Product Knowledge - Shoes

hybrids

"shoe boot", "ankle boot"

Athletic footwear represents better than a ____ market in the US

$24 billion

What is the value of the global high heel market as of 2019?

$34.1 billion

On average in the US, the production cost is ____. Worldwide it averages ____.

- $20.18 US - $8.66 Worldwide

What were 20th century practical boots like?

- Yankee ingenuity triumphed over nature in 1911 when intrepid outdoorsman Leon Leonwood Bean, weary of slogging through Maine woods with cold, wet feet, combined the bottoms of waterproof rubber galoshes with lightweight leather tops - sold the first 100 pairs of the Bean Boot by mail to hunting license holders

What were the church's thoughts on footwear styles in the 16th century?

- church authorities were generally the last to condone extravagant fashions - approved of the chopine because by limiting movement, it discouraged wearers from participating in sinful activities like dancing

the athletic footwear industry

- in 2013 sneakers were a $55 billion business; 40% of those sales were in the US - key vendors: Nike, Adidas, Puma, Reebok - athletic footwear now goes far beyond just sneakers - shoes are designed for every type of sports activity - cross trainers, jogging, basketball, tennis, soccer, baseball, golf, track - in the global market for sneakers, being "cool with the kids" is a critical driver of business performance

What health problems are associated with wearing high heels?

- increased risk of falling and acute injury - rolled ankles - penetrating wounds from stilettos - back, knee, and hip pain - varicose veins - hammertoe: a permanent and potentially painful bend in the middle joint of a toe

The Stiletto origins

- known as the needle, hatpin, flute, rapier, and spike - arrived on the fashion scene in 1952 on a classic pump with a pointed toe - not clear who came up with the idea: Ferragamo, Albanese of Rome and Dal Co produced "needle heels" around 1953 in Italy around the same time Roger Vivier created his version in Paris

Cutting

- leather: pieces must be cut individually - if from synthetic or fabric, the materials can be cut in layers

ancient sandals

- sandals were made to order for torrid zones - open tops allowed air to circulate freely - crafted from rawhide, woven yucca fiber, and wood - woven papyrus straps for Egyptian sandals

How are companies trying to find solutions to high heel discomfort?

- the use of 3-D printed technology - True Gault offers an iPhone app that scans your feet. Using the data, the company manufactures a left shoe and a right shoe, each with custom dimensions The idea is to create a shoe perfectly fitted to your foot, reducing the potential for things like pinching. Unclear if it can prevent injuries.

What were 19th century women's boots like?

- victorian morality dictated that women's ankles be covered to protect them from men's prying eyes - the intricate tight lacings of the ankle boot had a titillating effect ironically - in the 1880s, a button-hook was an essential part of every woman's wardrobe

How and when did high heels become "women's" shoes?

- when heels first arrived in western Europe, they were originally made exclusively for men, who used them to add a few inches to their height, showcase their power, and literally raise themselves above the filth in the streets. - In the 17th century, so-called "mannish women" began experimenting with a more masculine aesthetic, and turned to the heel as a kind of proto-feminist experiment - for the next few decades, heels were androgynous but this ended with the Enlightenment, which advanced the idea that men were rational beings and women were frivolous, irrational creatures - Fashion became a way of expressing these differences and high heels - an impractical shoe - became associated with femininity - Aside from a brief period in the 1970s (disco heels), most Americans have adhered to these gendered conceptions of footwear ever since

What is the average amount of time it takes for a high-heel wearing foot to start hurting?

1 hour, 6 minutes, 48 seconds

The sizing of shoes are in increments of _____ in length and ______ for width

1/3" in length 1/4" for width

Only ____ of Americans buy sneakers for athletic use

1/4 (25%)

How many pairs of Manolo Blahniks were owned by Carrie Bradshaw?

100 - would be worth more than $40,000

In ______, a diminutive 14-year-old Catherine de Medici wears heeled shoes to impress the French

1533

Pattens

15th century shoes; a clog like wooden platform that attached to the shoe, protected the shoe from the muddy streets

Women started to experiment with heels in the _______.

1600s

During the _____, Louis XIV of Frances issues an edict barring non-courtiers from wearing red heels

1670s

Chopines

16th century shoes; early high heeled shoes for women originally introduced in Venice

During the ______, the earliest pornographic photos feature women wearing nothing but high heels

1860s

Salvatore Ferragamo

1930s. Italian shoe designer. Experimented with materials and structure. Invented the wedge, roman sandals, stiletto heel, crystal-toed shoe, etc. Shoemaker to most of royalty in Europe and Hollywood by 1939. Fashioned the rainbow platforms for Judy Garland that composed of layered Sardinian cork. They were a practical solution to the wartime shortage of wood, steel, and leather. This rainbow sandal exudes the Hollywood glitz that inspired many of Ferragamo's creations.

During the _____, Pinup girls, whose posters are widely distributed during WWII, cement the relationship between femininity and heels

1940s

In ______, French designer Andre Perugia begins marketing his 4-inch needle heel, one of the first stilettos

1951

How many pairs of shoes were identified in Prince's Paisley Park mansion after his death?

2,000 - almost all of them heels

Shoes with leather uppers use approximately _____ sq ft of leather

2.3 sq ft

What is the height of the world's largest heels sold commercially?

20 inches (50 cm) Created by Indian designer James Syiemiong in 2004

What is the height of the tallest 16th century Venetian chopine platform shoes?

20 inches (50 cm) They necessitated using maids as crutches

In _____, Apple introduced a blue ballet flat emoji, based on a campaign by Florie Hutchinson to offer more variety beyond the red stiletto

2018

In _____, the #KuToo movement (a play on the word kutsu, for shoe, and kutsuu, for pain) in Japan aims to end sexist dress codes mandating high heels.

2019

In _____, sales at Jimmy Choo, known for statuesque stilettos, decline by 23% as lockdowns shutter stores - and any place someone might bother to wear high heels.

2020

The US accounts for about _____ of the ______ billion in worldwide sneaker sales.

45% of the $55 billion

What is the duration of a 2018 speech defending young undocumented immigrants given by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi - while wearing four-inch heels?

8 hours, 7 minutes

What is the height of the world's largest high-heeled shoe?

9ft 3" There are no feet large enough to wear it

The Enlightenment

A period of rigorous scientific, political, and philosophical discourse that characterized European society during the "long" 18th century - from the late 17th century to the ending of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815

Modified Cowboy boots

Also known as shoe boots; first manufactured in the 30s for women square dancers and were later worn with jeans. - in the 90s, designers like Kelian revisited and glamorized the genre

The most common width for women's is _____

B

What were men's 19th century shoes like?

Boots were popular for men as they were good for riding horses. Boot styles were named after military leaders ex. Wellingtons, Napoleons, Hessians.

Who took H&M's sustainability award?

Canadian-born sibilings Adam, Amia, and Mark Taubenfligel took home the award for their ground-breaking denim-manufacturing technology, which uses 85% less water than traditional techniques.

The most common width for men's is _____

D

Wellie status

Karl Lagerfeld gave the "Wellie" status by changing the Wellingtons color and branding it with the Chanel logo

heel shapes

Louis, chunky, stiletto, wedge, stacked.

stiletto

Named for an Italian dagger, these are the longest, thinnest kind of heels, made possible by high-tensile steel

What is the average number of high heels a heel-wearing women owns, according to the American Pediatric Medical Association?

Nine

synthetics

PVC or polyurethane is cheaper than leather, but is sometimes chosen for design rather than cost

What were 17th shoes like?

Shoes and boots for men and women had low heels, women's shoes were elaborately decorated

What were women's 19th century shoes like?

Shoes were laced or buttoned. Dainty slippers in satin and kidskin were designed to be worn under hoop skirts, which exposed the foot as the skirts moved.

What is the history of footwear in ancient times?

Shoes were originally worn by the wealthy or royalty. Peasants went barefoot or wrapped their feet in animal skins or cloth. In warm climates, such as ancient Greece and Egypt, sandals were worn because they were cooler and protected the wearer's feet from the hot sand.

Espadrille

Square throated closed-back shoe fabric upper and woven hemp bottom.

The 1950's saw the popularity of the ______.

Stiletto heel. Generally attributed to Roger Vivier, which as made with a steel spike in Century, the center or core of the heel.

Lasting

Stretching the assembled upper components over the last and secured to it. - Synthetic materials can be "set" using heat - leathers are stretched to conform to the shape of the last and left on the last for several days

pattern

The design of the shoe is translated into pattern pieces so that the materials can be cut and assembled. The pattern must contain all the parts of the shoe, including linings, soles, and heels.

Lasts

produced for each size configuration; production lasts are made only after the shoe style has been adopted

bench made

refers to shoes that are sewn by hand

shank

rest between the heel and the ball of the foot between the base sole and lining; the shank gives support to the arch of the foot

boots

rise above the ankle, generally to the knee but can go to the thigh

textiles

satin, linen, nylon, wool, cotton canvas, gore-tex, microfibers (Tencel), thinsulate for linings

Louis XIV is associated with his _______

signature red heel (4 inch)

goodyear welt

stitching process

Littleway

stitching sole directly to the upper

Mackay

tacking or stapling or cementing

shoe design

the designer needs to balance RTW trends as well as costs when designing a new collection

insole

the lining covering the base sole and shank that the foot rests on

outsole

the part of the sole that touches the ground

lift

the replaceable part of the heel usually made of rubber, but can be leather

wedge

these thick heels combine the sole and heel into a single piece of material, usually rubber. They seem more stable, but they're not.

finishing

uppers and lowers are joined together, and heels are attached with either glue or nails. The shoe is then buffed or polished, and laces attached if required.

spool heel

wide at the bottom and narrower in the middle, like a spool of thread, these more sensible shoes have repeatedly reemerged, including in the US in the 1860s.

D'Orsay

women's pump with low cut sides

lift materials include

wood, plastic, or cork

Lotus foot

chinese women's feet would be bound in the past to make feet smaller

Venetian husbands reputedly introduced heavy wooden ____ to prevent their wives from straying

chopines

pattens

clog-like overshoes called pattens were strapped onto fine, fragile shoes to protect them from muddy European streets. Matching shoe-and-patten sets were popular in the 18th century

Wellingtons

clunky moss-green rubber boots, typically worn for mucking around the English countryside

leather

conforms to the foot and it breathes

slippers

designed for indoor use, can be soft or hard soled

shoe

does not extend above the ankle, wear or performance oriented

sandals

generally flat soled with little foot covering. Flip flops are a verison of a sandal

lower

includes the sole and heel

heel coverings materials

leather, suede, fabric (satin, linen, cotton, wool, rope, pvc)

What are the two sub-groups that shoes are divided into?

lower and upper

heels

measured in increments of 1/8". So 1" = 8/8 and a high heeled shoe would be 22/8 or 2 and 3/4".

Heels were first worn by _____

men. The average man was shorter then than average man today

welt

narrow strip of material stitched or cemented to the sole

deck shoe

non-skid bottom lacing through top and sides; originally used for boating

How are shoe styles updated?

Generally speaking, shoe styles are updated but are recycled to work with RTW styles. Styles move between wide and narrow heels to flat heels and from pointed toes to round toes and everything in between.

fitting

The pieces are either stitched, glued, or heat welded together depending on the design. Seams are finished and eyelets are attached if required.

brogue

a heavy oxford with decorative stitching

Sizing

a last must be made for every size variation that the manufacturer runs.

Dries van Norten

a master of mixing colors and textures - manages to get all of ideas onto one shoe

Chopine

a platform overshoe popular among Venetian courtesans from the 15th to 17th centuries, designed to elevate the wearer so their real shoes and gowns weren't soiled; pieced together from stacks of cork and upholstered in rich velvet.

clog

a shoe with a heavy platform sole that is made of wood or cork

kitten heel

a short stiletto that swoops in from the back edge of the shoe, these demure heels are popular in business and politics, including Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama.

Cementing

adhesives are used rather than stitching

Pompadour heel

also known as the "French heel" and reportedly named for King Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour. These shoes have pointy toes and a steep, curved back.

base sole

attaches the upper and lower portions of the shoe; can be leather, rubber, pvc or other synthetic materials

ornaments

beads, sequins, embroidery, eyelets, rivets, applique