The Irish standard., 1891-12-05
4 CHA API & ON SHOES.
The Clumsy Footwear Of Oriental
Countries.

4 -
Countries. fz
slow Evolution Of. Our Modern and Hand
some Creations from the Primitive
Forms of the eAncients-Sandals of
the Greeks and Romans.
The oldest form of the shoe is the
sandal, which is nothing but a sole,
The Egyptian priests wore sandals of
palm leaves and papyrus, while those
Of the common people were made of
leather. The papyrus shoe was inter
woven like mat. Homer generally.
speaks of his heroes as barefooted, but
the use of the sandal was general
among the ancient Greek and Roman
women, and gradually became fashion
able for the men also.
The Greek crepida consisted of a
thick sole, welted on to a piece of
leather, which had in it a number of
eyes, through which a throng passed to
bind it to the foot, or sometimes
loops merely were welted on to the
sole and passed over the foot.
The Romans had shoes of various
kinds, says the Waverly Magazine. The
calceus covered the whole foot, and was
made on last. Senators wore a cal
ceus different from that of other citi-
zens, with straps wrapped around the
ankle The calceus repandus was a
very old style, being found on Egyptian
and Etruscan monuments, and is the
origin of the long medieval shoe, to be
mentioned hereafter. The soldiers shoe
was very strong, and it's sole was
studded with nails. The Roman patri-
clans wore an ivory crescepton their
shoes.
Heliogabalus had his shoes covered
with white linen, and Caligula orna-
mented his with precious stones. The
simple sandal was worn by both sexes
among the Romans, but usually in the
house only, it being considered an affec-
tation going on the street with them.
They thus correspond somewhat to our
slippers. They had also a slipper with
out any tie, which completely covered
the foot and was worn only by females
and performers of comedy, and many
other styles of footgear. Some of the
Greek and Roman shoes had soles four
inches thick; such were worn by short
females in order to appear taller. The
streets of Rome, in the reign of Domi-
tan, were at one time SO Fl with cob
blers' stalls that the emperor issued an
order for their removal.
The early Saxon shoes were shaped
on the Roman model; indeed, the only
difference between the ancient and mod
ern laced shoe seems to be that the for
mer was laced to the toe, the latter to
the instep only.
In the middle ages shoes of an ex-
travagant length became popular. In
the reign Of Richard II. the tips of some
reached to the knee, to which they were
secured by gold and silver chains. The
upper parts were frequently cut to imi-
tate church windows. Such shoes were
called "Crackows," after the city of
Crackow. They were introduced into
England during the reign of Richard
II. by John, the grandfather of his
queen. Several bills were issued
against these extravagances, but long
toed shoes held their sway for nearly
LQTee nuu(lIeu Years.
The English parliament at one time
regulated by act not only the quality OF
the leather, but the number of stitches
to be taken in every shoe. In 1869
parliament prohibited the making Of
any shoes for the unprivileged classes"
with points more than two inches long.
The top boots, so familiar to us in the
pictures of the early Puritans, were in
troduced some time during the sixteenth
century. ....
Shoe-making, shoe-mending and shoe
selling are distinct branches of indus
try in China. Chinese shoes exhibit
great variety Of shape. Except in the
hob-nailed shoe, for wet weather, there
is little leather used, the materials be-
ing principally calico, silk, satin, vel
vet and felt.
Children's summer shoes are made OF
fine open rushwork, with bright lining.
Ladies' shoes are made and mended by
their wearers. From their childhood
girls of the upper classes have their feet
tightly bound, and they are thus, at the
cost of years of suffering, enabled to
wear shoes about three inches long.
The Chinese cobbler goes from house to
house, and announces his presence with
a peculiar rattle.
In European countries wooden shoes
are in general use among the peasantry.
They are clumsy, but comfortable and
cheap. The Malay women generally
go barefooted, but they are very skillful
in embroidering slippers in gold tinsel,
which, like those of the Turks, are
worn just over the toes by ladies of the
higher class.
The inhabitants of northern climates
travel rapidly on the broad surfaces of
snowshoes. Both men and women wear
them, and the stories of the number of
miles sometimes got over by able-bod-
led skaters of either sex in day
sound extravagant to one not aware OF
the facility with which they can be
managed by an expert.
The snowshoe consists Of fiat
frame from eight to fourteen inches
in breadth at it's widest part, and
sometimes as much as seven feet
long, though generally four feet. It is
oit-hor made who71v Of wOo6 or is a