A shoe is an item of footwear evolved at first to protect the human foot and later, additionally, as an item of decoration in itself. The foot contains more bones  than any other single part of the body, and has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years in relation to vastly varied terrain and climatic conditions. Together with the proprioceptive system, it is what makes balance and ambulation  possible.

Until recently, shoes were not worn by most of the world’s population largely because they could not afford them. As soon as mass production became the norm, it was easy to produce the cheap flip-flop-type sandal – since then there have been many more creations!

Through time, the design of shoes has varied massively, and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function. Additionally fashion has often dictated whether shoes have, for example, very high heels or no heels at all. Contemporary footwear varies in style, complexity and cost, from the most basic sandal, via high fashion shoes for women sometimes costing thousands of dollars a pair, to complex boots specially designed for mountaineering or skiing. Shoes have traditionally been made from leather, wood or canvas, but are increasingly made from rubber, plastics, and other petrochemical-derived materials.

So there you have it – a little bit of an introduction as to what a shoe is!

Perhaps you may wish to read on the history of shoes?