Shoe Related Myths and Legends

Shoes have been a part of our society since the middle ages. They depict our culture and heritage and have witnessed all forms of evolutionary changes. Shoes are the subject of much superstition and myth. Almost every culture since the beginning of time has had some superstition surrounding their footwear. This continues even today with the bronzing of baby shoes and the tying of shoes to the back of a newlywed couple’s car.

Following are some of the myths and legends that are associated with shoes and were followed at some point in history, by a particular race or nation.

• In China, a child’s shoe was adorned with a fierce animal such as a tiger. The animal was meant to protect him from evil spirits.
• A Native American custom was to put a hole in the sole of the shoes of an infant to let bad spirits escape.
• An age-old funeral ritual was burying a pair of shoes with the deceased. Though no one knows the origin of the custom, it was perhaps in the hope that the departed will walk comfortably in the afterlife.
• It was a Chinese custom to toss the bride’s red shoe upon the roof of the house on her wedding night as a sign of love and harmony.
• A custom of the Zuni people of the United States Southwest was to have a woman’s wedding boot made by her fiance.
• When a king dies, the Ashanti people of West Africa paint their sandals black.
• Japanese samurai warriors wore shoes made of bear fur, in the belief that the animal’s strength could be transferred to the wearer.
• In Europe, shoes were used as charms for houses. When a house was being built, a shoe was placed in the wall to ward off evil spirits. Many old examples of footwear are discovered today when old buildings are demolished.
• According to a Judaic rite, and unmarried brother-in-law of a childless widow is obliged to marry her. The widow can release him from this obligation by publicly removing a ritual halizah shoe from his foot. He is then free to marry someone else.
• In the Islamic faith, worshippers are required to remove their shoes before entering a mosque.
• The Chinese women used to wear custom made wooden shoes known as the Lotus shoes. These shoes prevented the growth of the foot and caused disfigurement. The small feet of the women symbolized as a sign of beauty, wealth and a privileged life among the women.
• It is the custom in South Asian and Asian Pacific weddings to hide the shoes of the groom and demand money from the groom in order to get them back.