Home > Shoe horn

Shoe horns began appearing in the fifteenth century, but their actual origin is unkown. There is a common belief that the tight-fitting and high heeled shoes in the Victorian period led to the development of shoe horns - it would have otherwise been impossible to wear these shoes.

Orginally, shoe horns were made of wood, which is still a common material, although plastics are now used more often. They were also made of metal, glass and even paper. Expensive shoe horns were made from ivory, silver, shell, or bone.

There are various models of shoe horns. Long handled shoe horns, for example, are used to reduce bending and straining by persons lacking joint mobility, while shoe horns with sturdy handles are useful for putting on boots or heavy shoes.

"Shoehorn" in language

The common english verb shoehorn means to force objects or people into an insufficient space.
"The contents of our large house were shoehorned into the new but tiny apartment."