The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-03
A CHAPTER ON SHOES.
THE Clumsy Footwear Of Oriental
Countries.
Slow Evolution OF Our Modern md Hand.
some Creations from tho Primitive
Forms of the ADVERTISEMENTS of
tho Greeks and Romans.

l.Ihe 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
lspeaks Of his heroes as barefooted, but
the use OF the sandal was general
Iamong the ancient Greek and Roman
women, and gradually became fashion.
able for the men also.
The Greek crcpida consisted of a
thicl, sole, wcltcd on to piece OF
leather, which had in it 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
lcalceus covered the whole foot, and was
made on last. Senators wore a cal.
ceus different from that of other citi-
lzens, 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 crescent on 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 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 footgcar. 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 filled 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
Craclzow. They were introduced into
England during the reign of Richard
II. by John, the grandfather of his
queen. Several bills were issued
against these eXtravaganccs, but long
toed shoes held their sway for nearly
three hundred years.
The English parliament ut one time
regulated by act not only the quality of
the leather, but the number of stitches
to be taken in every shoe. In Aa62
parliament prohibited the making of
any shoes "for the unprivilegcd 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.
making, shoe-mcnding 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
Chlidren'S summer shoes are made of
fine open rushworls, 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
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 slsillful
in embroidering slippers in gold tinsel.
which. like those of the Turks, are
worn just over tho 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 fat
frame from eight to fourteen inches
IN breadth at its widest part, and
sometimes as much as seven feet
long, though generally four feet. It is
either made wholly of wood or is a
wooden frame filled in with wicker
work, and has cross straps to fasten it
on the feet.