Fig. 1.Fig. 2.Fig. 3.
Fig. 1.Fig. 2.Fig. 3.
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Such were the shoes probably worn by Rhodope, the Cinderella of the Nile. Rhodope was said to have the loveliest foot in all Egypt. One day, as she was taking her bath, an eagle stooped from Heaven and carried off her sandal. She watched him as he soared on high, until he finally disappeared in the distance.
When, after a time, he let the sandal drop, it fell at the feet of the King, who was so charmed with its beauty that he commanded that a search be made immediately for its owner. Rhodope was soon discovered, and shortly afterwards became the Queen of Egypt.
In both ancient Greece and Rome we find that, while it was common for the women to wear some kind of a foot covering, shoes were not generally worn by the men or youth, the latter always being taught to go barefooted. But later on, on ceremonial occasions, the magistrates began to wear a red shoe, while the soldiers took to a boot reaching almost to the knee, very elaborate in design, and in a short time the custom of wearing a covering for the feet was adopted by all classes. The shoes of the women were always white in color, the senators black, while the magistrates kept to themselves red.