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8000 BCE
Earliest Shoe
The earliest shoe ever recorded was found in the western U.S. and is estimated to be over 10,000 years old. The shoe found was made out of tree bark and discovered in a cave that preserved the shoe. This discovery means that shoes have been used since man was alive, starting the evolution of shoes. -
Period: 8000 BCE to
Evolution of Hiking Shoes
Shoes have been a thing since the beginning of man and have been evolving ever since. -
2000 BCE
Laces
Laces were invented by the Greeks and were made out of rawhide laces. These laces were used for sandals by the Romans. (Laces) -
Leather boots
The first ever leather boot mass-produced was made by Thomas Pendleton. Leather boots were commonly used for hiking and were not flexible or breathable, they were also heavy and bulky which led to them having separate shoes for climbing. (Leather Shoes) -
Split-Grain Leather
Split leather is used to cover the top of the shoe and lasts around 3 years if used daily, this leather is not as good of a material as the nylon we use today. (Spilt Leather) -
Suede
Suede was originally used for gloves or jackets but has become more popular with hiking shoes than leather because it is lightweight and breathable compared to leather. (Seude) -
Shoe Wax
Kiwi was one of the first companies to create shoe wax which helped preserve the shoe and make it water resistant. This was a great invention for its time, but in the modern day we have materials that are waterproof so there is no use for it. (Kiwi) -
Cordura
Cordura is a material constructed with nylon and has the same benefits nylon does, the material is usually used with another, such as leather. (Cordura) -
Nylon
Nylon was invented by Wallace Carothers in 1939 and was used for leg stockings. Over the past 50 years, nylon has become popular for hiking shoes because it is breathable and lightweight. (Nylon) -
First Rubber Hiking Sole
The first hiking shoe was made with a vulcanized rubber which Vitale Bramani invited. This started the production of hiking shoes and started to make hiking shoes flexible. (Rubber Sole) -
Gore-Tex
Gore-Tex is a very lightweight material compared to leather or other heavy materials, even though the material is waterproof it is still breathable. (Gore-Tex) -
Quicklace
Quicklace is a system that replaces regular shoelaces, it makes tightening the shoe easier by pulling one lace to tighten the whole shoe. (Quicklace)