Record details
| Egyptian sandal | |
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This Egyptian sandal is one of the oldest shoes in the collection. |
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It is made from woven grass and dates to about 300 BCE. It has a toe thong to help keep it on the foot. Surprisingly given its age it has a very contemporary look and is very similar to the flip flop. The precise origins of footwear are unknown, but early types footwear were often dependent on location. In hot countries people needed to protect their feet from rough terrain yet keep their feet cool, so easy to make sandals from local plant materials were popular. In cold climates a robust shoe was required, so animal skins were used to form a foot covering. |
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| This shoe can be found on display in the early History of Fashion case in the shoe gallery. |