Lotus footwear are one of many oldest varieties of footwear identified to mankind that have been designed particularly for ladies’s use. Nonetheless, the manufacturing of those footwear as we speak is nearly non-existent and the few lotus footwear nonetheless in existence at the moment are preserved in museums or non-public collections much like antiques and artifacts. Though these footwear have been designed for ladies of all ages, any single girl as we speak that’s previous the age of 10 would undoubtedly discover it not possible to put on these footwear. It is because this type of footwear that originated from historic China was designed for ladies again when foot binding was nonetheless practiced. For these unfamiliar with the method, foot binding actually means the binding of the foot with wraps. The importance of this observe is such that it’s practiced by ladies between the ages of two and 5.
The method would nearly definitely be considered as a brutal act of vainness because it concerned the act of purposely breaking (not fracturing) the arch and toes of every foot earlier than being certain. Moreover, this course of was carried out with none type of ache aid. The aim of this observe was such that the individuals on the time believed that slender and small ft have been thought of to be lovely in addition to making the sufferer’s actions extra female. Many myths encompass the origin of the method of foot binding and lotus shoe. Probably the most distinguished of those myths revolved across the 10th Century interval, when Prince Li Yu who dominated over the 10 kingdoms. He had a concubine in his harem who had extraordinarily petite ft and was an outstanding dancer who sported one of many oldest variations of the lotus shoe.The foot binding observe then started amongst the ladies of higher lessons and royalty as a way to imitate his concubine. As such, foot binding was strongly linked with wealth and standing throughout that interval. The next centuries noticed to the widespread of the observe all through China. The observe turned such that ladies who didn’t have small ft have been merely not marriage materials. On the time, this was the worst doable destiny for a Chinese language girl. The method apart nevertheless, the lotus shoe is a sight to behold and the fashionable world would in all probability be taken again with the intensive accidents it really inflicts on the foot. After all, when the foot binding started to be practiced by the plenty, varieties got here alongside.
Initially, this delicately crafted footwear have been made with cotton and silk materials although there’s proof of variations made utilizing different supplies corresponding to animal pores and skin. Different variations typically had particular options such heels and even soles that resemble that of the fashionable wedge footwear. Nonetheless, probably the most distinguishing function of the lotus shoe entails the intricate designs and patterns present in all of them. Other than that, many of those footwear have been embroidered with intricate designs that includes animal and flower motifs together with patterns. That is particularly whenever you take a look at the uncommon and costly footwear constituted of the best supplies that adorned the ft of these in positions of energy.