Fancy Footwear

Beaded Mocassins, Warm Springs, Oregon

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Beaded Mocassins Detail, Warm Springs, Oregon

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Sagebrush Sandals, Fort Rock Cave, Oregon

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Sagebrush Sandals Detail, Fort Rock Cave, Oregon

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Beaded Mocassins, Blackfoot or Absaroka

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Beaded Mocassins Detail, Blackfoot or Absarok

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Beaded Mocassins, Sioux

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Beaded Mocassins Detail, Sioux

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Yucca Sandals, New Mexico

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Yucca Sandals Detail, New Mexico

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Beaded Mocassins, probably Interior Far North

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Beaded Mocassins Detail, probably Interior Far North

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Snow Shoes, Central Canada

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Snow Shoes Detail, Central Canada

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Mukluks, Alaska

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Mukluks Detail, Alaska

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Beaded Mocassins, Central Plains

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Beaded Mocassins Detail, Central Plains

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Quilted Shoes, Asia

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Quilted Shoes Detail, Asia

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Women's Zori, Japan

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Women's Zori Detail, Japan

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Palace Guard Shoes, Greece

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Palace Guard Shoes Detail, Greece

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Women’s Boots, Irkutsk Province, Siberia

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Women’s Boots Detail, Irkutsk Province, Siberia

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Shoes, Congo

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Shoes Detail, Congo

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Shoes, India

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Shoes Detail, India

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While the definition of a shoe may seem straightforward, footwear flaunts an infinite array of styles, sizes, and materials. From sagebrush bark sandals to stilettos to space boots, shoes aren't just protection for our feet — they always make a statement.

In a way that few possessions can, shoes communicate information about individuals, geographic area, cultures, and human history. They can discretely reveal clues about the physical stature of the owner, or brazenly proclaim ethnicity, economic status, and sense of style.

The Museum of Natural and Cultural History's collections include more than 70 pairs of shoes. Those shown here represent a small selection, featured the 2008 MNCH exhibition, Walk a Mile in These Shoes — The Stories They Tell. Photography by Jack Liu, text by Cindy Budlong, and web development by Robert Voelker-Morris and Keith Hamm. Images © UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Production of this gallery was generously supported by The Ford Family Foundation.