Ancient man, living in colder climates, made the first shoes, by adding material to the top of the crude "sandals" his neighbors in warmer climates had invented. In this way, he can give his feet additional protection from the cold.

Early man, in warmer climates, invented the sandal to protect his feet from sharp rocks. He strapped a mat of woven grass, a strip of animal hide, or a slab of flat wood to his feet with "thongs" he cut out of animal hide. Some even pulled the thongs between the toes and tied them around the ankles to tighten the fit of these crude sandals.

Ancient Greeks invented the boot. They replaced the sandal's thongs with solid leather. Many of these crude shoes have endured and are still worn today.

In the middle ages, around the time the Crusades began, modern shoes appeared on the scene. The Crusaders, who went on long treks, needed durable, comfortable shoes that people then began making for this purpose. Eventually, the styles and types of shoes made became a fashion statement, at the cost of comfort, instead of protective footwear. Fashion trends rapidly changed, and the fashionable, uncomfortable shoes with pointed, six-inch toes, gave way to another uncomfortable shoe known as the high heel.