I have been searching for ancient shoes - and ancient methods of sandal making and although my search was for something old, what i found was something new. Well not new as in resort 2010-- but new as in made within the last 100 years or so. I found an amazing website which shows shoes from all over the world old, and new. What i love about these is that so much work and care went into each of them- they are all very well thought out and planned and therefore very special.





Clogs like these were used in 19th century France to de-shell acorns and chestnuts. The meat from the nuts could be ground into flour or used as pig feed.

France , 1800-1900









Crossed multi-strapped sandal with buckle and lace-up fitted leather sock. The sandal guards the soles against the rough terrain, while the sock offers additional protection and warmth.

Leather, metal
Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, circa 1895





One-piece leather shoes can be found throughout Eastern Europe and are categorized as opanke. Despite the fact that many regions in Europe wore the opanke, each area gave it a regional variation. Called opintsi in Macedonia , the instep straps provide the regional distinction.




Woven grass sock decorated with delicate crosses stitched in black thread. Grass socks were worn as liners in skin boots along the Southern Alaska coast.

Aleut, 1910










It was customary for the Zuni bridegroom to make the footwear worn by his bride at their wedding. Brain-tanned skin boots with wrap-around shafts are created using a stitch that is not visible on the outside of the sole.






This pair of silver embellished ataderos (ankle boots) from the ancient Chimu culture is the only known pair in existence which could possibly have been worn; the three other known examples are miniature. The ancient Pre-Columbian Chimu culture flourished between the 12th and 15th centuries in the region of what is now northern Peru. Chimu craftsman excelled at metalwork and the use of precious metals such as silver was limited to goods for the upper-classes. These boots would have been very labour intensive to create and would have been intended for an elite burial.
Chimu culture, North-western Peru, c. mid 15th century


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