The World's Oldest Leather Shoe
I recently came across an article about an intriguing historical discovery. In 2008, a team of archaeologists in Armenia discovered what they say is the world's oldest know leather shoe.
By Pinhasi R, Gasparian B, Areshian G, Zardaryan D, Smith A, et al. (authors of source article) [CC BY 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons
The shoe is believed to be up to 5,500 years old, which places it as early as 3600 BC, near the end of the Copper Age. Measuring 24.5 cm long (US women's size 7), it was found in a cave at the base of a shallow plastered pit, along with goat horns, fish vertebrae and several broken ceramic pieces. The shoe was made from a single piece of leather that wrapped around the foot and was fastened by a long leather throng threaded through several eyelets. Made to fit a right foot, it still showed signs of wear and the imprint of a big toe.
Sound rugged? Archeologists believe this shoe was a luxury model at the time, made from high-quality cowhide and likely belonging to a family of high status and power. It wasn't tossed haphazardly in the pit, but carefully placed and stuffed with grass, apparently to maintain its shape and/or for storage. It would have fit a small man or teenager, but most likely was worn by a woman.
There are many similarities in the cut and lacing system of this shoe and other one-piece leather hide shoes found across Europe. Experts now believe this simple leather style may have been worn for thousands of years across the vast and very diverse terrain of prehistoric Europe and Southeast Asia.
For us at Soft Star, this discovery is exciting because it gives an idea of how prominent soft leather shoes have been in the course of our ancestral development. Our natural leather moccasins have often been compared to the moccasins of many indigenous tribes (most recently in the book Tread Lightly) and we take pride in our simple yet functional designs. Although shoe styles have taken many twists and turns since the advent of civilization, basic footwear needs really haven't changed—and they don't need to. Technology has given us new sewing methods and brighter colors, but all it really comes down to is a natural, soft layer of leather wrapped around your foot.
Martin is a lifelong runner who began wearing minimalist shoes over 10 years ago when he found they alleviated his chronic foot pain, which eventually disappeared completely. He further studied proper running form through a series of workshops taught by the inventor of Correct Toes Toe Spacers, Dr. Ray McClanahan DPM. Martin has collaborated with several health care professionals to collect and share peer-reviewed studies that show the benefits of minimalist footwear. In his personal life, Martin loves living in the Pacific Northwest because it allows him to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities year-round, including hiking, cycling, rock climbing, surfing and snowboarding.
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