Footwear That Shaped Culture, Style, and Stride
As Forest Gump once said, “You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they go, where they’ve been.” This applies not only to the wearer but the shoes themselves. Some shoes are practical, others ridiculous, and yet others carry cultural weight so heavy it’s amazing they don’t drag the wearer down. And then there are the ones that truly changed how we move. Not just on runways or basketball courts, but in daily life; they made walking lighter, smoother, bolder—or sometimes simply possible at all. Here are 20 shoes that changed the way we walk.
1. Roman Sandals
Their simple design consists of barely more than straps of leather tied around one’s feet, yet they allowed whole armies to make long marches across empires. Roman soldiers trudged in these across mud, stone, and desert alike. They defined functional footwear.
2. Chopines
Venetian women in the 15th and 16th centuries teetered on chopines, towering platform shoes sometimes over 18 inches tall. They weren’t for walking so much as gliding, with servants often assisting with balance. These ridiculous shoes turned every step into theater and reminded everyone else on even ground of their lower status.
3. Ballet Slippers
These highly specialized shoes are soft, light, and altered movement not just in dance but in fashion. The slipper allowed dancers to gracefully accomplish impossible leaps and balance on the very tips of their toes. Eventually, these inspired the elegant ballet flats that are now worn in everyday life off the stage.
4. Cowboy Boots
Their pointed toes, high shafts, and stacked heels were designed specifically for stirrups, yet somehow found their way into honky-tonk bars and suburban closets. Your walk changes when wearing them. You can’t help but move a little slower, a little heavier, adding to the cowboy swagger.
5. High Heels
Much like the cowboy boot, high heels were originally worn by Persian horsemen for stability in the stirrup. They were later adopted by European nobility as a symbol of status. Nowadays, this type of footwear has been entirely claimed by women, making the wearer appear taller and straighter.
6. Converse Chuck Taylors
These shoes are iconic for their flat soles, canvas tops, and rubber toes. Early on, they became the uniform of basketball players, then urban punks, and finally teenagers everywhere. Chucks are equally at home on a skateboard as in a garage band.
Jaizer Capangpangan on Unsplash
7. Wooden Clogs
Nowadays, you’re more likely to see these used as decoration than as actual footwear. A solid pair of Dutch wooden clogs wasn’t elegant, but they were indestructible. These shoes valued practicality over style, though later clogs would meander their way into fashion runways, always echoing their utilitarian roots.
8. Doc Martens
With their thick soles, yellow stitching, and stiff leather, Docs were originally work boots for postmen and factory workers before they became the unofficial shoe of rebellion. They make walking sound more like a protestive stomp than a step.
9. Nike Air Jordans
These basketball shoes changed streetwear forever, transforming sneakers into collectible items. The cushioning gave bounce, but the real lift was cultural. Entire gaits shifted because walking in Jordans wasn’t just walking—it was flexing.
10. Flip-Flops
The simplest shoe on our list, with its foam sole and plastic thong. They slap against the heel with every step, announcing summer, beaches, and laid-back living. Although ancient in origin, they’ve since been mass-produced into ubiquity. While they’re not particularly supportive or stylish, they’ve been transformative in making casual fashion commonplace.
Ridwan Muhamad Iqbal on Unsplash
11. Poulaines
With their absurdly long toes curling forward, they sometimes had to be tied to the leg to prevent tripping. Status symbols in fashion are rarely comfortable, and this was no different. These shoes were comically impractical, particularly on cobblestones.
12. Sneakers
Canvas and rubber democratized comfort. By the early 20th century, sneakers became the choice for sport, then leisure, and finally everyday life outside of the office. The shift from stiff leather soles to shoes designed for bounce and speed was revolutionary at the time.
Maria Fernanda Pissioli on Unsplash
13. Platform Shoes of the 1970s
Platforms made wearers taller, yes, but they also transformed posture. When you were wearing these, you couldn’t help but move with your shoulders back, your hips swaying as if your very life had a hidden soundtrack that just made you want to dance.
14. Oxford Shoes
Oxfords changed how formal walking felt. A pair of these makes feet tap more quietly on marble floors and helps you take meaningful strides across the sidewalk. It’s the shoe of business and of ceremony—seriousness dressed in understated practicality.
15. Adidas Stan Smiths
With their white leather, green accents, and clean lines, these tennis shoes were reborn as a streetwear staple. They never look out of place, whether you’re at the country club or grocery store. It’s a shoe that redefined minimalism.
16. Sandals of Ancient Egypt
Papyrus and palm leaves were twisted into soles and secured with straps. Despite their humble beginnings, these sandals had symbolic value too and appeared in tombs as essentials for the afterlife.
17. Timberland Boots
These heavy-duty boots were built for construction sites but were absorbed by hip-hop culture in the 1990s. Suddenly, the stomp of Timberlands wasn’t just about blue-collar work but about urban culture.
18. Crocs
These foam shoes are ridiculous, yet so comfortable and functional that we’re willing to look beyond the aesthetic. Walking in Crocs is lighter, almost like bouncing from step to step. Kids wear them, chefs swear by them, and nurses rely on them. Once a mockery, this shoe has become indispensable.
19. Running Shoes with Air and Gel Technology
Asics, Nike Air Max, and New Balance all introduced innovations that literally changed our running stride. Their cushioned soles altered biomechanics, making long-distance running more feasible on our knees and shins. The technology spilled over into everyday walking, transforming commutes into something less punishing.
20. Ugg Boots
With their sheepskin warmth and bulky shape, these boots became the uniform of suburban winters. The shuffle in Uggs is unmistakable, making comfort not only acceptable but aspirational.
