular in British shoe making. It is perfect for cold weather, does not require much maintenance and is very durable.
Suede is leather sanded to a napped finish. It is perfect for casual shoes. And you can buy weather safe Suede which is mostly waterproof.
Exotic Leather is pretty much anything that does not come from Cattle. This includes a wide range of leather from Alligators, Crocodiles, Deerskin, Kangaroo and to my horror Chicken Leather, which is apparently a real thing. . . . and somehow considered exotic. . .
Construction
Here are a couple of construction methods in shoe making:
Cemented Shoes The sole of the shoe is simply glued to the upper body. The benefits are cheap production costs and the slim look it can provide, also there is no “break in” period, meaning the shoes are soft and comfortable. The sole cannot however be easily reattached once it comes undone and companies that cut cost on construction are highly unlikely to purchase quality leather and spend money on craftsmanship.My boots came undone once while I was out and I had to drag my foot behind me to get home. Needless to say, I won’t be buying cemented shoes again.
Good-Year Welt The upper is sown to a piece of leather called the welt, and then the welt is then sown to the sole. The advantages are that the sole is easily replaceable, the shoe is water resistant because of the cork that is put to cover the gap between the upper and the sole. The drawback is the amount of time that the process takes which reflects on the price. Also the shoe takes longer to break in therefore it may not be the best choice for people who do not wear dress shoes on a regular basis.
Blake Stitch is the method of wrapping the upper around the last and sewing the sole directly to it. The shoe can be resoled and it has a short break in time and it has a slimmer profile.It is also cheaper than a pair of Goodyear welted shoes.
Blake-Rapid Stitch is a mixture of Blake stitching and Good-Year welt. It truly meets in the middle with moderate water resistance, slightly bulkier look and middle of the road flexibility.
The Norvege or the Norwegian A very rare method that effectively seals off the shoe.It is similar to the Good-Year welt but is done completely on the outside of the shoe. As a result, the shoe is almost completely water-proof. The trade-off is the bulkier build and the shoe may not be suitable for warmer climates because of the construction method.
I hope you enjoyed the article and learned something, there are a lot more to say about shoes so if you do find shoes and quality garments interesting, subscribe and we will continue to explore the wonderful world of menswear.
Yours Truly,
Farid Mahnad