Many children and adults around the world know the story of Cinderella： the tale of the unfortunate young girl who is forced to live with her ugly stepsisters and evil step mother. She lives and works as a maid for them and is treated poorly. One day， with the help of a fairy godmother， she goes to a ball and meets a charming prince， but she must return home before midnight. She escapes the party but leaves behind a glass slipper. The prince， besotted1 from the moment he meets Cinderella， takes the glass slipper and travels to seek out the mysterious beauty he met at the ball. The rest is fairytale history.
　　This story begs the question2： Are glass slippers actually comfortable， or even practical？ Probably not. They would be completely inflexible and probably very painful to walk in.

The First Shoes

　　Shoes have a very long history， and it’s no wonder， as most humans are born with feet and need to protect them from the elements3. Have you ever walked barefoot on the ground and felt pebbles jab your tender soles？4 Have you ever walked through mud，feeling its gloppy wetness ooze between the toes as you slip and slide in the muck？5 Imagine living in a world before there was pavement， smooth sidewalks or proper floors. Thousands of years ago， people needed a way to protect their feet because not only would they get dirty， they could be a conduit6 for disease or infection.

鞋子穿在人類脚下，一路走来，历史悠久。早在远古时期，人们就通过穿鞋来使自己免受自然环境的伤害。到了今天，有各种各样风格不一的鞋子供我们选择。鞋子不再像几千年前那样只有实用功能，而是展现着人们的个性和风采，承载着各地的民俗和文化。

　　It’s difficult for historians to pinpoint exactly when humans start wearing shoes. Some of the materials that may have been used， especially if made of earthly materials， would have broken down in the environment over time. Therefore， the only information we can glean about early footwear is through fossilized remains.7
　　Experts have found that early populations of humans often used one of two materials to keep their feet safe： plants or animals. In 1938， archeologists found a number of pairs of sagebrush sandals inside a cave in the U.S. state of Oregon.8 For experts it was a treasure trove9： They didn’t find just one pair but many， from children’s to adult-size shoes. Carbon dating later revealed that they were 9，000 to 10，000 years old and the volcanic ash they were buried in did an excellent job of preserving them.10 　　Later discoveries revealed that people alternatively fashioned shoes out of animal hides.11 One pair that was discovered in a cave in Armeniadated back to 3500 BC. They were preserved in a pile of sheep dung12， which did a remarkable job of keeping them intact. Archeologists believe the leather shoes were very durable for a lot of walking as well as their ability to withstand anything from very hot to freezing temperatures.

Shoe Cultures

　　There are some cultures where there are very clear customs for wearing shoes， like in Japan or Thailand. In Germany， many people purchase “Hausschuhe”or “house shoes” that are only worn indoors and do not carry the elements from outdoors.
　　Here are some examples of different countries and their shoe cultures：

Japanese Shoe Etiquette13

　　In Japan， entire books have been written around the cultural rules， including the etiquette for the wearing of shoes. Typically， when a person enters a home or other establishment， the shoes are removed and left in a space known as the “genkan14” before a person proceeds further. The host provides indoor slippers for guests， so it’s important to not only wear socks （or to have them on hand） but to make sure they are clean and without holes. If a person encounters a room with tatami flooring （a mat that is typically made of straw）， only bare feet or socks are permitted； no slippers. When entering a bathroom， there are special slippers that await a person outside the room， but should only be worn inside and nowhere else in the home.

Dutch Clogs15

　　When people think of the Netherlands， perhaps they envision vast plains of tulips， windmills and those delicious stroopwafel， the beloved caramel waffle cookies.16 When it comes to shoes， they are equally known for the wooden clog. They date back to around the year 1230， when people needed something sturdy17 to protect their feet from the harsh northern European environment. Back then， they were favorites among fishermen and farmers. By the 16th century， most Dutch people wore clogs， whether they were city dwellers18 or country folk.
　　However， the clog culture is changing. It used to be that every town had a clog-maker， and a new pair of shoes were carved， by hand， out of wood by a craftsman. Today those numbers are dwindling19 and only about 30 remain. Sadly， machines took over production and the dying craft has slowly been lost as lower demand and fashion won out.