The knowledge of wearing shoes

 

The knowledge of wearing shoes

 

The wise Mr. Agudengba accepted the invitation from the Burmese musician Dorje. During dinner, Mr. Agudengba was able to continue telling the story of the shoes to his friends. But this time, he mainly talked about the rules of putting on and taking off shoes, the etiquette of shoe culture and the hierarchy of wearing shoes.

Agudenba said:

Boots are long leather shoes that reach above the ankle bone. There were not only leather boots and cloth boots, but also cloth boots, copper boots, wooden boots, and in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there were also jade boots and so on. These are the shoes worn by nomadic people. Soldiers of the Zhou Dynasty wore leather boots with copper nails.

Shoes include not only cloth shoes, but also leather shoes, such as those worn by Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Warriors and Horses. There is a Qin Dynasty terracotta statue unearthed in Xi'an. Viewed from the back, the bottoms of the shoes worn by the terracotta warriors kneeling on one leg clearly show traces of dense threads. This shows that at least in the Qin Dynasty, the craft of soles has been produced in China. , which enhances the toughness of the soles and extends the wearing time of the shoes.

The green silk shoes unearthed from the Mawangdui Tomb of the Western Han Dynasty in Changsha, Hunan Province. The upper part is woven with brown strands. It is a plain weave with thicker weft threads. The bottom part of the shoe is woven with hemp thread. It is plain spun and has a light purple color. The upper part of the shoe has a hole-shaped pattern. The front end of the shoe has two small pointed corners, which is unique.

The soles of the shoes unearthed in the Asta North District of Turpan, Xinjiang are woven with twine, and the other parts are made of nine colors of red, black, yellow, and blue silk. According to the shape of the shoes, lace and "wealth and prosperity are suitable for waiting for the king's wife" are woven. "Prolong life and prolong life" are inscriptions in Chinese style, arranged symmetrically from the center to both sides, with each sentence woven twice. The toe is woven with textured texture.

The Sui and Tang Dynasties were the heyday of the development of clothing culture. This is using "shoes" instead of "shoes". The name shoe really came into existence.

Before the Qin Dynasty, all officials had to take off their shoes, and even their socks, when entering the palace. By the Sui and Tang Dynasties, political enlightenment led to the development of shoe culture. Before the Tang Dynasty, officials had to take off their shoes and socks when entering the palace. This tradition once affected Japan and South Korea, and it still affects some countries around Asia, such as Thailand and Vietnam. After the Tang Dynasty, officials could wear boots when entering the court. Moreover, women can also wear boots, and there are fewer requirements for wearing shoes. The shoe styles of the Song Dynasty were inherited from the Tang Dynasty. Coupled with the development of the commodity economy in the Song Dynasty, shops specializing in shoes began to appear in society.

Agudemba continued:

Speaking of the story of shoes, we must understand that shoes are still a symbol of status in this world, and shoes are also divided into grades.

Judging from the development history of Rome during the same period of the Han Dynasty, Roman culture and Greek culture were closely related. When the Romans conquered the Greeks, they inherited the culture of ancient Greece. Therefore, Roman shoes and decorations were more aristocratic, more luxurious, gorgeous, and had more styles than those of Greece, but they did not get rid of the style of sandals. Ancient Romans liked to wear slippers indoors, made of leather or straw mats. When wearing leather shoes when going out, use large pieces of leather to shape the heel and instep and tie them with straps, leaving the toes exposed. Noble shoes are made of high-grade leather and decorated with gold and silver. The color of shoes is usually brown. In the late Republic and early Empire, people were more particular about color. Members of Parliament wore black shoes, and nobles could wear red shoes. Common people generally wear shoes made of linen and straw. As in ancient times and Greece, it was illegal for servants and slaves to wear shoes. In China, gaiters are shoes made of grass or hemp, and are regarded as cheap objects. Therefore, ancient Chinese people often used the term "taking off gait" or abandoning gait to describe things being easy or people being treated lightly.

Medieval Europe first started with the Byzantine Empire because of its geographical location close to the east. Byzantium was the first to get rid of the tradition of only wearing sandals in ancient Greece and Rome, with a strong oriental color. Especially the toe caps are influenced by the Tang Dynasty's brocade shoes. The upper is not high, has a shallow mouth, and also has a strong oriental color. The jewelry adorning the upper is a typical Byzantine feature. It looks slim, elegant and luxurious. The general shoes of nomads and northern Europe are characterized by high-top leather boots, which are very different from the characteristics of the East.

The Byzantine shoemaking industry developed rapidly and later spread throughout Europe, which also affected the characteristics of European shoe styles. The Holy See had absolute supreme power in medieval Europe, and its life was also very superior. Of course, the shoes worn by the bishops must be made of silk fabrics, which will make them look more luxurious.

Compared with the vast number of poor civilians in the Middle Ages who could not afford to wear shoes, the shoes of Roman priests were really luxurious. We can see from the paintings of "The Gospel of Otto III" that represent the typical medieval painting style that civilians at that time did not wear shoes, even during labor.

Therefore, shoes are only popular among the middle and upper class people. Knights at that time wore iron boots with European characteristics. At that time, although the Middle Ages lagged behind in terms of clothing, they were leading in iron-making and metallurgy, especially in making armor.

Europeans divided shoes into grades, while China's Ming and Qing dynasties had stricter restrictions on wearing shoes. Civil and military officials and soldiers can wear boots, but civilians, actors, servants, etc. cannot wear boots. The shoes worn by officials must be dyed black, commonly known as "soap shoes". The soles are made of wood to a certain thickness and coated with a layer of white powder, so they are also called "foundation soap boots". We can often see it in Peking Opera.

Among women's shoes, the pointed upturned crested shoes are the most popular, with exquisite embroidery on the edges. Weared by concubines and aristocratic women in the imperial palace. Especially during the Qing Dynasty, flag shoes appeared: a type of embroidered shoes unique to the Manchu people. They were named flowerpot-soled shoes because their soles resembled flowerpots. The soles are made of wood and wrapped in white cloth. They are usually 7cm in length and can reach up to 13cm in height. The uppers are decorated with embroidery of flowers, plants and birds. Some shoes also have embroidered patterns on the soles, and there are tassels made of needlework on the toes reaching to the ground. They were particularly popular in the Qing Dynasty, and even the Empress Dowager Cixi often wore these shoes. Shoes like this often appear in court dramas of the Qing Dynasty.

By the Renaissance in the fifteenth century, European capital began to develop, productivity increased rapidly, and the shoe industry developed very rapidly. At this time, in comparison, China's shoe culture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties began to look backward. And because there were many European countries at that time and their living customs were also different, the styles of shoes were also different, with different styles and a hundred flowers blooming.

Agudenba smiled and said:

You must know about high heels, but do you know who invented high heels and how they became popular?

Agudemba tells the story of high heels:

King Louis XIV of the Bourbon Dynasty, the "Sun King", was one of the greatest monarchs in French history and a model of European autocratic monarchy. He reigned for 72 years, making him the longest reigning monarch in world history. He expanded France's territory and France became the most powerful country and cultural center in Europe at that time. However, King Louis XIV was not tall and felt that his stature was not proportional to his prestige. In order to make up for his lack of stature, he tampered with his feet and raised the heels of his shoes.

As the king of a country, Louis XIV was also a leader in fashion trends. His preference for high heels also influenced high-ranking officials and even became popular in other European countries. Later, high heels gradually lost popularity among men, but women in the palace liked them very much.

In the 18th century, women in the French royal palace wore high heels. Before that, women's shoes basically followed the style of men's shoes, and then different styles of women's high heels gradually developed. Just from the high heels, we can see that modern European shoe culture has deeply influenced the development of the shoe industry and its aesthetic views in today's society. At the same time, we also see that the most distinctive feature of European shoe development is the emergence of high heels.

With the emergence, development and prosperity of shoe culture, affected by many natural regional factors, social and cultural factors, and even personal aesthetic factors, different ethnic groups have played an important role in improving the aesthetic and cultural value of shoes. In fact, the most important thing is that shoes are no longer restricted by class. As long as you have a certain financial strength, you can also wear the shoes worn by the president and first lady. The key is whether you have money in your pocket. Today is a world where money rules everything.

Agudenba smiled and said:

With the development of high technology, future shoes may be equipped with chips that can sterilize, deodorize, massage the soles of the feet, and can also test changes in body temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar and other data during foot movement. My only hope is that I don’t wear new shoes and walk the same old path.

All the friends who were listening laughed. During dinner, everyone drank milk tea again and sang a festive "Tea Song":

 

Let me offer you a cup of tea

The tea in this cup is sweet and fragrant

We drink delicious tea

Our friendship is in tea

We can't finish talking

Our exchanges will never be forgotten

 

Let me offer you a cup of tea

The tea in this cup is sweet and fragrant

The day we meet again

We sing a new song together

we will always walk together

Long live friendship in the ends of the world