The first part of the exhibition took us to the first ancient cultures where there are records of the first shoes. Most of these cultures were Oriental , and a number of shoe discoveries were made. They used to be made by hand with natural materials, such as wood, leather and fibers. Over time, these materials tend to decompose easily, so having found these specimens was a great discovery for history.

Beauty standards varied by time and culture, for example in Asian cultures small shoes were used that prevented the natural growth of women's feet since it was considered beautiful to have small feet. We took some pictures of other ancient models from different cultures. From ancient oriental cultures, to shoes from the time of the French revolution until the 20th century, when what were the first footwear designers as such appeared.

One of the pioneers of fashion footwear was Salvatore Ferragamo , appearing in 1940, and today being one of the most important legacy brands worldwide.

The development of personalized lasts for celebrities and people of high socioeconomic status as well as exclusive points of sale in the fashion capitals of the world, such as Paris, London and Milan are some of the things that gave birth to a new world of luxury in the industry. of footwear. Other major designers include Christian Louboutin , Manolo Blahnik , and Roger Vivier . Following this, big fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior and Versace ventured into creating their own shoe lines since before they only made clothes.

The development and production of footwear is completely another universe. The perfection and demand for quality has limited many fashion houses to dare to launch their own lines, although today the biggest sales of fashion houses come from the sale of accessories.

Shoe design has sparked curiosity in other fields of design, so in more recent times, there have been design collaborations with architects and industrial designers, such as Zaha Hadid to create an iconic and artistic design. Designer Margiela and Rei Kawakubo have made experimental and conceptual designs challenging the typical physics and anatomy of the shoe.

In conclusion, this time travel of the evolution of footwear proves the importance of this garment in the life of the human being and how it has adapted to the contextual conditions, both social and cultural, both political, of each era. It also makes us think about what will be of footwear in the future, and how it will adapt to the lives of modern human beings.

Shoe advertising at the beginning of the 20th century.

The first shoes were often simple leather "foot bags". in the form of bandages to protect the feet from the abrasion of stones, debris, water and cold. The history of the shoe is as old as the history of modern man, it is associated with the domain of leather tanning , footwear began to be used in the Paleolithic period or perhaps when the last known glaciation ended, it is estimated between 12,000 to 15,000 years AC.

In cold climate territories they took the form of crude boots and in hot climates the form of moccasins.

At the same time, in the Middle Ages the shoe was made with flaps or alternating fabrics to protect the skin and reinforce the foot for a better fit , they were very non-functional.

In Europe, the shoe became a symbol of social status for nobles and rich but it came to have ridiculous proportions, which forced its simplification and the creation of new styles until the modern solid and sewn shoe.

Since the 17th century, most leather shoes have been characterized by a single stitch.

The skins were tanned with alum and were very expensive, with pork fat or oil giving them flexibility. They used extracts derived from vegetables, conifers, roots and fruits of acacia and oak bark, to dye them through tannin.

In Greece, women used a kind of slipper that covered only the toes and the front of the foot, the Greek sandals corresponded to the Roman solea, which men and women used in their homes as calceus, which covered the entire foot.

Upper-class Greek women adopted tight-fitting leather shoes, and the fashionable colors were white and red.

Advances in the rubber, plastics, synthetic fabrics, and industrial adhesives industries have enabled manufacturers to create shoes that differ significantly from traditional manufacturing techniques. Therefore, leather, which had been the main manufacturing material, is now generally used to make fine shoes.

Starting in the 20th century, shoes evolved rapidly and rapidly.

In the 21st century, the concept of ergonomics further revolutionized the development of highly technical shoes, such as sports shoes, formal shoes and lightweight shoes for hot climates.

The stylistic changes in both men and women made fashions and designs adapt to the different historical and thought moments of that century.

Designers specialized in footwear design began to appear who maintain their brands and firms with a reputation.

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The evolution of footwear has gone by "giant steps" and since the beginning of Regina Romero, in 1984 and as she has always said

"Fashion is nothing without a story, a vision and a commitment."

At Regina Romero we are writing our own history, creating each of our collections with influences and trends that make a shoe of quality and great value as it is unique by hand.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footwear

https://tourhistoria.es/2019/09/la-gran-historia-del-calzado/

http://viajesalaprehistoria.com/calzado-en-la-prehistoria-como-era/