This is so fascinating...the oldest leather shoe yet discovered was kept in pristine condition by a thick layer of sheep dung in a cave in Armenia for 5,500 years, according an international team of archaeologists. Check out the shoe laces and the eyelets! They say it probably belonged to a woman (it's the equivalent of a size 5) but could easily be a man's shoe if the man was small in stature. This shoe pre-dates the Egyptian pyramids! Since its discovery however, exposure to the elements has hardened the leather; when it was found, the leather was soft and now it's hard as a rock. I'm really surprised at how modern this shoe looks, and it's proof that people have been lacing up their shoes for at least 5500 years.
