In today's world there is an increasing affinity towards liking things which are different.. a cut above the rest. Almost everything is measured not just in terms of its use value; style has come to acquire a prominent place too. Choosing what is best takes into account a combination of both comfort level and the style quotient.
Actually, a large volume of manufacturing that goes on today serves people who prefer a variety to select from. Also, most producers/manufacturers target an audience which loves having a collection of its own. The definition of an accessory has undergone a huge makeover-whatever was a luxury earlier has slowly come to be regarded as a necessity and, whatever was a wasteful expense earlier come to be seen as a style statement. Shoes are just one of the many such products. Invented to protect the human foot from insect bites, difficulty of terrain and calamities of weather, the concept of a shoe has evolved a great deal. It no longer is just a thing for protection but now there's a shoe for every occasion.
Shoe-wearing as a trend started with the advent of mass production which made the expensive product easily available for the common people. The design of shoes has varied through time and has acquired a significance closely associated with the event at which it is worn. Notably, shoes have assumed a cultural importance as well. That is, apart from a change in style that can be noticed across cultures, there is a change according to the specificity of the event. This is what makes it a viable option to have a variety of the same product both at the stores and at homes.
There are a lot of ways in which shoes can be classified- there could be a compartmentalization based on whether they are dress shoes or athletic shoes, on whether they are worn by men or women, on whether they are heeled or flats and on whether they are meant for formal events or informal gatherings. The categories could also be made on the class to which the wearer belongs and the type of work a person is engaged in. Work shoes are categorically different from those worn at home.
Additionally, shoes differ on the basis of the terrain which they are supposed to scale. Shoes have to be made of suitable material and in different shapes and cuts in order to be useful for different terrains. - Mountaineering shoes are different from those worn for skiing or those worn to walk through sand or in snow.
Traditionally, shoes were made of leather but industrialization the last century has made available a variety of other economical materials like rubber, plastic and synthetic cloth along with newer techniques to form a shoe. Earlier, hand-stitching was the only mode available to create a shoe but now molding, pasting and machine stitching have become possible making the whole process of shoe making more professional and large scale. Most importantly it has widened the consumer base by making the final product more finished, easily available and affordable.
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