Shoes we wear them nearly every day. We walk, run, jump, climb, and stand in them for hours on
end. Yet we hardly think about them because they are such an ordinary part of our daily lives. Shoes were
not always an important part of people’s wardrobes.
As shoes became more common in ancient Egypt, the first ones were simple sandals created mainly to
protect the soles of the feet from rough surfaces. The easiest way to make shoes in these ancient times
was to use materials that were readily available, including tree bark, leaves, and grasses. In ancient Egypt,
sandals were made of rushes, which are grassy plants with hollow stalks. Rushes are the same plants used
today to make chair bottoms, mats, and baskets.
It also meant that shoes
were uncomfortable and that breaking them in was not easy. The lasts were made in different sizes, but
for a long time only two widths were available thin and stout.
