Africa and the Middle East
As civilizations began to develop, thong sandals (precursors to the modern flip-flop) were worn. This practice dates back to depictions of them in ancient Egyptian wall paintings from 4000 BC. "Tibetan" may have been the term used to describe these sandals in Egyptian times, possibly from the city of Thebes. The first of these "Tibetan" sandals was found in the Middle Kingdom, but it is likely that they made their debut in the Early Dynastic Period. A pair found in Europe was made from papyrus leaves and dates back about 1,500 years. They were also worn in Jerusalem during the first century of the Christian era. Thong sandals were worn by many cultures and were made from a wide variety of materials. Ancient Egyptian sandals were made from papyrus and palm leaves. The Maasai of Africa made them from raw hide. In India they were made from wood.
While thong sandals were commonly worn, many people in ancient times, such as the Egyptians, Hindus, and Greeks, saw little need for shoes and most of the time preferred to be barefoot. The Egyptians and Hindus made some use of decorative footwear, such as a soleless sandal known as the "Cleopatra", which provided no practical protection for the foot. In Asia and Europe, the ancient Greeks largely viewed footwear as a sign of softness, unaesthetic, and unnecessary. Shoes were worn primarily in the theater, as a means of increasing stature, and many preferred to go barefoot. Athletes in the Ancient Olympic Games competed barefoot—and naked. Even gods and heroes were depicted mostly barefoot, as were hoplite warriors. They fought barefoot, and Alexander the Great conquered his vast empire with barefoot armies. Ancient Greek runners are also believed to have run barefoot. The Romans, who eventually conquered the Greeks and adopted many aspects of their culture, did not adopt the Greek concept of footwear and clothing. Roman clothing was considered a sign of power, and footwear was considered a necessity for living in a civilized world, although slaves and the poor usually went barefoot. Roman soldiers received handmade footwear (different left and right shoes). Shoes for soldiers had studded soles to extend the life of the leather, increase comfort, and provide better traction. The design of these shoes also defined the rank of the officers. The more intricate the insignia and the higher the boot rode on the foot, the higher the soldier's rank. Beginning around 4 BC, the Greeks began to wear symbolic footwear. These were heavily decorated to clearly indicate the wearer's status. Hetaerae, or women of the Greek language, wore leather shoes dyed white, green, or yellow, and young women who were engaged or newlyweds wore pure white shoes. Because of the cost of light leather, shoes of a paler shade were a symbol of wealth in the upper class. Often, the soles were carved with a message so that it would be imprinted on the ground. Shoemaking became a notable profession at that time, with Greek shoemakers becoming famous in the Roman Empire.
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