The study of ancient Egyptian footwear, particularly sandals, has historically been overlooked. However, recent efforts such as the Ancient Egyptian Footwear Project (AEFP) are addressing this gap. Ancient Egyptian clothing refers to the garments, jewelry, footwear, and wigs worn in Egypt from the end of the Neolithic period (prior to 3100 BC) to the collapse of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in 30 BC. Fashions in ancient Egypt changed slowly over time and were influenced by foreign styles.
Footwear was also influential in ancient Egyptian fashion. Sandals were made every day, particularly for men. Women sometimes wore sandals, but they were more likely to go barefoot. Many types of footwear were popular among ancient Egyptians, both men and women. Ancient Egyptian footwear also continues to be popular today. Men and women wore sandals, often made from leather or reeds. Sandals were held with straps wrapped around the ankle or calf. From pleated skirts and tunics to sandals and leather boots, we can glimpse this unique civilization’s style choice through its clothing and footwear.
In ancient Egypt, men and women wore light and airy clothing, as the climate was hot and dry. Men typically wore kilt-like skirts or loincloths, while women wore dresses with straps over their shoulders. The ancient Egyptians were very creative in their fashion choices, which varied depending on one’s social status. For example, Pharaohs and other wealthy citizens could afford to have their clothes made from finer fabrics such as linen.
Ancient Egyptian sandal.
Materials and Construction
Clothing in ancient Egypt was made from various materials, including linen, leather, and wool. In ancient Egypt, linen was by far the most common textile. It helped people to be comfortable in the subtropical heat. Linen is made from the flax plant by spinning the fibers from the stem of the plant. Spinning, weaving and sewing were very important techniques for all Egyptian societies. Plant dyes could be applied to clothing but the clothing was usually left in its natural color.
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Ancient Egyptian shoes were usually made from leather and designed to protect the feet from the hot sand. They were either strapped on like sandals or tied with laces like sneakers are today. Footwear was the same for both sexes. It consisted of coiled sewn sandals of leatherwork, or for the priestly class, papyrus. In addition to woven linen, the most common material within everyone’s reach was papyrus, a reed that grows naturally on the banks of The River Nile.
Sandals, however, usually are of a more or less comparable construction but many differences in straps and, especially, decoration can be seen: sandals are always decorated with a plethora of techniques, among which are appliqué and open work and stamping/impression (MM 10137, Cat. No. 25; MM 15085, Cat. No. 28).
Types of Footwear
Several types of footwear were popular among ancient Egyptians:
- Deshret Sandals: These were made from papyrus and were popular among men and women.
- Hekt Sandals: These were made from leather and were popular among wealthier Egyptians.
- Kilt Sandals: These sandals were made from papyrus and leather and worn by soldiers and athletes.
- Goblet Sandals: These sandals were made from animal hide and were popular among men.
- Khat Sandals: These sandals were made from woven papyrus and were popular among men and women.
Different styles of sandals worn by ancient Egyptians.
Social and Cultural Significance
In ancient Egypt, some garments differentiated the social classes of those who wore them. Peasants, workers and other people of modest condition often wore nothing, but the shenti (made of flax) was worn by all people. Royal clothing is particularly well documented, as well as the khat, nemes, and crowns of the pharaohs.
Read also: Pharaohs: A detailed look
Some graves that were excavated in Gebel Adda (dating to the first centuries AD) show sandals that were much more elaborately decorated and some contained even shoes (which is, in Nubia in this period, relatively rare) and, although a detailed comparison of all goods from these graves is due, the first survey indicates that, indeed, these belong to richer burials in general. This suggests too that people also wanted to show their different position in life through their footwear.
Discovered in the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun were shoes made of gold, wood, ivory, and leather. In the last trip, taking into account the belief of life beyond, footwear conserved certain signs of rank.
Ancient Egyptian footwear exhibition opens in Cairo
The Bata Shoe Museum
As you make your way north on St. George Street in downtown Toronto towards the similarly named subway station, you may notice a building shaped like a shoebox. The Bata Shoe Museum is dedicated to the cultural and creative uses of shoes throughout the world: from heels and seal fur boots to astronaut footwear. Their collection also includes sandals from ancient Egypt.
The story of the museum began with its founder, Sonja Bata. Married to Thomas Bata, who immigrated from the Czech Republic to Canada and came from a shoemaking family, she began collecting shoes in the 1940s. After many years, her private collection grew large enough to prompt the creation of the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation in 1979. Finally, on May 6, 1995, the doors opened to a dedicated space known as the Bata Shoe Museum.
The sole Egyptian object featured in the exhibit was a mummy case made of cartonnage (a material made from plastered papyrus and/or linen). Bottom of a mummy case showing two feet wearing sandals (Obj. No. What the sole of such a sandal looked like is shown in another object to its right. The sandals, however, reflect what Egyptians actually wore in their daily life.
Read also: The Art of Ancient Egypt
Specific Examples and Descriptions
Here are some detailed descriptions of specific footwear examples:
- Egyptian Eared Sandals: The left leather sandal, of a well-known and described category (Egyptian Eared Sandals), has a clearly pointed front and compares well with other examples of this type.
- Sewn-Edge Plaited Sandals: Well-preserved pair of sandals, although some damage occurs.
- Open Shoes: Fibre, Open Shoes (thus covering only the side of the foot) with a flexible, full upper (going around the entire edge of the sole).
Ancient Egyptian Sandals on display.
Color Symbolism
Yellow represented the eternal, imperishable, and indestructible. White, the color purity; the color of cleanliness and holiness. Red was the symbol of masculinity; it was associated with fire and blood, but it could also mean destruction and death.
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