As for many things in the modern world, shoes in Ancient Rome reflected your status strongly. The shoes manufactured for slaves and laborers were made of cheaper material and had plainer colors, while more expensive shoes had a more diverse selection of colors and were made of higher-end materials. It doesn’t come as a surprise that there were many different types of shoes in Ancient Rome considering their leather production. Most of the earliest preserved shoes have been found in early Roman military establishments in Europe and Egypt. According to archaeologists, the first shoes from Rome popped up starting around the 4th century BCE.
The basic outdoor shoe was called the calceus, and it covered the entire foot. It consisted of leather laces called thongs. It was a common shoe found in all parts of Rome, worn by low to middle class people. Another type of shoe was known as “crepida”. It was slightly lighter and had a larger variety of styles.
All in all, the footwear worn by the Romans weren’t too different from each other. However, the styles did change over the course of Roman development. In the beginning, shoes were plain and monotonous. But during the Roman rise in 27 B.C.E, shoes became more decorative and appealing.
During the times of the Mediterranean's warm months, sandals were seen on more foots of strolling pedestrians. However, when men wore sandals outdoors, they were thought of as vagabonds with no money. Although uncomfortable, sandals were quick and convenient to wear. They usually consisted of a leather slab with a connective cord of leather.
Like nowadays, what you wore reflected who you were and your personality.
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