Mule (footwear) - Citizendia

18th century mules

A Mule (French word) is a type of shoe that is backless and often closed-toed. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A shoe is an item of Footwear. Shoes may vary from a simple Flip-flop to a complex Boot. They can be any heel height from flat to high. This style of shoe is predominantly worn by women but some styles for men are also available.

The term is generally believed to have been derived from the ancient Roman calceus mulleus, a red shoe worn by senators and other high officials, although there is little indication of any structural resemblance.

High-heeled mules were a popular indoor shoe style of the 18th century, influenced by the patten, a backless overshoe of the 16th century. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The word clog, as applied to footwear has these meanings A type of Shoe or sandal made predominantly out of wood By the early twentieth century, mules were often associated with prostitutes. Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money.

Marilyn Monroe, among others, in the early 1950s is given credit for moving the mule into outdoor wear and helped to break the shoe's poor reputation. Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson, June 1 1926 &ndash August 5 1962 baptized Norma Mules experienced some popularity in the 1950s and early '60s, and were seen in 1970s almost exclusively in the form of open-back Scandinavian clogs, but then re-emerged in the early 1990s, especially in its open-toed form (the "slide"), and has begun to dominate the shoe market for women. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The word clog, as applied to footwear has these meanings A type of Shoe or sandal made predominantly out of wood Slide is a common term that refers to a shoe that is backless and open-toed essentially an open-toed mule.

See also