Chronicle of the shoe as a social symbol

From ancient Egypt to royal courts: a symbol of distinction

In the sands of Egypt, the temples of Greece, and the palaces of Rome, shoes were far more than a mere accessory. They were the preserve of the elite, a definitive mark of distinction. Barefoot slaves could only admire the sandals of their masters, symbols of power and privilege.

This hierarchy, inscribed in the object, persisted through the centuries and continents and was expressed in the different attributes composing the shoes, from the red heels of the court of Louis XIV to the platform boots of Chinese mandarins, passing through the embroidered moccasins of the Iroquois chiefs.

Spectacular elevations

Height, however, became the supreme attribute, the universal language of social rank. All over the world, elevated shoes raised their wearers above the crowd, giving them an aura of power and prestige.

Chopines, particularly fashionable in Italy and Spain from the late ^15th to the early ^17th century, transformed upper-class women into gigantic figures, requiring the assistance of servants to move around.

In China, under the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), high-ranking Manchu women wore shoes with a central heel that gave them a very characteristic gait, while men wore platform shoes.

In Japan, geta, initially simple wooden clogs, were adorned with sumptuous decorations among members of the nobility and reached prodigious heights during the Edo period (1603-1868).

In ^19th- century India, padukas, silver sandals adorned with a button, were among the gifts given to brides with a ceremonial role: to distinguish the young girl by raising her above others so that she could be spotted and admired in the crowd.

A step towards prestige

The shoe is also a chronicle of social history; it is an expression of our identity, our status, our aspirations.