The sandal is the simplest form of foot covering, consisting of a sole held to the foot using a configuration of straps. Sandals can be utilitarian and bought from a street vender in Bombay for a few rupees, or a work of art, designed by Manolo Blahnik and selling for several hundred dollars from a high-en boutique. Sandals have been made from every possible material-wood, leather, textile, straw, metal, and even stone, and have graced every echelon of society in almost every culture of the world.
Sandals are the oldest and most commonly found foot covering worldwide. Archaeological examples, uncovered from the Anasazi culture of the American southwest, date back 8,000 years. These plaited and woven sandals provided a flexible protective sole and utilized a simple V-shaped strap.
A Brief Background On Sandal(s)
The Ancient Sandal
Western culture traces the origins of the sandal from ancient Egyptian tombs, the earliest evidence dating from around the period of unification, about 5,100 years ago. A frieze in the Cairo museum depicts the Pharaoh Narmer followed by his sandal bearer, suggesting the sandals were a symbol of the pharaoh’s sovereignty. This is under-scored by the ancient Egyptian practice of placing the pharaoh’s sandals upon his throne in his absence. Sandals were status-oriented for the elite, beginning with the pharaoh and working down the ranks of society throughout the Egyptians dynasty period so that by the period of Roman occupation around 30 B.C.E all but the very lowest of society were permitted to wear footwear.
Sandal(s) Worn During The Roman Era
Sandals used during the early Roman Empire were very similar to the Greek styles and even very similar to the Greek styles and even followed the same precedents sets for restricted use according to the citizen’s rank in society. Like the Greeks, the Roman named the various styles, and in fact, ‘sandal’ comes from its Latin name sandalium.
The Fashion sandal
After the 1789 Revolution, the new French republic looked to ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration; along with classically draped garments, the sandal made a brief return to the feet of fashionable women. By the 1810s, a closed-shoe style, resembling a ballerina’s slipper with crisscrossed silk ankle ties, became fashionable, and although no toes were exposed and technically the style was not a true sandal, the long ties did suggest a classical association, and the shoes were commonly referred to in period literature as ‘sandal-slippers’.
While high-fashion sandals have remained a staple in women’s wardrobes since the 1930, men’s sandals have never achieved a place beyond the beach and casual wear. However, boundaries have been crossed in recent years. Sport sandals, introduced in the 1990s, transcended the sandal into a foot covering suitable for a variety of sports activities by including a synthetic rubber treaded sole.
