The Original

More than anyone else, [Edward] Carpenter was also responsible for introducing sandals to British life. When his friend Harold Cox went to India, he was given instructions to send back to Millthorpe a pair of sandals from Kashmir. The pair in question featured a thong that curled up from the sole over the toes to an ankle fastening. "I soon found the joy of wearing them," Carpenter wrote. "And after a little time I set about making them." Shoes, he decided, were "leather coffins." He took lessons from a Sheffield bootmaker and "soon succeeded in making a good many pairs for myself and various friends." (Shaw was given some, but they cut his feet and he vowed never to wear them again.)
cabinet // a brief history of cranks