Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-18
ALL ABOUT SHOES.
THEIR ORIGIN AND OTHER INTER
ESTrNG INFORMATION.

In the Days Before the Norman Conquest
The Kinds Of Boots Kings Have Worn.
"signs" and superstitions Of Many Times
and Peoples.
Nobody knows who was the first shoemaker.
Undoubtedly there was time when all our
forefathers went barefooted, but at length
somebody made pair Of shoes, rough foot
mats or shields Of woven reeds or skins. The
original shoemaker sought comfort. Style
came later. The Celt, who at times wandered
over moor or morass, at others over stony
mountains, invented shoe admirably adapted
to his use. A sole of heavy hides protected
his feet from sharp stones, while uppers or
legs of lighter skins protected his ankles and
legs from thorns and bushes The buskin was
SO constructed that the water e1uded from it
as soon as the foot ceased TO be immersed. In
the modern shoe the idea is that water be
kept out, not let out The Celtic buskin was
tough and elastic, and could be replaced
! wherever there were Unframed skins at hand
Every Celt was his own shoemaker. With the
Norman conquest came the introduction into
the British Isles of tanned leather, which had
long been in use In Normandy, where it had
been introduced by the Romans
| SOME COSTLY SHOES
The old, good soft shoes Of Unframed leath-
er, which must have been deiciously COM
Portable, were set aside, and then came curious
ly shaped shoes of many styles and variety
Of colors From the close fitting shoe fashion
led to many extremes. First came long,
pointed toes, which soon assumed the shape
of peak, fashioned like a ships prov, and
in time assuming the likeness Of scorpions
tail, which in turn grew to "devil's claws"
and fastened to the wearer's knees. King
Richard the Lion Hearted had bis boots
stamped with gold John Lakeland, his
brother, wore boots spotted with golden cir
Giles, while Henry III wore boots checkered
with golden lines, every square of which was
enriched with lion. Cardinal Wolsey's
| shoes were
| OF gold and stone precious,
| Costing many a thousand pounds
Sir Walter Raleigh wore shoes studded
with diamonds, said to have cost ESQ, 900.
The gallants in Charles IFS time wore their
| high boot tops turned down to the ankles to
show the gorgeous laces with which they
were lined. High heeled boots were worn by
ladies for three parts of the Eighteenth cen
| y.
inches, rendering walking difficult and rum
ming impossible.
Boots and shoes of all kinds have been
worn-shoes made Of wood, leather and reeds;
brass bound, iron bound, gold bound; with
| wide toes, narrow toes and pointed toes foot
| long; but the right and left shoe were shaped
| exactly alike. About the year 1900, how
ever, an Englishman invented "rights and
Iefts." This was soon followed by many i'm
provements, both in style of the shoe and the
tanning of the leather.
The Highlander carved brogans out Of the
hide of the deer the staying Of which had
afforded sport and adventure He gained for
himself the name Of 'Red Shanks" by wear
ing boot legs from the same hide, dashed
around his calves with the hair outward.
Even fairies have been credited with tax
ing an interest in shoes, for We are told that
the merry little Cornish pixies liked nothing
so well as to hammer away in the dead Of
night at the unfinished shoes on the cobbler's
bench, to surprise and gladden. him next
morning with the outcome of their energy.
1t is supposed to be unlucky to put either
shoe on the wrong foot, nor must one put the
left shoe on before the right, unless one wished
to bring about some direful calamity. Au-
gustus Caesar, it is said, put on his left shoe
first, and before nightfal he narrowly escaped
assassination DR.. Brewer says that plucking
off the shoe among the Jews, smoking the
pipe among the Indians thumb licking among
the Scotch, breaking q straw together among
the Teutons, and shaking hands among the
English are all ceremonies to confirm bar
gain. The Jewish custom of plucktng off the
shoe or sandal is frequently referred to in the
Scriptures. In the story Of Ruth it is re-
corded that a compact which Boaz made was
sealed by shoe being drawn off; one of the
verses reads: ''Now, this was the manner in
former time in Israel concerning redeeming
and concerning changing, for to confirm all
things man plucked off his shoe and gave it
to his neighbor; and this was a testimony in
Israel"
"wHERE THE SHOE PINCHES."
The Jew who failed to keep compact of
honor was summoned before the authorities,
and if he then refused to fulfill his compact,
the offended party would loosen his shoe, spit
in his face, ''and," as Holy Writ says, ''his
name shall be called in Israel, the house of
him that hath his shoe loosed."
To say mans ''in his boots' implies that
be IS very drunk. 1t comes from an old
Welsh word, ''boozi," meaning to be satu-
rated with liquor. But to stand In another's
shoes is to claim the honors of another. 1t
has its origin from a custom common among
the ancient Mortimer, among whom if a