The history of Slippers

Slippers or mule shoes are among the oldest shoes known to have been worn in prehistoric times. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English, "sliper" or "slipor" meaning "slipper shoe" and generally refers to any low, lightweight shoe in which the foot can slip.

 The oldest shoes ever discovered were discovered in Fort Rock Cave, Oregon (1938). These woven baskets of sage bark have been radiocarbon dated to at least 10,000 years ago. A simple platform (of woven fabric) with rope and fittings on the heel. The front of the sandal was folded into a pocket to protect the toes and the sandal was tied to the foot with a string. For added comfort, rabbit fur and pine needles were sometimes used.

Footwear had become more visible by the beginning of the cradle of civilisation (Sumeria, circa 4th millennium BC). The Sumerians were known craftsmen who worked with animal skins, which were still reserved for the privileged. The aristocracy wore sandals with turned-toe bottoms (c. 3000 BC), with the first depictions appearing on the Assyrian black obelisk of Salmaneser III (c. 841 BC). The bending of the hind toes could have been a practical innovation to aid walking, or it could have been a limitation on the ability of shoemakers of the time to make special footwear.

Like the Greeks, the Romans took off their shoes before entering a private house or temple. Roman patricians wore indoor sandals, carried by their slaves, and it was common etiquette to remove shoes when lying on furniture. Only non-leather sandals were allowed to be worn in the holy temples.

As people started moving from one place to another and being a nomad was the only style of survival, early civilizations tried to figure out how to take care of their feet when walking on rocky or complicated paths. This is how the footwear, which at that time was usually a piece of leather held at the feet by a kind of cord.

The construction of this prototype of footwear, made of different materials depending on the region - there are shoes made of knitted straw and palm leaves, from the old Egypt- was improving.

These were mainly used by sultans, sheikhs and emirs to make themselves comfortable in their rooms, and were made of fine fabrics. Later, slippers were also a garment used by the nobles who made up their harem.

However, in these cases the use was not only due to comfort, but a way of keeping them in captivity, as the design of the shoes (thin sole, slightly pointed toe and bare heel) would prevent them from escaping.

In addition to the slippers, there are Uwabaki, a kind of Japanese footwear made specifically for indoor use, such as homes, schools, companies or public buildings where the use of shoes that have been stepped on in the street is prohibited.

This tradition extends to this day in Japan and other parts of the world that have been influenced by this practice.Therefore, generally, when entering the house or genkan it is customary to leave dirty shoes at the entrance and exchange them for a pair of uwabaki.

An example of this was the gold-coated leather sandals found in the Pharaoh's bath Tutankhamun, or footwear used in the 30th century in West Africa, north of the Sahara - currently Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya - known as slippers from the words Bamboo y pāpuš, What they mean cover the foot.

Culturally, the sight of bare feet could be offensive and were generally hidden from view by socks or slippers. In Korea they were called "sil nae hwa", a literal translation meaning "inner room shoes". In Japanese homes, a separate pair of bath slippers were kept for bathing.

 

Perhaps the most famous pair of slippers was described by Charles Perrault (1628 -1703) in the fairy tale Cinderella. According to the author, she wore "la petite pantoufle de verre", which was originally translated as a fur slipper (French: vair). Many believed it only became a glass slipper after Walt Disney's animated film (1950). However, this interpretation has since been discredited and the general opinion is that the author meant glass slippers.

Modern slippers come in many styles and incorporate influences from everything that came before. From hotel bath slippers, both reminiscent of Eastern culture, to the distinctly Victorian "pumps and slippers", they are still a part of domestic life. Most have moved away from the super luxurious house shoes of the very rich and the stealthy shoes and dancing pumps have also been replaced with fashionable trainers, particularly by younger generations. Slippers are now made from many different types of materials both natural and synthetic. The emphasis on safety, particularly in air and sea ports, has had an unintended consequence, with an exponential increase in the popularity of eco and natural products that are skin-friendly.