when shoe was invented

 

Paired with a loincloth, the foot-long sandals called urchin shoes were practical for ancient Egyptians to traverse their desert oases. It's not clear when they were first crafted, but the earliest references to them in literature come from Roman philosopher Seneca's influential De Beneficiis around A.D. 60. Citing a Greek source as his source, Seneca wrote that the urchin shoe had been used since "the earliest days of mankind. … [They were] found in the earliest tombs and the earliest monuments."

The urchin shoe was a sandal made from cork and covered in leather, but many of its features are similar to a modern-day flip-flop. For example, it has a strap on each side that loops over the toes. However, unlike modern flip-flops, the straps don't have holes for your toes to crawl through. Instead, they are open-ended flaps that cover one toe at a time. In this way, you can walk on a sandy surface without getting stuck in mud or feeling any kind of sand squeeze into your shoe.

 

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The straps on the ancient Egyptian urchin shoe are tied together. Archaeologists have found examples that were decorated with gold leaf for affluent citizens and plain for commoners. The discarded cork would likely be left behind, so it's likely that we're missing some of the earliest examples.

Ancient Egyptians frequently buried their dead in tombs, along with items they would need in the afterlife. Tomb paintings show that only the wealthy had access to urchin shoes, which means that most people would get around barefoot or by using papyrus reed sandals held on by a strap or rope between the big toe and second toe. However, this is not a completely accurate depiction since it's likely an artist's own style that led the shoe to look more decorative.

 

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It's also possible that some people in ancient Egypt wore urchin shoes without any straps – just like modern-day flip-flops. This was likely reserved for times when the sandals were being worn around water, such as while going to a river or sea. It looks like they were made with an open toe, so you can get your foot wet and dry it out before you step into deeper water or onto land again.

Since ancient Egyptians are no longer able to speak for themselves, we're dependent on written sources like Seneca's De Beneficiis and later Roman authors' references. They are the only evidence we have that these shoes were used more than 2,000 years ago. However, there is one thing they do not mention: when shoe was invented.

A major challenge in the history of formal footwear is determining the exact time at which a particular kind of shoe was first used or invented. Archaeologists want to know when people started wearing what footwear at what particular moment in time – to determine when a style started developing or why it lasted as long as it did. This can be very difficult since fashion is a constantly changing element of human culture, meaning that it changes at different times and in different places.

Historians also have to be very careful with their sources as well. It may seem that there are an unlimited number of written sources to choose from, but in fact there are comparatively few historical texts at all for any given time period. Furthermore, many of them come from political figures or religious leaders who may have been trying to gain power or influence by intentionally altering the facts to portray themselves in a certain way. For instance, a leader might claim that her country was the first to do something new when it was actually one of many to do so.