IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF TIME

UNEARTHING THE TALE OF THE FIRST SHOES: FROM ANCIENT FOOT COVERINGS TO THE LUXURY HANDMADE SNEAKER

THE OLDEST KNOWN SHOES ARE SANDALS. WOVEN FROM SAGEBRUSH BARK. FOUND IN FORT ROCK CAVE, OREGON. DATED TO APPROXIMATELY 10,000 YEARS AGO.

BUT THE EVIDENCE GOES FURTHER BACK. BONE STRUCTURE ANALYSIS SUGGESTS HUMANS WERE WEARING FOOT COVERINGS 40,000 YEARS AGO, THE POINT AT WHICH THE SMALL TOES BEGIN TO SHOW REDUCED DEVELOPMENT. CUSHIONED FOOTWEAR CHANGES WHICH MUSCLES THE FOOT DEPENDS ON. THE BONES REMEMBER WHAT WAS WORN BEFORE THEM.

FROM FUNCTION TO SIGNAL

THE EARLIEST FOOT COVERINGS WERE PURELY FUNCTIONAL. PROTECTION FROM TERRAIN AND CLIMATE. WRAPPED HIDE IN COLD REGIONS. WOVEN PLANT FIBRE IN DRY ONES. THE FORM FOLLOWED THE NEED EXACTLY. NO AESTHETIC INTENT WHATSOEVER.

BY ANCIENT EGYPT THE SHOE HAD ACQUIRED A SECOND FUNCTION. STATUS. THE PHARAOH'S SANDAL BEARER WAS A POSITION OF SIGNIFICANCE. SERVANTS WENT BAREFOOT. NOBLES WENT SHOD. THE SHOE AS SOCIAL SIGNAL IS AS OLD AS ORGANISED SOCIETY.

IN ROME, THE CALCEUS TOLD THE OBSERVER YOUR PLACE IN THE HIERARCHY BEFORE YOU SPOKE A WORD. SENATORS WORE RED. PATRICIANS AND PLEBEIANS WORE DIFFERENTLY. THE SHOE WAS ALREADY A DOCUMENT.

THE ENGLISH CHAPTER

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF CORDWAINERS, FOUNDED IN LONDON IN 1272, ESTABLISHED STANDARDS FOR SHOEMAKING AS A PROFESSION. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BUILT AN INDUSTRY AROUND THOSE STANDARDS ACROSS THE FOLLOWING CENTURIES. CHURCH'S. CROCKETT AND JONES. TRICKER'S. EDWARD GREEN. EACH A PRODUCT OF ACCUMULATED KNOWLEDGE PASSED HAND TO HAND ACROSS GENERATIONS.

THE LUXURY HANDMADE SNEAKER IS THE LATEST CHAPTER IN THAT LINEAGE. NOT A DEPARTURE FROM IT. THE SILHOUETTE IS CONTEMPORARY. THE METHODS ARE ANCIENT. THE LEATHER IS SELECTED BY EYE. THE LAST IS BUILT TO SATRA SPECIFICATION. THE SOLE IS STITCHED TO ALLOW RESOLING. THE SNEAKER IS MADE TO LAST DECADES.

40,000 YEARS OF FOOTWEAR HISTORY. EVERY PAIR OF 1812 SNEAKERS IS THE NEXT STEP IN THAT STORY.