SANDAL

type of footwear consisting of a sole secured to the foot by straps over the instep, toes, or ankle. The oldest known example of a sandal, dating from around 2000 BC, is made of woven papyrus and comes from Egypt. In ancient Egypt, only important personages wore sandals, which were made of leather or wood as well as papyrus. The ancient Greeks generally went barefoot indoors but out-of-doors wore sandals that had leather, matting, or felt soles with thongs that were tied in a variety of ways. Gilded sandals sometimes were worn by those of high rank, and women's sandals sometimes had ornamental pieces on the instep. Except for slaves, who were forbidden to wear them, the Romans generally wore sandals indoors. A variety of decoration and design was developed in Rome, where large guilds of shoemakers were established; patricians' sandals, for example, were red with a moon-shaped ornament on the back. In modern times, sandals have been extremely popular, especially in warm climates. With the growth of mass shoe manufacturing, sandals have been produced in a variety of styles and materials; from the mid-20th century many have also been made by hand. The term sandal has also been used to refer to a woman's low-cut shoe or light slipper.