Mens Shoes

In class, we were assigned to take a specific group of Menswear out of the 7 I explained in my last post, and I chose mens shoes. We had to explain each category and compare them to see the differences. Below is a link to another video to help you have a better idea on how mens shoes are categorized as well as what they look like. Enjoy!

 

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d6a4d324e6a63794e7a6b3d0d0a&blogview=true

 

Have you ever wondered how shoes even came about? Spanish cave drawings from more than 15,000 years ago show humans with animal skins or furs wrapped around their feet. Those animal skins and furs evolved to what we know and wear everyday which is our shoes. Those furs eventually evolved to sandals, which are still very popular in the summer time. Sandals are the oldest crafted foot covering known to us. The shoemakers of the past never would have thought to pair a sandals with a platform would ever come about. Our shoe fashions of today are basically modernized adaptations of past styles. We should all appreciate the cavemen for starting such a wonderful thing!

^ This is a picture of what the first leather shoe looked like, definitely not a fashion statement in this era!



Interesting Facts About Shoes:

• Before a shoe can be made, as many as thirty-five measurements are taken from a footprint to show the distribution of the body weight.
• Over one hundred operations go into the construction of a shoe.
• In the Middle East, parts of Africa, Korea and Thailand, it is considered rude to show the soles of the feet to others (even accidentally, such as by crossing the legs).
• Shoe throwing is a great insult in some areas in the Middle East and in India.
• In Thailand, it is an extreme insult for the foot, sock, or shoes to touch someone's head or be placed over it.
•  Mass-produced shoes generally require 1000 years to degrade, depending on what they are made of.
• Until more recent years, shoes were not worn by most of the world's population mostly because they could not afford them.
• It wasn’t until the 18th century that women’s shoes were different from men’s.
• The word "stiletto" originally meant "little dagger."

Below is a picture of the anatomy of a shoe:

Now, to help you get a better idea of details in each of the 3 groups of mens shoes:

 

Business Shoes:

• worn by business men
• worn generally with a suit or other formal attire
• mostly made of only leather
• sometimes have a design on them
• dress shoes are characterized by smooth leather, leather soles, and narrow sleek figure

Casual Shoes:

• more dressy than sneakers
• can be worn with jeans
• worn for mostly everything except during sports and work
• good for casual Friday's at the work place
• casual shoes are characterized by sturdy leather, non-leather outsoles, and wide profile

Sports Shoes:

• worn with shorts and a t-shirt or jeans
• used during exercise
• NEVER FOR WORK!
• for a more "laid back" look
• teens like to match their color of their shoes with their hat or shirt

 

Comparing the 3 Categories of Mens Shoes:

• same basic structure and shape
• much more different than womens shoes
• no large variety, all the styles are generally the same
• there is also no wide selection compared to women, no heels, flats etc. (same basic shape)