The world's oldest leather shoe, the Areni-1 shoe, was found in Armenia in 2008 and is believed to date to 3500 BC. It is a one-piece leather-hide shoe with leather "shoelaces" passing through slotted "eyelets" cut into the hide.
This date is a few hundred years older than the date given for the leather shoe found on Ötzi the Iceman, which were bound with "shoelaces" made of lime bark string.
The Ancient Greeks and Romans were keen shoelace wearers. The sandals worn by both men and women across these nations were fastened with leather laces.
The Museum of London has documented examples of medieval footwear dating from as far back as the 12th century, which show the lacing passing through a series of hooks or eyelets down the front or side of the shoe.
When Charles II was recalled to the English throne in 1660 and the established church came back to power, the puritan preacher John Bunyan was arrested for disobeying the laws prohibiting Nonconformist meetings and was thrown into the jail in Bedford. While he was in prison Bunyan supported himself and his family by making thousands of long, tagged shoelaces which he sold.
Though clearly shoelaces had been in use for thousands of years, shoes in the late eighteenth century were commonly fastened with buckles. The modern shoelace along with holes in the shoe was perfected by Harvey Kennedy in England. He took out a patent for his "invention" on March 29, 1790.
During the Cold War, CIA agents used a method of communication based on how their shoelaces were tied.
Usain Bolt set a world record for the 100m in the men's final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with one of his shoelaces undone.
The NBA fined New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith $50,000 in January 2014 for "recurring instances of unsportsmanlike conduct" after he twice tried to untie an opponent's shoelace during matches.
For those not in the know, the aglet is the small tip at the ends of the shoelace that protects the lace from fraying and makes it easier to thread the lace into your shoes. Aglets today are most often made of plastic; they also have been made of metal, glass, and stone.
Shoes with five eyelets on each side can be laced up 51,840 different ways.
This date is a few hundred years older than the date given for the leather shoe found on Ötzi the Iceman, which were bound with "shoelaces" made of lime bark string.
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| Replica of the Oetzi shoes |
The Ancient Greeks and Romans were keen shoelace wearers. The sandals worn by both men and women across these nations were fastened with leather laces.
The Museum of London has documented examples of medieval footwear dating from as far back as the 12th century, which show the lacing passing through a series of hooks or eyelets down the front or side of the shoe.
When Charles II was recalled to the English throne in 1660 and the established church came back to power, the puritan preacher John Bunyan was arrested for disobeying the laws prohibiting Nonconformist meetings and was thrown into the jail in Bedford. While he was in prison Bunyan supported himself and his family by making thousands of long, tagged shoelaces which he sold.
Though clearly shoelaces had been in use for thousands of years, shoes in the late eighteenth century were commonly fastened with buckles. The modern shoelace along with holes in the shoe was perfected by Harvey Kennedy in England. He took out a patent for his "invention" on March 29, 1790.
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| Pixabay |
During the Cold War, CIA agents used a method of communication based on how their shoelaces were tied.
Usain Bolt set a world record for the 100m in the men's final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with one of his shoelaces undone.
The NBA fined New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith $50,000 in January 2014 for "recurring instances of unsportsmanlike conduct" after he twice tried to untie an opponent's shoelace during matches.
For those not in the know, the aglet is the small tip at the ends of the shoelace that protects the lace from fraying and makes it easier to thread the lace into your shoes. Aglets today are most often made of plastic; they also have been made of metal, glass, and stone.
Shoes with five eyelets on each side can be laced up 51,840 different ways.
Unique information I read about shoelaces history here. Well done!
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