It is the first thing you think about when completing your outfit. You are constantly looking for comfortable ones. You never have the right one. You never have enough. The lucky ones are on daily duty and get worn out. The unlucky ones are forgotten in a dusty box and donated on spring cleaning day. You guessed it right; I am talking about shoes.
Lebanon is known for fostering a diverse society. This diversity implies that each group has different tastes, needs and preferences, and there is no better way to highlight the specificities of each community than fashion. As it is the case with the clothing industry, shoe stores offer a wide range of options to satisfy the biggest number of clients. Indeed, numerous brands cater for different market segments by selling locally produced, nationally assembled or foreign brands that come in different shapes, forms and sizes. The industrial revolution can be credited for introducing a wide variety of designs that are radically different to traditional footwear which have been worn for centuries. How did the shoe market come to be? How did the industry evolve? How did the styles change? In the next lines, we will answer these questions by retracing the steps of Lebanese shoes.
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The Ancient days
Contrary to popular belief, humans have been wearing shoes since 3500 BC. For context, the famous papyrus rolls, which were used by Ancient Egyptians as a writing surface, were only invented 500 years later. It is true that early models didn’t have much in common with your standard footwear, but the concept was pretty much the same. The ultimate purpose was, and still is, to protect the feet from potential injuries and infections. Evidently, the designs and shapes have evolved over time to reflect the identity of each civilization and mirror various time periods.
During the Phoenician era, leather thong sandals were worn by both men and women. Skip forward to the Islamic era, a noticeable change can be detected. It is around that time that the distinction between men and women footwear started. Men were influenced by the Prophet’s style. Essentially, they had two options, depending on the type of activity they were doing. When travelling, they wore a “Khuff”, an ankle-level leather boot. Resembling socks, it is usually padded with wool or fur. It doesn’t have heels and it comes in two colours, yellow or black. For urban outings, they opted for a “niʿāl”, a double-laced tanned camel leather pair of sandals. Meanwhile women, preferred to wear heavily embellished textile slipper indoors. The more lavish the design, the wealthier the lady was.
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The Ottoman rule
August 1516 marked the beginning of Ottoman rule in the Levant. During 402 years, Lebanon witnessed profound social, economic, cultural, and political changes. Consequently, fashion underwent significant changes. Trends came and went, but two shoes marked Lebanese style. The “jazma” for men, and the “qabqab” for women. Back then, the grand majority of the Lebanese society was rural. The inhabitants were peasants who worked their land for a living, and the “jazma” was the ideal companion. It is a black calf length leather boots with no laces or zippers that is designed to keep the dirt out. It slides in and out of the foot, which is effective for a long day of ploughing or harvesting. The sight of a smudged worn boot reassured housewives, since it meant that the wearer was a hardworking man.
However, upper class Lebanese women had other preoccupations and worries. To keep their feet clean and spotless, they wanted something much different. This is how the “qabqb” became a staple of Lebanese footwear. It is a high heel, wooden clog, carved out of walnut, ebony or sandalwood, which is heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl details. The higher the heel, the higher the status. Fun fact: the ladies who wore them weren’t able to walk on their own. They needed the support of servants to keep balance, a small price to pay for bragging rights.
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The Modern days
Lebanon was more and more exposed to western influence. During the French mandate, European fashion trends spread out throughout Lebanese villages and cities. We ended up seeing men wearing oxford shoes with the “sherwel”. In the meantime, women discovered the European shoe and its heels. In modest income households, ladies had one t-strap pair to be worn at occasions and festivities. On the other hand, the heiresses to family businesses and socialites bought European designer pairs to be worn during their social events and dance floors. The Lebanese shoe industry started in earnest in early 1920s. During that time, the crafty Armenians, who flew ottoman oppression, settled along the coastal cities, and opened several shops. Bringing a valuable know-how and expertise, some of these centurion shops are still operational.
For the last one hundred years, the Lebanese shoe industry followed European trends and cycles of fashion. To be modern and stylish, you had to wear imported European shoes. Locally produced shoes, especially leather ones, were available, but looked at with disdain. However, the fortune of local producers has changed for the better in the last decade. Since 2015, their creations have been put on centre stage once again.
After the 2019 financial crisis, all Lebanese turned back to made in Lebanon. Nowadays, we take pride in it, because it reflects our resourcefulness. I am extremely proud to be writing this blog post for Rana Cheikha, my all-time favourite made-in-Lebanon footwear label, that is writing the future of history of Lebanese shoe and showcasing that its future is designer focused.
Signing-off: Christelle from The Way It’s Worn
(And what’s TWIW? It’s about: “Shaping a fairer Lebanese fashion industry by connecting the dots between wearers, pieces, artisans and designer”.)
Check out TWIW on instagram The Way It’s Worn
& on the website thewayitisworn.com/