ByMaryBellisSandalswere the most common footwear in most early civilizations, however, a fewearly cultures had shoes. In Mesopotamia, (c. 1600–1200 BC) a type of softshoes were worn by the mountain people who lived on the border of Iran.The soft shoe was made of wraparound leather, similiar to a moccasin. "Aslate as 1850 most shoes were made on absolutely straight lasts, there beingno difference between the right and the left shoe."
General History of Shoes
- Solemates:The Century in Shoes You can do somesoul searching decade by decade using this site.
- Historyof Men's Footwear and Hosiery In America,Massachusetts quickly established itself as the shoemaking center of theColonies.
ShoelacesShoeManufacturing Machine Jan Ernst Matzeligerdeveloped an automatic method for lasting shoes and made the mass productionof affordable shoes possible. LymanReed Blake Lyman Reed Blake was anAmerican inventor who invented a sewingmachine for sewing the soles of shoes to the uppers. In 1858, he receiveda patent for his special sewing machine. Goodyear Welt - Patented on January24, 1871, was Charles Goodyear Jr's Goodyear Welt, a machine for sewingboots and shoes.
An aglet is the small plastic orfiber tube that binds the end of a shoelace (or similar cord) to preventfraying and to allow the lace to be passed through an eyelet or other opening.This comes from the Latin word for "needle." The shoestring (string andshoe holes) was first invented in England in 1790 (first recorded dateMarch 27). Before shoestrings, shoes were commonly fastened with buckles.
RubberHeel
The firt rubber heel for shoes waspatented on January 24, 1899 by Irish-American Humphrey O'Sullivan. O'Sullivanpatented the rubber heel which outlasted the leather heel then in use.ElijahMcCoy invented an improvement to the rubber heel.
FirstRubber Soled Shoes/SneakersThe first rubber soled shoes calledplimsolls were developed and manufactured in the United States in the late1800s. In 1892, nine small rubber manufacturing companies consolidatedto form the U.S. Rubber Company. Among them was the Goodyear Metallic RubberShoe Company, organized in the 1840s in Naugatuck, Connecticut. This companywas the first licensee of a new manufacturing process called vulcanization,discovered and patented by Charles Goodyear.Vulcanization uses heat to meld rubber to cloth or other rubber componentsfor a sturdier, more permanent bond.
On January 24, 1899, Humphrey O'Sullivanreceived the first patent for a rubber heel for shoes.
From 1892 to 1913, the rubber footweardivisions of U.S. Rubber were manufacturing their products under 30 differentbrand names. The company consolidated these brands under one name.Whenchoosing a name, the initial favorite was Peds, from the Latin meaningfoot, but someone else held that trademark. By 1916, the two final alternativeswere Veds or Keds, with the stronger sounding Keds being the final choice.
Keds® were first mass-marketedas canvas-top "sneakers" in 1917. These were the first sneakers. The word"sneaker" was coined by Henry Nelson McKinney, an advertising agent forN. W. Ayer & Son, because the rubber sole made the shoe stealthy orquiet, all other shoes, with the exception of moccasins, made noise whenyou walked. In 1979, the Stride Rite Corporation acquired the Keds®brand.
SneakerSanctuary Charlie'sSneaker Page includes the history of sneakers along with facts, descriptions,pictures, a glossary, and advice on how to dry wet sneakers. Sneakers: Modern Athletic Shoes - Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman Theelevation of athletic shoe manufacture to both a science and a fashionstatement was largely due to Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman of Oregon. They'reNot Just Gym Shoes Audio review ofthe book and talks about the modern use of sneakers. RonaldDemon The inventor of the "Smart Shoe" - an athletic shoewhose cushion support automatically adjusts to suit the shape of the wearer'sfeet.
Sport Sandals
Theterm "sport sandals" was first coined by Ken Young. Young's sandal patent(with nylon webbing) was issued on April 2, 1974 - U.S. Patent #3,800,444.Teva® Sandals: Mark Thatcher
Mark Thatcher invented Teva ®Sandals.
FlipFlops
The history of flip flops.
Odor-eaters
Herbert Lapidus of Westchester,New York, invented the odor-eater insole in the early 1970s. Lapidus claimshe invented the product because his wife had very smelly feet. Odor-eatersare latex inner soles for shoes that contain activated charcoal to neutralizeodors.
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