Shoe Stores Near Me
Since the beginning of time, shoes have proved an invaluable resource for humans in their quest for a higher quality of life. Nowadays, shoes are more than just worn for practical reasons. They are another way for individuals to express themselves and who they are through a visual medium. Of course shoes still serve a very serious purpose, but the tendency to have fun with footwear has only grown over time.
Are you interested in finding a shoe store in your area? Simply browse shoe stores near me on the map below and find a list of shoe stores near your location. Do you want more information on shoe stores in the US? Read on for facts and trivia on one of America’s oldest markets.
Shoe Stores Near Me – Find it on the Map
Shoe Stores Near Me – Shoe Stores Trivia
True or false: Shoes used to denote class level and place in society.
Odds are, if you’re searching shoe stores near me today, you won’t likely have to worry about the color of your shoes telling of your class or place in the world. The same can’t be said for Ancient Egypt where shoes were an all too telling accessory. In ancient Egypt, slaves had no shoes or wore simple sandals crafted from palm leaves. Commoners wore sandals made from papyrus. Individuals who bore a higher status were allowed to wear fancy pointed sandals that others could use as a visual cue to denote that person’s place. Individuals in a very high status were allowed to wear red and yellow shoes, colors reserved only for the highest ranking members of society.
DSW is arguably one of the biggest shoe stores in the United States. Other big stores include Payless, Famous Footwear, and Shoe Carnival.
True or false: The right shoe wasn’t invented until 1818.
This one is true! Prior to 1818, people literally walked around with two left feet. Right shoes weren’t invented until this time, when a distinction was finally made between shoes made for left and right feet based on the overall shape of the foot. The first pair of right and left footed shoes were made in one of America’s oldest cities: Philadelphia. Clearly humans weren’t overly concerned with shoe comfort until this point in history!
Why did the Dutch wear wooden shoes?
If you’re searching shoe stores near me, then the history of shoes in general might be of interest to you. When it comes to historical shoes, it’s hard to ignore the wooden shoes worn by the Dutch. While some might claim that the dutch wore wooden shoes out of simply out of cultural tradition., the first shoes were made for very practical reasons. Since Holland is mostly below sea levels, the country is wrought with many marshy and wet areas. The Dutch discovered pretty quickly at that leather shoes couldn’t withstand getting wet and would easily fall apart. The wooden clog style shoe could easily stand against the wear and tear of water damage. Despite the tradition of wearing these shoes, the Dutch never wear their wooden clogs indoors. This is why they are often depicted as being lined up outside of the front door in a row.
Shoe Stores Near Me – Shoe Stores Facts
It’s the Law!
If you’re searching shoe stores near me today, then you have the choice of wearing whatever shoes you’d like to wear. No matter how ridiculous or impractical they might be. However, this was not always the case. In fact, for much of history, Monarchs dictated the types of fashionable shoes that could and could not be worn in society. In England, Henry VIII made shoes with wide ties very popular and went so far as to make a law that stated that shoes were to be 6 inches wide. Reportedly this was to suit his swollen and gout stricken feat. Louis XIV, made high heeled shoes popular and mandatory for all men. This was because he was often quite self conscious of his petite 5 foot 5 inch stature.
The Most Expensive Shoes Ever
Sure, shoes can range in price from a few bucks to a few thousand dollars depending on the designer and overall demand. The most expensive shoes ever sold were $660,000. What was so extraordinary about this particular pair of shoes? They were the ruby slippers that Judy Garland war during The Wizard Of OZ, the shoes sold for over half a million dollars at an auction on June 2, 2000. While the likelihood of finding many pairs of shoes for this price are slim, who knows what HOllywood and fashion lovers might shell out of famous shoes in the future.
Brilliant Marketing That Stands the Test Of Time
If you’re searching shoe stores near me, then you’ve likely worn a pair of sneakers at some point in your life. The word “sneaker” wasn’t invented until the early 1900s, when Henry Nelson McKinney, an advertising agent for N.W. Ayer and Son came up with the term to denote the stealth like rubber soles on sneakers. The first sneaker was invented by Keds in 1917. The brand still makes it’s popular classic “champion” style sneaker to this day. Sneakers didn’t go international until 1923 when a German man made a new sneaker and named it after himself (humble beginning). The German man’s invention? Adidas. Since their inception Adidas has become one of the largest sneaker brands in the world.
