According to Ledger (1985) exhibits in the British Museum,the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo indicate shoes were worn as far back as 4000BC by Egyptian nobles. Their shoes were finely made from leather and elegantly matched their robes. Tomb and temple wall paintings also depict this. Heeled shoes started to be discovered when ancient Egyptian cities were uncovered. In the tablets relating to Pharaoh Narmer (3000 BC) these depicted the Pharaoh followed by a slave bearing his sandals which would infer sandals were worn only by royalty. Sandals dating back to 2000BC were discovered in the Fayum district of Cairo. These were held next to the foot by plaited or woven thongs between the great and second toes, then wrapped around the ankles. Queen Hat-Shep-Sut (about 1552 BC) is said to have worn bejewelled sandals and enjoyed bathing her feet in scented oil. A popular Queen, she was thought to have made wearing sandals trendy and fostered the sandal trade of the time. A wall painting in her city of Thebes shows craftsmen fashioning sandals during the time of Thutmose III (1436 BC). Thutmose was thought to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus of the Israelites. By contrast Jewish footwear were made from rush, linen, leather, or wood and were tied to the feet with thongs. During Biblical times men wore brown or natural leather sandals. To the ancient Egyptians, footwear was a trapping of power and rank. According to Milne (1932) sandals may have had a protected function and saved the royal foot from the burning heat and sand flies, but it was not something those of low rank were allowed to do. Slaves and the poor went barefoot which would indicate, shoes were a luxury item . Pharaoh's sandal had peaked toes which historians believe was the influence of the Hittie (1280 BC). The first item recovered from the tomb of King Tut-Ankh-amen (1350 BC) was a magnificent box containing sandals and slippers. On the north wall of the outer chamber are two statues of the king and he is wearing shoes with a golden ring. In the tomb of Tut-ankh-amen was also a shield decorated with figures wearing Assyrian Sandals The Egyptian mummies were sometimes laid to rest wearing burial sandals made from linen and decorated with jewellery (Putnam, 1996 ). The Mummy of King Tut-Ankh-amen had pointed sandals of embossed gold with the toes curled gently upwards. It was believed the sandals provided comfort in after death journeys. Golden duplicates of single thong sandals were used as funeral sandals for mummies in Egypt (Bigelow, 1970 p32). In a box of personal possessions were sandals made from gold with beautiful coloured glass marquetry. One with a papyrus sole, had a leather anklestrap edged with gold ribbon motif on wide straps, the motif represented the Nile scene of lotus flowers and ducks in delicate circles of gold, the thongs composed of plaques topped with enamelled gold lotus blossoms. The flexible sole was about 1/4" thick. Painted on the back of the king's thrown were representation of himself and his queen. Ankhesenamum was wearing simple sandals which followed her foot outline and attached to the foot with a single thong. Her actual sandals are an exhibit in the British Museum. A pair of bark sandals was also found in the tomb with the representation of the Kings enemies etched on the inside of the sole. Many shoe designers during the reported finds were inspired and contemporary fashion shoes in the 1020 had a distict Egyptian look. Sandals found in a mummy case of Harsiotef, thought to be king of Ethiopia at the end of the six century BC were lined with cloth upon which was painted a figure. Inscribed in hieroglyphics is " Ye have trodden the impure peoples under your powerful foot." This is now housed in the British Museum. Enemies were depicted differently, Hebrews appeared with beards and long hair. Libyan were black figures and Syrians had white cloaks. (reported in The Chiropodist, 1927 The Leeds Convention, 1926). Originally sandals were made from a footprint in wet sand. Braided papyrus was then moulded into soles and the sandals were attached by palm fibre thongs to keep them on the foot. The Egyptian sandal was held next to the foot by three ties or thongs. The main thong passed between the big and second toe and joined the other straps on the instep to form a stirrup and tied behind the heel. Alternatively, a thong between toe two and three with the others on the medial and lateral aspect of the midfoot was used. Once the Egyptians learned to tan hide, sandals were made with a leather sole (Girotti, 1986). Ironically ,Egyptian sandals were often carried to the point of destination, then worn for the occasion. Once leather footwear was available only Pharaohs and their immediate families were allowed to wear them. Allowances were made for high dignitaries and priests with the latter designated to wear sandals made from papyrus. Footwear did not differ according to sex. Soles were dyed and the sandals were made to accommodate right and left fittings. High born Egyptian women often adorned their sandals with jewels and precious metal. Later sandals were also made from gazelle skin and became associated with active pursuits such as hunting. These may be the first examples of sports and leisure activity footwear. The introduction of uppers seem to have had a protective function. According to archaeologists it was customary to increase the length of a boy's sandal as he grew older until the point reached a good few inches beyond the end of the toes. It is not clear however whether this was for fit or fashion. The scourge of tight footwear seems to have been present then and books dating between 200BC and 200AD depicted corn cutters operating on feet incapacitated by tight uppers. During the New Kingdom, Egyptian soldiers wore leather sandals with bands around the ankles and under the arch of the foot. There was a thong from between the big and second toes which in the front of the instep. Sandals woven of fine basket work began to appear. Women would also wear slippers. Later when sandals became more commonplace they were adapted to work situations. Butchers would have their work sandals made with a slice of cork sandwiched between two layers of leather on the sole to give them height to stand over the carnage of bones and flesh. The three pieces of the sole were held together by small wooden pegs. The butchers platforms added 12" from the floor which helped them cope whilst slaughtering the animals. It was also reported sandals from Lower Egypt were discovered with a 'follow me' message on the sole in nails. Some authorities think these belonged to contemporary sex workers. Girls fond of sport wore study sandals made frrm gazelle hide. Priests worshipped barefoot but wore palm leaf sandals which were made so that they could be slipped on from the front or rear. Egyptian priests would remove their shoes out of respect for their gods. A common cure for headaches in ancient Egypt was to inhale the smoke from burning sandals.

Sandal making became an establish trade in Egypt

The peak curl was the mark of the pharoe

Mummy's were often laid to rest wearing sandals to protect their feet to the next world

http://podiatry.curtin.edu.au/sandal.html