sandal

Name

The English word sandal derives from Middle French sandale, which came from the Latin sandalium. The word first appeared in Middle English as sandalies. The Latin term itself derived from Greek sandálion (σανδάλιον), the diminutive of sándalon (σάνδαλον), though the ultimate origin remains uncertain. In Greek, the names referred to particular styles of women's sandals rather than being the general word for the category of footwear. Similarly, in Latin, the name was also used for slippers, the more common term for Roman sandals being solea, whence English sole. The English words sand and sandalwood are both false cognates.

History

Although other types of footwear such as carbatina are equally simple to manufacture, sandals represent the oldest known footwear discovered to date. Pairs of sagebrush sandals found in 1938 at Fort Rock Cave in Oregon, United States, were subsequently dated to between 10,500 and 9,300 years ago.

The ancient Egyptians crafted sandals from palm leaves, papyrus, and—particularly in grave goods—gold. Egyptian statues and reliefs depict sandals both worn on feet and carried by sandal-bearers. According to Herodotus, papyrus footwear was mandatory attire for Egyptian priests. In Mesopotamia, sandals (known as "Biblical sandals") were typically constructed from rawhide and straw or dried grasses. Wealthy individuals often adorned the thongs with gems, gold, or silver beads.

Straw shoes, sometimes in the form of sandals and sometimes carbatinae, were ubiquitous Chinese footwear in antiquity.

In Ancient Greece, sandalia proper were a kind of sandal principally worn by women. The sole was made of wood, cork, or leather and the upper chiefly consisted of a strap between the big toe and second toe and another around the ankle. The sandal of Homer was the pédīlon (πέδῑλον). By the Classical Period, the general term for sandals was hypódēma (ὑπόδημα). Most forms included a strap across the toes (ζυγός, zygós), another strap between the big and second toe, and a third across the instep (lingula); this last was frequently made with metal shaped like a heart or leaf. The rhaḯdia (ῥαΐδια) extended the straps of the sandal up the calf. Some Greek sandals—like the women's tyrrēniká (τυρρηνικά)—employed wooden soles. The effeminate baxea (πάξεια, páxeia) was usually made of willow leaves, twigs, or fibers and was associated with comic actors and philosophers. The tragedians wore the cothurnus (κόθορνος, kóthornos), sandal-like boots that rose above the midcalf and typically incorporated platform soles that led to others wearing them to appear taller. By the Hellenistic Period, some sandals show evidence of extreme ornamentation. One found from the settlements in Greek Crimea was a platform design with 12 separate layers in its sole and gold decoration.

Due to the general discomfort of the typical upper-class calceus, it became standard practice in ancient Rome to change into sandals (solea or crepida) or slippers when at home. It was considered unusual that Augustus seldom followed this custom. However, wearing comfortable shoes in public was deemed effeminate, and criticism of this habit was commonly used as an insult by politicians and writers. Notable figures including Scipio the Elder, Verres, Antony, Germanicus, and Caligula were all specifically criticized for this practice. This social stigma persisted until at least the reign of Hadrian. Because shoes were removed when reclining on couches to dine, it was normal to wear slippers or sandals to meals even at other houses. Due to this social stigma, when a litter carried by slaves was unavailable for transport between houses, proper etiquette required walking to the destination wearing calcei while carrying the indoor footwear under one's arm. Guests would then change shoes in the entryway before having slaves remove their dining footwear in the dining room.

Types:

Kitten heel

Construction

A sandal may feature a sole constructed from various materials including rubber, leather, wood, tatami, or rope. The sole is typically secured to the foot either by a narrow thong that passes between the first and second toe, or by straps or laces (variously called latchets, sabot straps, or sandal straps) that cross over the arch of the foot or wrap around the ankle. Sandals may optionally include a heel of varying heights (from low to high) and may feature heel straps for additional security.

Variants

Barefoot sandals, footwear with the appearance of sandals but lacking a sole.

Birkenstock sandals, a comfortable and trendy sandal made from cork.

Caligae, a heavy-soled classical Roman military shoe or sandal for marching, worn by all ranks up to and including centurion

Carbatina, open footwear worn in ancient Greece, Italy and the Middle East

Clip-on sandals or clip-toe sandals, a style similar to flip-flops

Crocs, clog-like shoes made from synthetic, rubbery, waterproof material, first created in the United States in 2002

Clog can be formed as a heavy sandal, having a thick, typically wooden sole

Crochet sandals

Fisherman sandal is a type of T-bar sandal originally for men and boys. The toes are enclosed by a number of leather bands interwoven with the central length-wise strap that lies along the instep. An adjustable cross strap or bar is fastened with a buckle. The heel may be fully enclosed or secured by a single strap joined to the cross strap. The style appears to have originated in France.

Flip-flops (called thongs in Australia) are typically cheap and suitable for beach, pool, or locker room wear

Geta, a classical Japanese form of elevated thong, traditionally of cryptomeria wood; the crosspiece is referred to as a ha, which translates to tooth

Grecian sandal, sandals from Greece and Salento (Italy), a (generally flat or low) sole attached to the foot by interlaced straps crossing the toes and instep, and fastening around the ankle. A similar style is sometimes called gladiator sandal