December 6th is Put on Your Own Shoes Day #PutOnYourOwnShoesDay and I don’t know about you but both Charlie and I could use a pair of #houseshoes so even though its Put on Your Own Shoes Day I’m walking around inside and out decorating #barefooted. Charlie has his #Crocs on we share and I’m to lazy to put on my #tennisshoes. What about you?
I would like to invite you to join my family for Put on Your Own Shoes Day which is held annually on December 6th. Since the origins are not completely known, the creator has given us free rein to use our imaginations. You could see Put on Your Own Shoes Day as a metaphor for proudly strutting your stuff or teaching a toddler to put on their shoes.
The beauty is that Put on Your Own Shoes Day is up to you on how you celebrate which could include go shopping for a new pair of shoes and don’t just stop at one pair today because it’s Put on Your Own Shoes Day which means you can showcase all the shoes you love or even dream of having one day.
Shoes have been a component of the human wardrobe since ancient times. Did you know the oldest preserved shoe in the world was discovered in Armenia and is estimated to be around 5000 years old. That’s one old pair of shoes isn’t it?
Historically, shoes were quite basic and were simply used for practical reasons including protecting our feet from the elements, rather than for comfort and fashion. It was actually not until the 1800s that shoes began being made specifically for the left and right feet. Footwear has come a long way since then and has changed drastically over the Centuries.
Shoes were made from Palm Leaves, Papyrus fiber, and raw leather, the first sandals, which were stretched and tied at the end of the foot, appeared in ancient Egypt. Initially, only clerics and the Pharaoh wore sandals but, later, all ancient Egyptians began wearing sandals and they came in various colors, which symbolized the different social classes.
During the Renaissance period, European royalty often wore shoes with high heels as high as 30 cm to show off their superiority. This also allowed them to casually walk through puddles. These were the first examples of modern platform shoes. King Louis XIV of France played a significant role in spreading the popularity of high heels. Even now, men’s high heels are referred to as French shoes by many fashion historians.
Did you know footwear wouldn’t start being truly fashionable until around the Baroque period when the design of a person’s shoe was a key indicator of their social class. The higher their heels, the higher their class. Anyone walking around without any shoes on probably wasn’t doing so well.
The biggest boom in the production of footwear occurred during the Industrial Revolution when inventors and craftsmen in the United Kingdom and North America developed a footwear sewing machine and began mass-producing shoes made of fabric.
Jan Ernst Matzeliger came up with a shoemaking method that allowed about 700 pairs of shoes to be produced each day. Footwear became accessible to everyone and, finally, from the middle of the 19th Century, shoes were customized for left and right foot!
Today, shoes are a multi-billion dollar industry.
How to Celebrate Put on Your Own Shoes Day
- If you’ve been eyeing a new pair of shoes put on your own shoes day is a great day to treat yourself.
- There is never a bad time to give to someone less fortunate than you. if you have the means and the opportunity purchase a pair of shoes or give away a pair you don’t wear anymore.
- Part of Put on Your Own Shoes Day is actually putting on your own shoes if you know of a toddler take the opportunity to teach a toddler in your life how to put on their own shoes or attempt to.
Facts About Shoes That Will Blow Your Mind
- Did you know men wore shoes with red heels in order to show their status? Charlie said he didn’t know that and neither of us have seen men’s shoes with red heels. Have you?
- During the Renaissance period, Kings in Europe often wore shoes with very high heels in order to demonstrate their supremacy.
- The first step towards the shoe revolution was the invention of sports shoes for basketball players by the Converse brand in 1917.
- The term “sneaker” came from the English word “sneak”.
- Until around World War I, nudity wasn’t acceptable, so even slippers were seen as seductive, and were made of silk or satin with added ribbons. Isn’t that crazy?
Why We Love Put on Your Own Shoes Day
Shoes are a great way to show off your style and express your creativity and you should put on your own shoes and strut your stuff.
Because the creator of Put on Your Own Shoes Day left room for interpretation, you can make the holiday be about whatever you want it to be and people will love this #Holiday because we all love to get creative.
Why We Love Put on Your Own Shoes Day is a conversation starter and you can ask your friends and family the following questions. What does put on your own shoes day mean? Do you know the history of shoes? Have you donated your old pairs of shoes?
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
