History of footwear in Spain

In this MAS34 post, we wanted to briefly tell you the history of footwear.

Some 15,000 years ago, prehistoric man wanted to protect his feet from the cold and ice and thought of covering them with a piece of animal skin and tying them together with a string. Without knowing it, he was inventing the first shoes . Since then, footwear has become an element of our daily life, a reflection of culture. Sometimes it has undergone very strange modifications, as there have been times in the history of footwear when, for example, boots were worn with a very curved and high pointed toe.

In ancient times, many civilizations also used footwear to protect their feet from adverse weather conditions and the ground they walked on. The Egyptians used a type of espadrille made from palm or papyrus bark. The Greeks wore high cothurni that reached the calf and were simple soles tied with ribbons and straps that would later be adapted by the Romans. But the Romans also had a wide variety of footwear in addition to cothurni. Although at first they did not wear any type of shoe, little by little they became fashionable and in many cases reflected the social status of the person wearing them. Soldiers wore, for example, a sole made of rawhide and leather for celebrations in the Circus and legionaries wore leather footwear reinforced with pieces of iron so that they would last longer and better protect the foot.

Sandals were used until the end of the 4th century, but were replaced by shoes made of animal skins worn by the barbarians. In the 7th century , the Carolingians began to wear leggings that left only the toes exposed. Throughout the Middle Ages , pointed toe shoes became fashionable, perhaps due to the influence of the East through the Crusades. Such was the trend for this accessory that they were even worn with a twisted toe, reflecting the high social class of the person wearing them. The first shoes used in modern Europe were first seen at the French Court between the 13th and 15th centuries. They were very simple, but not at all comfortable. The insoles that protected the feet were made of cork, leather and skin, and nails and metals were used to hold the insole to the foot.

The Renaissance brought with it a new trend that consisted of wearing excessively wide shoes. And during the Baroque, shoes became a reflection of the aesthetic tastes of the time: lines, curves, embroidery, silk, velvet, bridles, curls. They were filled with all kinds of decorative accessories that in many cases bordered on exaggeration and ostentation. It was during this period that high heels also emerged and the most curious thing is that women were not the first to use them. It was Louis XIV, the Sun King, who first wore them so that he could better hold on to the stirrups when riding a horse. Far from today's mentality, at that time they not only represented power and privilege, but also masculinity. This practical matter would fall into disuse and the heel would end up being incorporated into women's footwear as something purely aesthetic.

With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution , the world of footwear took a radical turn and numbers appeared for the first time, as shoes began to be mass produced. During the time of Napoleon, the use of the Paris point, equivalent to 2/3 centimetres, became widespread. However, as this measurement was too large, half-measures began to be introduced.

It was precisely in these years that the first industrial centre for footwear made in Spain was created, specifically in the Medio Vinalopó area in the Valencian Community. By the end of the century, there was already a consolidated and mechanised industry with factories that employed more than 1,000 workers.

In addition, in the 20th century , serum was replaced by rubber in the sole and synthetic materials began to be tested for their manufacture. Although it was not until 1971 when the first commercially branded rubber shoes appeared.

So, as we can see, the history of footwear has been marked by the evolution of culture, acquiring different social and aesthetic functions until it became a true “consumer dream”. What woman doesn’t dream of having a large wardrobe full of shoes? Imelda Marcos, the former First Lady of the Philippines, achieved this, coming to own the largest collection in the world, with no less than 3,000 pairs of shoes.