Elizabeth Rehnke and the Oregon sandals

Shoe collector and self-confessed fashionista Elizabeth Rehnke considers her shoe collection as one of her most prized possessions. The following blog talks about the earliest footwear originating from the American Southwest. 

 

Elizabeth Rehnke Photo Credit:pages.uoregon.edu

Archeologist Luther Cressman and his team from the University of Oregon went on an expedition in 1938, and discovered 75 sagebrush sandals covered in volcanic ash at the Fort Rock Cave site in Lake County, Oregon. By using carbon dating technology, Cressman declared that the sandals were more than 9,000 years old, and were believed to be left by the inhabitants due to the eruption of the Mount Azama volcano some 7,500 years ago.

Elizabeth Rehnke Photo Credit: pages.uoregon.edu

Named after the site where they were discovered, the Oregon Sandals have turned up in several basins in the Northern Great regions of the United States

 Elizabeth Rehnke is a Florida native who loves fashion, sports, philanthropy, and traveling.

Elizabeth Rehnke Photo Credit: Sexyshoesexpert.com

Ancient people who made these shoes have already developed the skills for utilizing animal skin and sewing them together to make footwear. In the case of the Oregon sandals, the shoes are twined – they have a flat, close-twined sole, usually with five rope wraps. The twining starts from the heel to the toes, and was then woven back towards the heel. For padding and warmth, rabbit fur or pine needles were sewed in.  

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