Child's shoe discovered in a wall, probably put there to protect a child from evil spirits, Lancashire, 1704

Hidden Charms

Why is there a shoe in your wall?
The tennis shoes of William and Ernest Renshaw, 1880

The Dawn of Kicks

Invented for a faddish game in the 1880s, tennis shoes became fashionable when manufacturers, fearing the tennis boom would go bust, pushed them off the lawn.
Louis XIV, King of France by Hyacinthe Rigaud

Doctors Have Always Been Against High-Heeled Shoes

Every generation of medical professionals has issued the same warnings about high heels. For hundreds of years.
A pair of pink high heels

The Inherent Drama of High Heels

How can a shoe communicate many different messages at once?
A Pedoscope made by the Pedoscope Company

When Shoes Were Fit with X-Rays

Fluoroscopes were used in shoe stores from the mid-1920s to 1950s in North America and Europe -- even though the radiation risks of x-rays were well-known.
A rack of shoes from different eras

Our Long Relationship with Leather

A recently-discovered skeleton wearing leather boots inspires a walk through our history of wearing animal hides.
NYC Marathon runner

The Quest for A Faster Marathon

How big a difference does air resistance make when running a marathon? Nike tried to find out recently. A look at the science behind the 2-hour marathon.
Dr. Martens collaborated with the Soane Museum to depict William Hogarth’s ‘A Rake’s Progress’. Courtesy of Dr. Martens

The Sartorial Canvas: How the Iconic Dr. “Doc” Martens Reflect a Culture

The iconic Dr. "Doc" Martens boots seem to have shifted their own image, expanding its reach and popularity.