Ghumdan Palace, Yemen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghumdan_Palace

      For this article, I’m going to be taking a look at shoe styles from around the world. I featured seven different types, all with unique histories and appearances.

Valenki Shoe—RUSSIA

      This shoe is made out of wool and is worn during the bitterly cold Russian winters. To make these beauties, the wool is doused in chemicals and water, dried, and formed into shape. They were popular during the 20th century, but they were first made in the 1700s. They are rustic, hardy, and most commonly worn by the peasant class.

 Alpargatas (Espadrilles)—ARGENTINA AND      VENEZUELA
        The soles of these shoes are made of woven rope and are pliable/flat (not very healthy for the arch of the foot!) Brightly colored canvas is sewn across the top in a broad band to protect the foot/toes. Chunky threading and embroidery is used to secure the coarse cloth to the rope bottom. Pieces of lace or rope often wrap around the ankle to give the leg a more slender/delicate look and to secure the shoe to the foot. The design came from Spain in 1322 and they were historically worn by the Spanish peasantry.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_los_espadrilles.jpg

Yemeni Slippers--TURKEY

      They are flat, made of water-buffalo skin, and have a red/black goat skin covering on the top. The shoes leapt across social boundaries—they were worn by the peasantry, wealthy people, and even blushing brides! They are over 600 years old and were produced in the ancient land of Anatolia (modern day Turkey). “Saya” yarn is used to sew the sole to the bright top fabric. The art of making the Yemeni shoes is dying because it takes long hours and great skill to make one pair.
      Links to pictures here: http://yemenicihayriusta.com.tr/basin_en.html
http://pocketcultures.com/2007/08/16/yemeni-shoes-and-kutnu-fabrics/

Abarcas—SPAIN 

       These Mediterranean working class slippers were made popular in Menorca, a Balearic Island to the East of Mallorca, Spain. It was traditionally worn by the fisherman and peasant farmers who lived there. The style was first referenced  in the 11th century; they are made with leather cowhide and rubber. Today, the shoes are immensely popular in Europe, are brightly colored, and have a leather upper. As I own a pair from Spain myself, I can say they are very sturdy and comfortable!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avarca_(shoe)

Rawhide Sandals—UGANDA

      Produced by the Acholi tribe in Uganda, this footwear is made of treated leather that is colored with striped pigments. It is created with a broad sole (which was good for walking in heat, cold, etc). The leather was traditionally softened in cow manure and pressed between layers of bark.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandal

Lotus Shoes—CHINA

      These tiny shoes were made for women with foot-bound feet in China. Foot-binding may have started in the Shang or Song Dynasty (10th century) because an emperor liked concubine women who had small feet. After that, foot-binding became a symbol of status and wealth—to be married into a good family, a woman was required to have bound feet. The archaic practice was banned in 1912 and almost completely obliterated during the communist rule of Mao Zedong (because women had to work the farms). The Lotus shoes are made from silk and cotton; they are brightly dyed and decorated with stylized plant forms (like lotus buds). The design is conical with a point at the end to give the illusion of larger feet under skirts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_shoes

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foot_binding_shoes.jpg

Stiletto—FRANCE

       This iconic shoe was designed by Roger Vivier in 1954. It has a tall, slender heel, often with a platform on the sole. The stiletto is sexually suggestive, flatters the female figure, and is seductive. To me, it is a symbol for the rise of a working class woman—she wears high heels to office to be taken seriously by men. They are often made out of plastic, wood, leather, or any other prefabricated material today. They are worn throughout western countries, no matter how painful they may be! :D

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leather_Fetish_Shoes.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Louboutin

Woman with foot-binded feet, China http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_binding

Vineyards of Burgundy, France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgundy_wine

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mahe_island_76.jpg

         Seychelles is an island located to the North of Madagascar and to the East of Africa. It was uninhabited for most of human history, but Arab traders did visit the region for its palm nuts and other tropical commodities. Indian Ocean winds did not often blow ships to Seychelles, but it was known/mapped by Portuguese cartographers in 1517. The English East India Company first alighted upon the picturesque shores by accident because of strong winds in 1609. It was first formally colonized by French explorers who gained rights to the island after the Seven Years War in 1770. Mahé (the main center of Seychelles) was governed under the French colony of Mauritius (East of Madagascar). The new French colonists (and their slaves) grew spices and plantation crops to export to Europe. However, Seychelles (which comes from the French name “Isle de Séchelles”—Louis XV’s finance advisor) was taken over by the British Empire in 1814 under the Treaty of Paris; this was also during the worldwide race for colonial expansion. Since the British Empire abolished slavery (1833), the wealthy landowners in Seychelles left and the population plummeted.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Police_Bay_Mahe_Seychelles.jpg      From 1861 to 1874, the British intercepted slave ships and relocated the former slaves to Seychelles to boost the population levels/economy; coconuts also began to be grown in large quantities. Although the English officially ruled Seychelles, the culture remained French because the island was just a backwater in the large British Empire. The small island became independent in 1976 (after the Constitutional Convention of 1970 in London) and rule under the wealthy elites was limited (most of the population was creoles). James Mancham was the first President (pro-British), but he was deposed after a year and Albert Rene (pro-independence) became the leader. Rene retired from office in 2004 and James Michel is the current President. Today, the median age in Seychelles in 33.4 years and there are 90,846 people living there. There is barely any HIV/AIDS among the Chinese, Arab, Creole, and French populations living there. Creole is the dominant language, although English is the official tongue.  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Seychelles_-_Anse_l'Islette.jpg Albert Rene http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seychelles  Sources: http://www.seychelles.travel/en/about_seychelles/history.php http://www.seychelles.org/history-seychelles#axzz2oM3c9Bry http://www.indexmundi.com/seychelles/demographics_profile.html

Rockefeller Center, NYC http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rockefeller_Center_MAM.JPG

Everglades National Park, Florida http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades_National_Park

Watch this video on the art I have in my room!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK81Act2Mo4