The first attempt, of which we have any account, to give style to the coverings of the feet, produced the _Sandal_. These differed in style, though slightly varied in form. Those used by the poorer classes were constructed of flat slices of the palm leaf, which, lapped over in the centre, formed the sole, and a double band of twisted leaves secured and strengthened the edge; a thong of the strong fibres of the same plant was affixed to each side of the instep, and was secured round the foot, while those indulged in by the more wealthy classes were made of leather, and were frequently lined with cloth, the point or end turning up like a pair of modern skates. The sandal reached its greatest perfection among the Romans. The emperor Aurelian gave the royal permission to the ladies of his time to wear sandals of various colors, the men not being permitted to indulge in so great a luxury. The Roman senators wore buskins of a black color, with a crescent of gold or silver on the top of the foot, while the soldiers wore simple sandals fastened by thongs. In the reign of Edward the Third, of England, those who worked at the shoe trade, were denominated the “gentle craft,” as they produced shoes of the most gorgeous description, the richest contrasts of color were elaborated and the greatest variety of pattern devised. [Illustration: Fig. 1 in this plate displays a beautiful design. It is supposed to be worn by one of the royal family.] The English shoe of the middle ages is “beyond all Greek, beyond all Roman fame.” The second specimen in the engraving is simpler in design, but not less striking in effect, being colored jet black, and worn with red hose. Another curious fashion of those times was—see Fig. 3. The left shoe was _black_ and the stocking _blue_, the other leg of the wearer being clothed in a _black_ stocking and a _white_ shoe. This shoe was cut very low over the instep, the heel being entirely covered, and a band fastened by a small buckle or button passing round the ankle secured it to the foot. Coming down to the reign of Richard II., boots and shoes were made of great length, so that they were _chained to the knee of the wearer_, that he might walk with some degree of freedom. Of course, only the nobility could afford so expensive a method of locomotion. Extremes were introduced from time to time, as in our own day. During the reign of Edward III., it was enacted that any shoemaker working for the “unprivileged classes,” should not make any shoes, the toes which should _exceed two inches in length_, under a penalty of twenty shillings. This edict had the effect to _widen_ the toes to a most absurd extent; this fashion was followed by a proclamation from Queen Mary, that the _width_ of the toes should not _exceed six inches_.