Well, all good things must come to an end, and so did the Holy Roman Empire. As it faded into the past, the Dark Ages emerged, overtaking the craftsmanship and style of the elaborate Roman sandles. People of the west, especially peasants working in the dirt, didn't care about fashion, and usually hung out in clogs. Religion became more important than politics, and it had an impact on shoes. No, God didn't strike you down if you wore your sandles with socks (though he should...). Shoes became expensive, and therefore a popular gift for holidays and feasts. Fathers would even place their shoes in their wills to their sons, thus the saying "walking in your father's footsteps". Boots had their start here, both ankle and up-to-the-knee boots. The knee boots even had tassles hanging down from the calf. Buckles and even aglets were used on the more elaborate shoes, but the most common shoe was the "turned out" shoe-- basically it was sewn inside-out and then turned over, slipped on, and tied.

In the middle of the Dark Ages (also known as the Middle Ages...go figure...), during the Medieval times, the turned out shoe turned into the poulaine, and linen became the fabric of choice instead of leather. William II, the guy after William the Conqueror, introduced the poulaine, which is a shoe with an extremely pointed toe-- sometimes even 18 inches long. The point would remain upright by stuffing moss or fabric in the toe, and some people even used a chain tied to their knee to keep it up. The Roman Catholic Church did not like the poulaines, thinking them vulgar and vain, and when the plague spread in the 1300's, the officers of the Church blamed it on these pointed shoes. Still, the people persisted. They must have their fashion! Poulaines became expensive, and the pointier the toe meant the richer you were. It wasn't til these shoes were the cause of a death that they disappeared. You know the saying..."It's all fun and games until your pointy shoe makes you die." Duke Leopold II of Austria couldn't escape from his assassins because he couldn't run in his shoes. King Charles VIII of France had 12 toes, which also led these shoes into oblivion. He prefered broader shoes, which started the next trend rolling.

Broad shoes! We go from narrow and pointy to flat and broad. Talk about extreme! While the poor and working-class folk stuck with the clogs and turnshoes, the nobility wore shoes known as Bear's Paws or Scarpines. These shoes were great for decorating! They were made with silk and brocade, embroidered, and in some cases, lined in fur. They closed around the ankle, making the eye turn to the bright colored tights the men loved to wear. The garish shoe complemented the colors on their legs. Bloody Mary didn't like these shoes, so she changed the style once she came into power. And who wants to argue with Bloody Mary?! Narrow (but not pointy) shoes came back, and when her half-sister Elizabeth I took the throne, she introduced the platform and brought back high heels. Jewels and pearls and fur lined the heels and they were very elegant. Originally the platforms were for walking over mud and puddles, but soon became part of the dress of court. These "chopines" could be almost 2 feet high, and prostitutes in Venice wore them to be seen over the crowd by a prospective client. Unfortunately, these shoes were a bit dangerous as many women fell and miscarried, so this style didn't last long.

Shoes are slowly tiptoe-ing their way into the 17th and 18th centuries, and therefore closer to modern times. Coming up, it's the men in the heels this time...They wore tights in the Middle Ages, and heels in the 18th century...what the heck?