The World’s Oldest Shower Shoes Found at Hadrian’s Wall

Archaeologists at Vindolanda Fort in Northumberland, U.K., have uncovered what may be the world’s oldest shower shoes — Roman bath clogs dating back nearly 1,900 years. These wooden platform sandals, known as sculponeae, were worn in bathhouses to protect feet from hot, slippery floors heated by the Roman hypocaust system.

Over 5,000 shoes have been found at Vindolanda, with about 50 identified as bath clogs. Some were plain, while others featured decorative carvings, including geometric designs and even representations of toes.

Bathhouses were central to Roman social life, and footwear like these clogs highlights the ingenuity of Roman daily living. While earlier sandals existed in Egypt and Etruria, Vindolanda’s clogs stand out as the earliest specialized “shower shoes” in history.

Source: Live Science