MAYS MODECOLLEGE

The sandal

I hope we all wear it today, because this is the only shoe that can survive a warm day (this is how you survive it, by the way, such a warm day) can. Airy, fashionable, and comfortable. I dove into the fashion archives so you can flash some fun facts today, in between sipping rosé (by the way, this is the tastiest) and munching on grapes.

Who wore it first?

Some Greek gods were already depicted wearing sandals. Hermes, Iris, Aphrodite, and Hera were depicted with sandals on their feet and ribbons around their calves. But people from the Anasazi culture in the Southwest America were already walking on sandals 8000 years ago, and of course, the Roman soldiers. The latter called their flat footwear caligae.

How did they make the sandal?

Three layers of cowhide were fastened with 80 to 90 round-headed nails. With leather straps tied around the lower leg, the sandal was kept in place. Wealthy people had sandals painted with gold, with the straps adorned with gold.

Funny

Some shoemakers made a pattern in the sole, leaving the wearer literally a footprint in the earth. The story goes that there was a pair of sandals with the text ‘follow me’ in the sole. They belonged to a Greek prostitute.

How did it come back in fashion?

From the 1930s, the sandal really came back into fashion. It fit with the relaxed, pajama-like style and was easy footwear for women moving from the pool to the dance floor. The sandal has taken on various forms, and the real gladiator sandal experienced a peak in recent fashion years. What did I think of it? A hassle, both putting it on and the look of it. Glad it's over.