Egyptians began making shoes from woven reeds as early as 1550 BC. Worn as overshoes, they were boat-shaped and had straps constructed of long, thin reeds covered by wider strips of the same material. Shoes in this style were still being made as late as the 19th century.

The original Air Jordan sneakers were produced exclusively for Michael Jordan in early 1984, and released to the public in late 1984. The shoes were designed for Nike by Peter Moore, Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore.

Knights were the first ones to wear high heels in order to securely keep their feet in the saddle. And horses were a symbol of wealth, so high heels quickly became a symbol of aristocracy and a high social status, rather than a symbol of gender.