Footwear

About traditional shoes

Persian traditional shoes have always been a symbol of Iranian culture and Persian art in the past. These shoes usually have very beautiful designs, and each of them has its meaning. As mentioned, Persian women’s shoes were originally used solely to protect against environmental damage. Over time, they became more meaningful, with their design and model reflecting the culture and traditions of each region.

Persian traditional shoes vary by region, each with its unique shape and design. Artists from those regions design and produce these shoes, and people have warmly welcomed them. In ancient times, every village and town had its own type of shoes. Artisans designed the shape and thickness of these shoes according to the region’s environmental conditions, ensuring they were suitable for wear in the local town or village.

In addition to regional features, artisans produced Persian traditional shoes (Persian Women’s Shoes) based on the available materials in each village or city. This ensured that everyone could have shoes to protect their feet from injuries. For example, in areas where people lived as nomads, they made shoes from the skins of animals that the nomads carried with them. In forest and mountainous areas, people crafted shoes using plant skins and some animal skins.

Persian traditional shoes

Shoes are one of the clothes or accessories that we constantly use to go out of the house. Wearing shoes has a long history among humans. In ancient times, people began wearing shoes to prevent wounds, scratches, and other injuries caused by walking on various surfaces. Initially, these shoes had a simple structure and were designed solely to prevent injuries. But over time, shoes have changed so much that today’s shoes are not very similar to old shoes and are a very important part of people’s daily style.

In Iran, shoes have changed a lot since ancient times, like in other parts of the world. Traditional Persian shoes (Persian Women’s Shoes), once commonly used, are almost obsolete today. People now wear a variety of shoes, including formal, sporty, heeled, and comfortable styles, for their daily routines. In the continuation of the article, we will peruse more Persian traditional shoes to get more acquainted with the Iranian culture in the production of these Persian handicrafts.

Shoes in ancient Iran

Persian traditional shoes(Persian Women’s Shoes) have always been a symbol of Iranian culture and art in the past. These shoes usually have very beautiful designs, and each of them has its meaning. As mentioned, shoes were initially used only to prevent environmental damage. Later, they became more meaningful, with their design and model reflecting the culture and traditions of each region.

Persian traditional shoes vary by region, each with its unique shape and design. Artists from those regions have designed and produced these shoes, and people have welcomed them. In ancient times, every village and town had its own type of shoes. Artisans designed the shape and thickness of these shoes according to the region’s environmental conditions, making them suitable for wear in that specific town or village.

As each region of Iran has its clothes, the shoes, along with the clothes, have taken on a special color and design for the same region. In addition to the type of shoes that were provided with the available features, their design has always been a symbol of the culture and traditions of the people of the region.

Next, we will introduce several Persian traditional shoes. This will help you familiarize yourself with the features of each shoe and understand the culture in which it was created

Give

Give is one of the most original and oldest Persian traditional shoes that is about 1000 years old in Iran. This type of shoe is very comfortable and allows the foot to breathe they are also very soft and light and are handwoven in many areas and villages of Iran.

Giveh was first established in Kermanshah province, which is located in western Iran, and later spread to other parts and provinces of Iran. Almost all the people of ancient Iran wore Giveh for a long time. In Kermanshah province, in Kurdish, Giveh is also called Kelash.

This type of shoe is woven in its original type by yarns of wool and cotton and has two parts, upper and insole, which are connected with a rubber or Persian leather band. Artisans strengthen the back and front of the shoe with a piece of leather to make it more durable. This revision uses active voice and simplifies the sentence for better clarity.

In ancient times, before the production of plastics and rubber bands, artisans crafted Giveh with a leather sole and a woolen or cotton upper. They sewed the two parts together using animal skins. Later, as leather prices rose and factories began producing rubber bands, the Iranian people began making Giveh in areas where it was still in use. They connected the soles and tops with these strips and covered the soles with rubber to make them stronger.

Giveh was one of the first shoe designs to focus on the shape of the foot when preparing its structure. For the first time, Giveh were made separately for the left and right feet, based on their position. Making shoes based on the shape of the foot made it much easier to walk with Giveh, and this type of shoe is very popular. Also, the materials used in the original and old Giveh did not cause any damage or pollution to the environment due to their neutrality.

Charon

Charon is another Persian traditional shoe that was first used in North Khorasan and Zanjan provinces. This type of shoe is commonly used by women today and as sandals indoors. But in the past, both men and women used them as shoes.

A very important feature of this shoe is its emphasis on beauty. Designers decorate it with colorful and beautiful ribbons. In the past, it featured happy colors like red for girls. The shoe comes in two types: with a heel counter and without a heel counter. It usually has a strap that wraps around the wrist. The main material of the shoe is leather, and artisans decorate it with various ribbons and colored threads. The front of the shoe is pointed and slightly upwards, adding a special elegance and beauty. You can wear this shoe in all seasons, and its beautiful designs create a traditional and stunning look.

Acquainting yourself with Persian traditional shoes helps you understand the culture of each region, their environmental conditions, and traditions. It also shows how culture spreads through shoes. Today, people use these types of shoes much less, and you may only find people in the countryside who still wear Giveh. But despite the passage of time, these shoes still retain their beauty and meaning. People remember them as a national heritage.