Record #00433Culture & Entertainment archive
A complete leather shoe excavated at Areni-1 Cave in Armenia dates to approximately 3627–3377 BCE and is recognized by researchers and its museum as the oldest known leather shoe.
Current Record
about3627–3377 BCE
Current record value
The shoe was excavated in 2008 from a Chalcolithic context at Areni-1 Cave in Armenia's Vayots Dzor region. Dry cave conditions helped preserve organic material.
Made from a single piece of leather gathered around the foot with laces, the shoe measures 24.5 cm. Loose grass found inside may have helped retain its shape during storage.
Leather samples were radiocarbon-dated at Oxford and the University of California, Irvine, yielding a calibrated interval of 3627–3377 BCE. The discovery documents early leather footwear technology, not the invention of footwear itself.
The record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: direct confirmation by an authority
The History Museum of Armenia identifies the find as the oldest leather shoe, while the original excavation study provides radiocarbon dating. Earlier fibre sandals are excluded.
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
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