A Comparative Study on Shoes in the East and the West

동 .서양 신발의 비교 연구

Shoes originated from the practical purposes : to protect feet from heat, cold. etc., and developed into various shapes. representing ornamentation and hierarchy. It was revealed that the aesthetic value was differently manifested from the practical one by different natural environments and socio-cultural Phenomena of the times in the East and the West. Comparing shoes in the East with those in the West, this study finds out the origin of shoes in the East and the West, and shapes and characteristics of shoes through the changes of times. Investigating various kinds of shoes in the East and the West, it also finds out the differences in status representations. Shoes are classified into the following styles : in the West. (i) sandal in which the instep was almost exposed, tied with strips and fixed with band, (ii) closed shoes covering the instep, (iii) boots that arose above the ankle: in the East, (i) shoes without shoe neck (리) boots with shoe neck (화) and wooden shoes (극). Status was also represented in shoes. In the West. the status difference was manifested mainly by jewelry or embroidery ornamentation. In particular, it was realized by the way they tied the shoes in Rome and by the length of the pointed front of the shoes in Romanesque and Gothic period. In the East, China, Korea and Japan, on the other hand, the use of shoes was regulated in detail by the official costume system, where material and color played an important role in marking the status.