Enduringly Popular Footwear
Since time immemorial mankind has worn protection on their feet to shield them from harsh weather conditions and rainy conditions. This is because our feet do not have leathery soles or hoofs like horses and they are quite delicate and easily damaged. The earliest examples of shoe were made out of animal hides with the fur still attached, especially in colder climes.
In hotter climates people generally went about barefoot, but more affluent people, such as at the Court of the ancient Egyptians, simple shoes with soles of bark or wood were worn.
In the highlands of northern Spain farmers started wearing Espadrilles in the summer months whilst working in the fields. The soles of these were woven from a locally grown grass called esparto. The grass was woven into a rope design which was stitched together. The uppers were cloth like cotton or a stronger fabric material that were sewn to the rope sole.
The farmers used to make their shoes themselves during the rainy winter months. Originally they were always made with white uppers and they had cloth straps attached to them at the heel to enable the shoes to be tied around the ankles. These shoes were the footwear for farmers in drier areas of Spain. They also became popular with town folk and in some areas of Spain with the military.
The original shoes of this design were always flat heeled, but these days this designs comes with all sorts of heels and some of them are very stylish, to be worn for evening wear. A holiday wardrobe is not complete without a pair of these shoes in the luggage. The simpler versions are ideal to wear to the beach, matched with a pair of shorts. The sole will keep ones feet away from the hot sand and the canvas upper will allow feet to breathe, so that they do not get sweaty. Socks need not be worn as they are very comfortable to wear without them.
Most of the modern day rope shoes are manufactured in Spain and now also in Bangladesh. Many of the soles are now made of jute, which is an eco-friendly way to manufacture products as they can be returned to the earth when they are worn out. Because Bangladesh is a producer of jute of good quality it seems sensible that this footwear is produced there as well.
The making of these shoes is quite an exacting procedure, with the soles being the most intricate part. The jute braid has to be fashioned in the form of a sole. Although the manufacture is mainly done in factories, in Spain it is still a cottage industry for villagers and a valuable source of income for many people. In the cottage industry the uppers are still hand-stitched to the soles. This is done by women who hand down their craft from generation to generation.
To buy this type of footwear one can have a look on the internet, as there are many sites that have a fast array of these shoes on show.
For further information about Espadrilles and other shoes, please visit our website at http://espadrillesshoes.co.uk/.
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