Few know that the young King Tut’s assortment enjoyed a vast collection of footwear. The stunning find of Tutankhamun’s tomb KV62 by Howard Carter, one of the most exciting discoveries ever made by Egyptologists, captured headlines around the world back in the 1920s. While his golden death mask has become an iconic symbol of ancient Egypt, it was only in 2007 that experts undertook an in-depth study into the king’s footwear. The sandals, adorned with captivating designs, reveal a fascinating aspect of Tut’s personal style and the intricacies of ancient Egyptian fashion.
While the exact number of sandals is unclear, at least 80 sandals were discovered in the virtually intact tomb of King Tut, included in order to accompany him into the afterlife. Some were found in surprisingly good condition, while others were mere fragments of foot straps. The best-preserved were the gold sandals discovered on the feet of King Tut’s mummy.
André Veldmeijer, a Dutch archaeologist and author of Tutankhamun’s Footwear: Studies of Ancient Egyptian Footwear, undertook the study of 81 sandals housed at Leiden Museum and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. These were all that remained of a wide variety of footwear embedded with Tutankhamun, a collection which included sewn sandals and beaded sandals. At the time, these would have been a feast for the eyes, made with gold, birch bark, vegetable fibers, gemstones, leather, and gold.
DNA tests and analysis of CT scans of his remains have revealed that King Tutankhamun probably suffered from birth defects caused by inbreeding, including a club foot and malformations in his feet which would have caused him to walk with a limp and necessitated the use of a cane. Among the shoe collection discovered in his tomb, three pairs of shoes were found to have horizontal foot straps below the toes, which could have been crafted to aid his impaired walking. “These features are not known in any other footwear, sandal or shoe alike,” said Veldmeijer in an interview with Discovery News.
What’s even more surprising is the depiction of bound enemies on more than one pair of sandals included within King Tut’s tomb. While experts are unsure if these sandals were actually worn or were merely symbolic, the intricate soles of a pair of elaborate mummy sandals depict an African prisoner on one sandal and an Asiatic prisoner on the other, representing the enemies of King Tut’s kingdom. Taking into account that artistic representations were used to manifest reality in ancient Egypt, the message was quite clear. Every time the pharaoh took a step, he would have literally been stepping on the faces of his enemies.
