“Satan’s claws” and “moose hooves”: the most bizarre shoes in the world

Imagine that you are a medieval knight around the 12th-13th centuries and have been away from Europe for several years on a very important matter – on a crusade. What to bring with you for a long memory? For example, babushi – Persian comfortable shoes without backs. Not bad for walking on the cold stone slabs of the castle.

But medieval fashion was sometimes more merciless than the Inquisition. A few decades later, comfortable grandmothers turned into pools. The nose of the shoe stretched out to half a meter, and now its size has become of particular importance – the longer, the richer and more noble.

Why were heels considered a symbol of courage? How did military footwear become fashionable? And why did the Americans tie pieces of wood to the soles of their boots? Talks about it program “Unknown History” with Boris Ryzhov.

“Claws of Satan”

In Europe of the XIV century, shoes called “claws of Satan” were very popular. It was sewn from leather, velvet or silk. The pointed nose, similar to a bird’s beak, could reach a length of 70 centimeters.

“Many male fashionistas even had to tie this long toe piece to the knee joint with a rope or chains”– emphasized the doctor of historical sciences, candidate of philosophical sciences, fashion historian Lidia Sokolova-Serbskaya.

But only princes and counts could afford such a luxury. The knights relied on more modest shoes – with a nose length of no more than half a meter. Commoners were content with little – the “beak” of their shoes should not exceed 15 centimeters. Poulains have not gone out of fashion for a century. They were completely abandoned only in the 60s of the XV century.

“Pouleins, of course, were impractical, like any item that is used as a demonstration of one’s well-being”– says fashion historian Asya Aladzhalova.

Wormwood and papyrus sandals

Archaeologists have found the oldest pair of shoes in the American cave of Fort Rock. Sandals worn 10,000 years ago are woven from wormwood bark.

“In my hands is a copy of the primitive sandals that were found here in the cave of Fort Rock. Look at what amazing weaving, what beautiful detailing. A rope was threaded through the loops with which the sandals were attached to the feet”Paul Patton, Oregon Recreation Parks Department Resource Specialist, said.

Similar shoes were common in ancient Egypt. Only instead of wormwood they used papyrus or palm leaves, and instead of ropes – braided straps. Such sandals were worn exclusively by men from the upper classes. Women, even queens, went barefoot. They received the right to wear shoes only in the second millennium BC.

“Sandals were also used in other cultures. If we look a little further, we find that the Greeks used sandals, but of more advanced designs, and subsequently the Roman culture, which borrowed a lot from the Greek culture, also used sandals”– said the fashion historian.

Caligi and Calcea

The ancient Romans used dozens of different types of shoes for all occasions. For example, kaligi – men’s sandals with thick soles lined with iron nails – were worn mainly by the military, cabbies and pilgrims. And calcei – low shoes made of tanned leather, covering the leg to the ankle – were intended for the privileged classes.

“The Romans, as you know, were conquerors and thought about military purposes. Therefore, sandals were very interesting, and they were strictly regulated: only the emperor had red, senators could afford white and black, and commoners walked in simple sandals not made of leather, because Slaves had no money– Sokolova-Serbskaya explained.

“Bear Paw”

In the Middle Ages, the fashion for men’s shoes changed about once a century: from boots made of rough leather to elegant morocco shoes, from pointed poulets to platypus shoes. The latter were also called “bear’s paw” – these are open shoes with a square nose up to 22 centimeters wide. They began to gain popularity among European aristocrats from the beginning of the 16th century.

“These shoes are really very practical. They are soft, do not have any dense, thick soles. Such light comfortable shoes that monarchs, their entourage and other men who have enough money to afford it are happy to wear”the expert noted.

How men’s heels came into fashion

At the end of the 16th century, high heels came into fashion. Surprisingly, initially it was an element of exclusively men’s shoes. The first high heels appeared in ancient Israel. But they gained particular popularity in the Persian Empire. There, heels became the weapon of mounted archers.

“First of all, the heel is a purely utilitarian thing, such a stopper. Tribes of riders invent this increase in the sole at the back of the heel – what we now know as a heel, so that the foot does not fly out of the stirrup”the interlocutor explained REN TV.

Such shoes came to Europe thanks to the Persian Shah Abbas I and his soldiers, who came to the Old World to negotiate. The Persian novelty was to the taste of the European nobility, especially the French king Louis XIV. He walked everywhere in shoes with high and always red heels.

“In 1670, Louis XIV, the Sun King, issued a decree that only the nobles could have red heels. Because, of course, it was dirty, and in the Baroque era, the nobles moved only in carriages, of course”– said the candidate of philosophical sciences.

Men’s fashion of the 17th century today seems too feminine and ridiculous. But at that time suits with lace, tight stockings and high heels were considered a symbol of wealth and masculinity.

“There was even a special pose in which the artists were very fond of writing their high-ranking male clients. This is the elbow set to the side, as such a symbol of masculinity, and the leg set forward, ending in a beautiful, expensive shoe”– Aladzhalova emphasized.

How did the boots come about?

Another fashion trend of the 17th century is over the knee boots. These tough, high knee-covering boots originated in France, but over time have become popular throughout Europe. They were worn by riders.

“It was very difficult to walk and move around in them. But these boots served as a support for a person while he was in the saddle, helped him to stay on, even if he jumps very fast and if he is very tired”– explained the fashion historian.

Why were the shoes on the left and right feet the same

It is curious that until the 19th century, shoes for the right and left feet were sewn in exactly the same way. Shoemakers did not think about the structural features of the foot.

“When the sewing machine was invented in the middle of the 19th century, shoes were already being made on a sewing machine. Therefore, pads appeared separately for both the left and right feet”– says Sokolova-Serbskaya.

Military shoes in everyday life

During the First World War, many men changed into high-top leather boots and heavy military boots with metal heels. During World War II, berets appeared in the United States – high boots with laces. Military footwear has become popular in everyday life.

“Wars have always had a huge impact on fashion in clothes and fashion in shoes. And a lot comes from military clothing, this is the so-called paramilitary style. Of course, boots are comfortable lace-up shoes, which later came into everyday life “said the specialist.

“Rabid Moose Hooves”

Special shoes were worn by American bootleggers during Prohibition in the United States. They tied special pieces of wood to the soles of their boots, which were shaped like cow hooves. With the help of a cunning device, illegal alcohol dealers tried to confuse the police.

“Wearing boots with cow hooves, a person could easily walk over rough terrain, leaving traces of an alleged animal”– Aladzhalova explained.

A similar trick was used by violators of state borders. These shoes were called mad elk hooves. It was worn by smugglers, spies and defectors. The shoes left footprints resembling animal footprints, which confused the border troops.

Different versions of historical events, amazing episodes of history, little-known facts and interesting theories – study all this and much more in the Unknown History program with Boris Ryzhov on REN TV.