#1
LET’S READ!
Shoes are very important for our health for quite a few reasons! Number one, they protect our feet. We spend all day walking in lots of different places like our house, our school or work, or our backyard. Not only do our shoes protect our feet from things like rocks and sticks and keep our feet warm in winter, but they support the arches in our feet and help our spines stay in alignment. If you ever have back or leg pain, doctors will often start treating your pain by changing your shoes to something more supportive!
We’ve been wearing some kind of shoes for about 40,000 years; the oldest proof of shoes being worn is a 15,000 year old painting in a cave in Spain. This art shows hunters wearing boots made of animal hides and furs! Wearing shoes actually changes the way we walk and how we distribute our weight. If we wear shoes regularly, doctors can actually see it in how our bones look!
LET’S TALK!
1. What kind of shoes do you like?
2. Do you put on socks when you wear shoes?
3. Do you have a favorite pair of shoes?
#2
LET’S READ!
Certain activities need certain kinds of shoes. For example, hiking in the mountains requires sturdier shoes, often ones that lace up so they can’t easily come off. Hiking boots are also better when it comes to the elements. It’s easier for a thick rubber or canvas boot to deal with water and dirt than flimsier shoes.
Some shoes are made just for water. These are called water shoes, and they’re great for swimming or even just walking in the water. They’re lightweight so they don’t drag you down in the water, but they still add a nice protective layer so your feet don’t get hurt.
One activity, called snowshoeing, literally adds a racket onto your shoe! These are called snowshoes, and they help you maintain traction in the snow. Similarly, ice skates have a metal piece on the bottom that allows you to careen over the ice, and roller blades have wheels on the bottom that let you wheel around.
And this isn’t an activity, but we’ll talk about it just for fun–some shoes even light up when you stomp your feet!
LET’S TALK!
1. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
2. What shoes would you wear to play outside in the rain?
3. Do you like rollerblading or ice skating? Why or why not?
#3
LET’S READ!
knowonder! is based in America, so we’re familiar with the American culture, but some cultures treat shoes differently than we do here in the U.S.!
In Asia, taking your shoes off and stepping into the house symbolizes that you’re entering into a private space. It’s respectful to take your shoes off at the entryway and leave them as you go inside. Some hosts even have slippers by their doors for you to wear in their houses!
In Ancient Mesopotamia, shoes were soft. They were made of leather and held together on the foot with shoelaces made out of rawhide. Meanwhile in Greece, people often went barefoot or wore sandals. Sometimes, closed shoes were worn, and those became a luxury during that time. Then the Romans came along and developed shoes that fit left and right feet differently. During that time, shoes also became different for women and men, and leaders had different shoes than regular class people.
LET’S TALK!
1. Have you ever put your shoes on the wrong foot? Was it uncomfortable? Did it make you laugh?
2. Why do we need shoes?
3. Do you wear your shoes in the house? Why or why not?
#4
LET’S READ!
There are a lot of fun facts about shoes out there–here are a few!
The British were the first ones to measure shoe size, and the King used barleycorn as the basis for measuring shoes. Three barleycorns equaled one inch, and that became the standard for sizing shoes!
In the late 1800s, people started calling tennis shoes “sneakers” because you could sneak around quietly while wearing them.
For a long time, heels were worn by those who were high-class; not just women. So men wore them, too! Heels also helped the men who rode horses keep their boots in the stirrups.
Have you heard of The Wizard of Oz? You can read it here! The iconic red slippers from the movie sold at an auction in 2000 for $660,000, making them the most expensive shoes in the world!
The first pair of women’s shoes was made for Queen Victoria back in 1837–which might seem like a long time, but it also wasn’t too long ago!
As you can see, shoes serve lots of purposes. They keep our feet safe and warm, and they complete our outfits. Shoes are great!
LET’S TALK!
1. What’s your favorite kind of shoe? It could be boots, sneakers, sandals, heels, flats, or any other kind of shoe you can think of!
2. Have you ever worn a pair of shoes until they fell apart? Tell your child why or why not, and if you have, tell them what kind of shoe it was.
3. Do you wear inserts in your shoes or extra supportive shoes? Why or why not?
VOCABULARY WORDS:
shoes, comfort, size, fit, color, fabric, material, professional, protect, shape, worn, torn, used, new, fashion, style, sleek, big, protection, support, cover, traction, rubber, grip, shoe laces, brand, tennis shoe, dress shoes, boots
ACTIVITIES:
• Have your child pick out and wear different family member’s shoes, then help them dress to match the shoes. Dress up for dress shoes, or wear athletic or play clothes with tennis shoes. Ask your child where they might go with these different kinds of shoes on.
• Let’s tie some shoes! If your child is at the age where they can learn to tie their shoes, teach them how. (You can even time them to see how fast they can do it!) If they’re younger, allow them to watch you tie your own shoes.
• Grab some paper and crayons and have your child draw a shoe. Have them use their own shoe for reference, or have them make their own shoe. What do they think is the perfect shoe? Would the shoe fly? Would it have rocket boosters, or springs for jumping higher?
• Shoe match game. Take all the shoes in the house and mix them up into a big pile, then ask your child to match the pairs.
RESOURCES:
1. Tie Your Shoes Song (YouTube Video)
2. Baby Panda Wears Shoes (YouTube Video)
3. Put On Your Shoes (YouTube Video)
4. Put On Your Boots (YouTube Video)
5. Alligator Shoes (Reading Rainbow Books) by Arthur Dorros (Puffin, 1992)
6. Shoes for Me! by Sue Fliess (Two Lions, 2011)
7. Shoes (Reading Rainbow Books) by Elizabeth Winthrop (HarperCollins, 1988)
8. The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe by Lynn Salem (Continental Press, 2000)
