Regarding Shoes Quiz | Beauty Accessories & Fashion

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Most people have at least heard of Dr. Martens shoes and boots, a favorite of skinheads and grunge and punk rockers. But just who was Dr. Marten anyway?

Answer: A German surgeon in World War II

It was 1945 and Doctor Klaus Maertens was in Munich, Germany, recovering from an ankle injury acquired from a skiing accident in the Bavarian Alps. He found that standard issue Army boots were very uncomfortable, so he created a boot with soft leather and air-padded soles made out of tires.

In 1947 he partnered with an old friend and they went in business using discarded rubber from Luftwaffe airfields. After a decade of selling to mostly older women, the fame of his boot spread. In the late 1950's a company called Griggs acquired the license and, working with Dr. Maerten, they added a few more touches and the rest is history.

2. In today's political discourse, we often hear people refer to their political opponents as "a bunch of jackbooted thugs". So how did this footwear acquire the name "jackboots"?

Answer: They were made with jacked leather

Originally the term "jackboot" referred to the tall, flared cavalry boot that came up above the knee. The leather was "jacked", which means that chain mail was sewn into the lining of the leather to protect the cavalryman from sword blows to the legs and knee joint.

The term derives from the French word "Jacque", which means "mail". Now, the term "jackboot" is used to refer to any boot that comes up above the knee. It has acquired a negative connotation because of their use by Nazis in World War II.

It is also used to refer to military boots that come up to mid-calf, usually with nails in the sole to increase durability and are designed for marching.

3. Derived from the medieval Dutch "klompen" and the French "sabot", this durable shoe protects the feet from farm implements and fishing hooks. At one time it was popular in northern Europe but now is normally worn only as part of a traditional dress. It has given its name to a form of dancing that is popular in the South of the U.S.

Answer: Clog

Clogs have become a symbol of the Netherlands, and the oldest clog known was discovered in Amsterdam and dates to the year 1230. Saws were used to cut the clog out and chisels used to hollow out the interior. These shoes could last a lifetime, if your foot size doesn't change.

4. Their name of this footwear is a good example of onomatopoeia. In Japan they're called "zoris". In New Zealand they're called "jandals". Australians say they're "thongs" and in South Africa they're "plakkies". What do most people call them?

Answer: Flip flops

We don't know what the ancient Egyptians called them, but murals on Egyptian tombs show them being worn well over two thousand years ago. They became popular after World War II when returning soldiers brought them back from Japan. The reason they're called "flip flops" is because that's a close approximation of the sound they make slapping against your feet as you walk in them.

5. What is the most distinct characteristic of a pair of winklepickers? If you wish to know the answer, a genie may be able to help. And yes, there really is a shoe called a winklepicker.

Answer: Sharply pointed toes

The very pointed shoe was called this because in England, winkles (periwinkle snails) were a popular snack, and you had to use a pointed object to get the soft part of the snail out of the shell ("winkle" it out). So the shoes became known as winklepickers.

They're most commonly seen being worn by genies, like the one in the Disney "Aladdin" cartoon, but they were pretty popular with British rock and roll fans in the 1950's too. In Norway and Sweden they were called "mosquito chasers" and in some parts of the U.S. they were called "roach stompers".

6. The most famous predecessor of this type of shoe was the Zoccoli in the 15th century in Venice where it was useful in keeping the feet dry when the pavements were flooded, although it has been around since the time of the ancient Greeks. If you're the type of person who enjoys looking down on others, this is the style for you.

Answer: Platform shoes

Fashion designers have really gone wild with platform shoes. Some models add as much as 12 inches to your height. One particular model was designed to have goldfish swimming around in the transparent heel.

7. Characterized by having no back, in years past this shoe was a symbol of wealth since it had no practical value outside the home and indicated that the wearer owned at least two pairs of shoes back in the time when owning more than one pair of shoes was a luxury.

Answer: Mules (the shoe, not the animal)

Speaking of mules, writer Pat Morrison said "They are not shoes, they are a political conspiracy. They are not much good for anything outside the boudoir. Mules seem suspiciously like the Western World's version of footbinding, useless footgear for anyone who does more than loll around in bias-cut satin waiting for Her Man to come home." Sounds a little harsh to me.

But then, I don't wear mules, so what do I know?

8. In the Basque region of Spain, this shoe is called espartina, based on the wiry Mediterranean grass esparto. The rest of us call them espadrilles. What is their defining characteristic?

Answer: The use of a rope sole

Espadrilles have been made all over Spain for at least 700 years. It originally was the footwear of choice for the peasant class because of the easy availability of the esparto grass to weave the rope to make them. No longer only the shoe of the peasant, Yves Saint Laurent has designed espadrilles for which you can easily pay north of $500 a pair. Don Johnson of "Miami Vice", Simon Le Bon of "Duran Duran" and George Michael of "Wham!" have sported espadrilles with rolled-up chinos (the better to see them with).

9. These were quite the thing for the distinguished gentleman to wear in the late 19th and early 20th century. Worn over the top of the shoe, but under the trouser leg, they were composed of a stiff white fabric buttoned up the side and secured with an elastic band that went under the shoe. What were they called?

Answer: Spats

It is said that when King George V opened the 1926 Chelsea Flower Show and was not wearing spats, they immediately fell out of fashion. Another theory is that when common men began wearing them to look more distinguished, the upper class stopped wearing them. Whichever theory is true, they fell out of favor by the time World War II began and now are mostly seen only on military honor guards and marching bands. I had to wear them in Navy boot camp and can't imagine why anyone would voluntarily bother with such a troublesome piece of clothing.

Gaiters are much like spats, but they are worn OVER the lower trouser leg rather than under it.

10. Up until the start of the 17th century, the most common shoe was one that was fastened with a strap or a buckle in the front. But in 1640 a new type of shoe was introduced - one that laced up in the front. It was quickly embraced by the students of a famous English university and is now known by that name. What university was this?

Answer: Oxford

The popularity of this shoe spread quickly, and simply devastated the shoe buckle industry in Edinburgh with its 20,000 workers involved in making them. Pleas were made to the king to ban tie-up shoes, but they fell on deaf ears, thank goodness. It is said that Thomas Jefferson was one of the first in America to embrace the new fashion.

Source: Author OldManJack

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Regarding Shoes Trivia Quiz

It's all about the shoes. Take the quiz and learn a bit. Can't guarantee that it will make you another Al Bundy, but you're bound to learn something you didn't know before.

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