Woven sandals from 6,000 years ago found in Spain

02/10/2023

A pair of esparto-woven sandals has been found inside an Andalusian cave system called Cueva de los Murciélagos or “the cave of the bats”.

The sandals, potentially Europe’s oldest extant shoe specimens, are believed to have been preserved inside the cave for approximately 6,000 years. Similar to contemporary espadrilles, they were uncovered alongside everyday objects like woven baskets and wooden specimens.