A shoe or boot’s primary function is to provide protection for our feet as we go about our daily lives. Most times you just need something that can take you from point A to point B with a certain level of comfort. And in the case of a stiletto heel, maybe not so much comfort!
Shoes and boots can also provide a high level of protection from hazards like fire and chemicals, or can protect your toes from getting crushed, or provide any number of other protective features. But shoes can also be a function of decoration and fashion, a way to show your personality.
For a little fun leading into the holiday season, we decided to gather some fun and interesting tidbits from shoe history to share.
- Prior to 1818, shoes were not made with a left and a right, they were made to be worn on either foot. The first pair of shoes tailored to fit your left and right foot individually were first produced in Philadelphia.
- High heels were first made for men for horse-back riding. Worn by ancient Persians, it helped to keep their feet in the stirrups when they went to battle. It then spread throughout Europe and became a symbol of status for the upper classes. Louis XIV, who was a mere 5” 5” tall, wore them to increase his height and made it mandatory for aristocrats to where them at Versailles.
- In Hungary, the groom drinks to his bride from her won wedding shoe, while in China the bride’s shoe is thrown off a roof. The shoe has to be red, symbolizing good luck. This will give the new couple good luck in their new marriage.
- The term “sneakers” comes about from the fact that rubber soled shoes are pretty quiet compared to leather soled dress shoes, which allows the wearer to “sneak” up on someone.
- The largest shoe size ever was a size 37AA by an American who was 8’ 11” tall. The most popular shoe size in the U.S. has gotten one size larger in the last 30 years. The most common men’s size is 10.5 and for women, an 8.5.
- On average, women walk 3 more miles per day than men.
- Most people walk around 8,000-10,000 steps a day which calculates to 115,000 miles over a lifetime. That would be like walking around the Earth 4 times!
- Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, did not even bring the boots he wore back to Earth. Fearing that the boots would bring back contaminants from the moon, they are now floating around in space probably never to be seen again.
And some HAIX fun facts for you:
- HAIX started making footwear over 70 years ago, first by manufacturing for other companies, HAIX became its own brand almost 30 years ago, the HAIX leather fire boot will celebrate its 30th birthday in 2022.
- HAIX supplies customers more than 1.4 million pair of boots/shoes each year.
- 10,000 pairs can be manufactured in HAIX manufacturing facilities each day.
We here at HAIX hope you enjoyed these fun facts and hope you and yours enjoy a happy holiday season!