We all know how important shoes are in our lives, may it be functional in order to protect our feet or in an aesthetic way to create a look but have you ever wondered from where shoes came from? when did they come to this world? how it all started? and how it evolved today? I would throw some light on some cool facts about shoes and trust me some of them are going to blow your mind.
Fact # 1: High Heel Shoes
Guys wore high heels first. For centuries, high heels were a sign of higher social standing rather than gender. It also served for men riding horses, as enough high heels would fit better into their stirrups but as the time passed, trend changed as men started to face problems with wearing high heels due to which heel height for men reduced to almost zero but the women adapted the high heels trend.
Click if You want to know about some of the best and most comfortable high heels for women in 2019.
Fact # 2: Nike Swoosh
The Nike swoosh was designed by a Portland State student for $35. She was then later given stock, now worth more than six hundred and forty thousand dollars.
Fact # 3: Most Expensive Shoes ever sold
The Dorothy’s iconic Ruby red slippers from the movie “The Wizard of Oz” were sold in whopping six hundred and sixty thousand dollars and they are the most expensive shoes ever sold up till now.
Fact # 4: Left and Right shoes were identical until when?
There was no concept of Right shoe until 1818. Up until this time shoes had no distinction for each foot. The first pair of left-right shoes was invented in Philadelphia.
Fact # 5:
Wooden shoes referred to as clogs are actually called “clomping” by the Dutch and were invented to wade through the wet marshes of the area as leather shoes would get wet and were ruined easily.
Fact # 6:
The first time Michael Jordan saw the black and red Jordan 1s, He said a quote: “I can’t wear those shoes those are the devil colors”.
Fact # 7:
New Balance got its name from its founder William J Riley, who observed how chickens in his backyard stood perfectly balanced on a three-pronged foot that resembled the structure of the arch support he used in his shoes.
Fact # 8:
While choosing their company’s name, Jeff and Joe Foster originally wanted mercury Footwear. When they found out the name was already taken, they decided to pick something that “meant nothing”.
They look through a dictionary and randomly selected the word for a light great South African gazelle that word was Reebok and that’s actually how Reebok got its name.
Fact # 9:
Already a legend but now a shoe legend – Bill Nye, the Science Guy designed a ballet shoe to help protect the feet of ballet dancers from injury. The shoe is still patent-pending.
Fact # 10:
Speaking of comfort, the iconic “Havaianas” foot flop has a texture pattern resembling that of rice because it was inspired by the “Zouri“, a Japanese sandal made of fabric straps and rice straw soles.
Fact # 11:
Still riding the comfort train, Dr. Martens shoes were created as a practical working man’s shoe. The inventors Dr. Martens and his friend, dr. Funk, invented the air-cushion sole which was released in 1960 but was made popular by British punk music.
But honestly! I think it’d have been a lot cooler if they would have been called Doctor Punks instead.
Fact # 12:
Ph.D. Suzanne Farris explains, a woman’s need to buy shoes as it triggers an area in the brains of prefrontal cortex called the “collecting spot” which makes women view shoes as a collector’s item as opposed to a utility.
Fact # 13:
bigger shoes mean bigger feet which means bigger socks. The idea that larger feet correlate any other endowment on your body was proven false by the University College London that proved small feet do not equal small manhood.
Fact # 14:
One thing shoe size does tell you is how long you might live. A team of Swedish epidemiologists people who study patterns and health found that those with extremely large and small feet didn’t live as long as those with average-sized feet.
This study did say that there was a margin of error so going feet first on this one is acceptable.
Fact # 15:
Shoe size can also predict a growth spurt. Harvard Medical School states that during puberty the hands and feet enlarge before the long bones so for many teens, the first indicator of a soon-to-be rapid growth spurt is an increase in shoe size.
Fact # 16:
Speaking of size, the biggest shoe size in history also goes to the tallest man in history, Robert Wadlow, who was eight foot 11 inches tall and wore a size 36 and a half shoe. His feet were 17 inches long.
Fact # 17:
The largest shoe ever made is measured at 17 feet long and 8 feet wide. They were created for the Jolly Green Giant. Currently, these shoes do exist and they are on display in the Philippines at a Chu Museum.
Fact # 18:
Chuck Taylor was a professional basketball player and shoe salesman. His name was added to the shoe in 1932 and now these Chuck Taylor shoes are the number one selling basketball shoe of all time.
Fact # 20:
In Japan, Footwear is never worn inside. You take your shoes off and then wear slippers inside called “Labaki“.
Fact # 21:
There’s no snake in your boots because they’re floating in outer space when Neil Armstrong took the first walk on the moon. The boots he wore were discarded into outer space before coming back to earth for fear of contamination
Fact # 22:
in the 1920s, German brothers Adolf Dassler and Rudolf Dassler started a shoe
company. Their business blew up after the 1930s gold medalist Olympians wore their shoes. During World War 2, a miscommunication during a bomb shelter visit between the two resulted in fight. The brother stopped talking and split the business. Adolf (Adi) Dassler named his company after himself Adidas, while Rudolf did the same creating “Rudi” which eventually became Puma.
Fact # 23:
One of the founders of Nike, Phil Knight, chose one of the company to be called “dimension 6” but instead chose the name “Nike” after the Greek goddess of victory.
Bonus fact: The slogan “just do it!” was inspired by serial killer, Gary Gilmore, who said “let’s do it” just before he was executed by a firing squad in 1977.
Fact # 24: First shoe ever made in the world:
The First shoes ever made in the world is believed to be in 3500 BC. It was made from single piece of cowhide with leather cords used as laces.
This shoe was discovered in Armenia’s cave in 2008.
These were some of the interesting and unique facts about shoes, I bet you never knew before. Thank you so much for reading. Let me know in the comment section below what was your favorite shoe fact.
Verona Pinder 
Layla Tovey