Among the Persians we find that in ancient times one of low stature was generally looked upon with dishonor; hence arose high heels to repair the deficiency of nature. At first they were worn only by actors and actresses on the stage, but were afterwards adopted by all classes, even those whose stature required no additional height blindly conforming to the prevailing fashion, as many people do at the present day.
Some of the shoes worn in Eastern countries, at different times, have been very interesting (Figs. [9, 10, 11,] [12, 13, 14).]
Fig. 12.
Fig. 13.
Fig. 14.
Figure [11] shows a lady’s shoe richly painted with small flowers. In front is a knob of brilliant color, divided into segments to imitate the petals of a flower, and at every step the wearer takes she presses a spring concealed under the sole, which causes the petals to alternately open and close. One can easily imagine the sensation such a shoe would cause, seen promenading along any of our prominent thoroughfares for the first time.
The shoes worn by the wealthy are of the richest description, being overlaid with gold and silver, and embroidered with precious stones. Others, like Figure [14], are adorned with inlaid work of pearls or delicate shells set in gold, closely resembling cloissonne enamel, while many employ the wings of gorgeous insects in their decoration.
The color of shoes in the East seems to be a matter of importance, indicating the rank or caste of the wearer, red and yellow being the favorite shades.