Vintage Shoes

There was a type of shoe found in California that was dated from 7000 BCE. Materials in which shoes have been made in the past don't last for thousands of years, so it is very difficult to put a year on the exact time in which shoes were first produced.

Espadrilles

These shoes have been made in Catalonia since at least the 14th century. They originate from the Pyrenees, and are a casual sandal with a flat or high heel. They usually have a cotton, or fabric upper with a sole made from rope, or rubber. The name Espadrille is French and comes from the name espardenya, which comes from expart. Expart is the Catalan name for esparto, which is a wiry, tough, Mediterranean grass used for making rope. These sandals were originally worn by peasant, but nowadays they are designed by top designers, and popularly worn in Catalonia and the Basque Country. There is a more modern design now where the footwear can also be platform, or wedge shaped now. Manufacturing this footwear is generally more complicated than making any ordinary sandal, especially if the sole is made from Jute twines. The twines first have to be machine braided, then the braids are formed by hand into the sole. They are hydraulically pressed for the final shape, and stitched vertically. The soles then go through a vulcanization process. Wooden heals, or EVA foam is then put in place with the use of glue, and finally more jute braids are wrapped around for the completion of the sole.

Poulaine

Also known as crackowes these were shoes with very long pointed toes popular in the 15th century. They were worn by males and females, but the male shoe was made longer, and pointier than the female version of this footwear. Sometimes people would wear a string attached to the toe, which was then attached around the knee in order to keep the point of the toes out of the way when they were walking. The toes were also stuffed at times, and some other outdoor type shoe would also be worn underneath the Poulines.

Patten

These shoes had a wooden sole, or had metal inserted to increase the wearers height. They would also be designed with a high sole to aid with walking in mud. Pattens were worn during the middle ages up until the 19th, or early 20th century. It is thought the word Patten comes from the French and means hoof or paw. Most shoes of this period were of a thin sole design, therefore Pattens were popular as they were more comfortable to walk on paved roads, and cold indoor floors. This footwear would increase the height of a person by four inches or more at times. They were held on the foot by leather or cloth bands. Although the shoes were of a practical nature they were not the easiest of footwear to walk with.

Moccasin

Moccasins are traditionally made from deerskins, or other soft leather material. Its sole and sides are made of one piece, stitched together on top, sometimes with an additional panel or vamp. The upper part of the shoe are usually filled with elaborately designed pictures, or patterns. They were worn by traders, hunters, and settlers. They are well known as being the traditional footwear of North American Indian tribes. They often have beaded designs and a lot of embroidery within the make up of the shoe. Moccasins normally had a soft, flexible sole, apart from the one's that the Plains Indians wore, of which the soles were made hard for durability against the hard rocky areas where they would have to walk.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoes