Footwear – The Chronical
February 16, 2008 – 9:24 pm
FOOTWEAR – A BIT MORE THAN JUST WEARING!
The history of the footwear goes as back as 15000 years! The drawings from the Spanish cave reveal human wearing footwear in the form of animal skins or furs wrapping around their feet. The “ice-man” whose body is well preserved since 3300 BC has leather foot coverings. The material used for footwear includes plastic, leather, textiles, rubber and wood.
Whatever the material used in, the footwear have been existing since thousands of years. In some oldest Hindu scriptures dating back to 5000 years like in “Mahabharata” and “Ramayana”, the shoes were respected for their protection and footwear, belonging to some great divine personalities was even worshipped by their followers and disciples.
There were innumerable experiments done on the footwear to make them durable and stylish. Initially, for the new soles for the track shoes, rubber was poured into a standard waffle iron. This was probably the first ‘waffle’ tread pattern, which is considered to be one of the major milestones for tracking shoes.
THE REVOLUTION
From the wooden footwear with slapdash work to the most dynamic present-day athletic shoes are the marvels of the engineering. The footwear, which was made once upon a time just to walk, is now becoming newer attraction by getting an important part of the dressing for personal display. Many of the people in society their personal style begins primarily with shoes.
It was quite dream to think about metal in shoes but the technology has reached its peak. You have now steel toed boots, designed especially for construction workers who are at risk of having heavy objects dropped. Companies are manufacturing numerous types of shoes for different types of occasions like Flip Flops, Running Shoes, Sport Sandals, Hiking Boots, Casual Wear, Party Wear, Trail Running Shoes, Water Shoes, Clogs and Slides.
In many parts of Asia, especially western side of India, the hand-made footwear is still the tough competitor of stylish machine made footwear. Various functions and festivals have different types of footwear to wear on. Many of them are made up of clothes having beautiful art with knitted pearls, mirror-buttons and other famous material like ‘Abha’. These types of footwear are called as ‘Mojari’ and don’t require socks to wear.
The days are no more when the lady had to choose from the selected designs with plain heels and flat-platform footwear. Today she has varieties to choose right from the uniquely designed pencil-heel to eye-catching knee high black boot with lace that holds all the way up to the top!
FOOTWEAR – INDUSTRY FOR FASHION AND PROFESSION
It is not surprising that Footwear Industry is now one of the profit-making businesses. According to one survey, the outlook for the Footwear & Leather Industry in India is magnificent with a marginal share of 2.44 % in global trade worth US$ 97.606 billion. China, the largest retailer of ladies’ footwear is likely to rise as much as 1.1 Billion USD. United States, the house of fashion footwear is blooming with 44.4 Billion USD business in footwear industry.
The trend is changing. Many giant multinational companies are now blooming in the world with their footwear. The market is full of different styled footwear like Cowboy-boot, Ankle boot, Soft brown leather shoes, Devil Boot with skull buckle, heavy men’s biker style calf length boots etc.
The youth is enamored by shoes and different styles of footwear. The metal plating with tough leather shoes had a great impact on the market once upon a time. No wonder anymore that, people have different footwear for different occasions. Ladies, the target customers are pleased with different colors of footwear matching to their apparel. Don’t get surprised if you find shoes for your brown dress made from the real crocodile skin in Bristol Zoo, England!
On the other hand, certain footwear have become dress-code for certain professions. They are made accordingly. Like as in sports, the sport shoes are made up with tough leather which is able to absorb the shock and can withstand to any of the jerks felt during the play. In parties and ramp walking, the footwear is made with more style and less durability. No wonder they are adorned with diamonds and gold strips!
FOOTWEAR – FOR HEALTH!
Yes, this could be new to you but equally true. Nowadays you find shoes sole with special design having some magnetic tablets with holes or tiny elevated pyramids. These types of soles are to be put into the normal shoes. This gives benefit by pressing certain “acupressure points” located on your soles which are basic theory for reflexology.
For chronic disease like diabetes, there is diabetic footwear which will help you preventing some dangerous complication like diabetic-foot. The “diabetic-footwear” is spacious allowing enough blood circulation in the feet which is not there in diabetic patient with tight-fitted shoe. If you are having pain, there are “pain relief footwear” named as Z-coil footwear that reduces the various pains occurring by walking, jogging and running.
Overall, the footwear are little bit more than just a wearing. They are now becoming important part of our daily dressings, whether you wear them to increase your height or to make your style or wear as dress-code with your ‘dull’ face. They have traveled from our feet to our heart in a very short time.