In the olden times, ancient athletes competed by running down tracks in their naked feet. Nevertheless, as time passed by and as the Greek empire began to extend, some athletes especially those from the cold climate considered racing with sandals. At first, this was treated as a sign of parochialism by spectators and barefoot competitors. But then the moment that shod athletes started to win, the public opinion began to change and wearing the sandals was viewed as a form of cheating or with suspicion. Eventually, it became recognized when it was found out that the sole of the sandal increased ground traction and was said to propel the leg forward with great efficiency. It was then when athletes finally started to adopt the roman sandals as a running footwear.

The sole of the sandals had to be securely attached to the feet necessitating the development of leather thongs which are wrapped to the ankle and sometimes, to the lower leg. Sometime between the Greek and the Roman civilization, a period called the Etruscans, existed. The Etruscans lived in the Northern Italy. They were well known for many crafts - this included sandal making. The Etruscans developed a certain technique which attached the sandal sole to the upper part of the shoe using metal tracks. Before the Etruscans existed, the sandals broke easily. Right as soon as the tacks could hold the shoes together, it coincidentally offered a great sole traction to the ground and then the crude running shoe was developed. The biggest challenge for Romans was how the track shoe could hold next to the foot and this was achieved through the use of tongs which was wrapped around the foot and the leg.

When the Fall of the Roman Empire ended, the craft of the sandal-making almost ended. Throughout the Middle Ages, sports were played in different cultures but it was not until the 17th and 18th centuries when the British started to appear and keep up with the Greek traditions of racing in a straight line.

A Frenchman by the name of Baron Pierre de Coubertin saw a great opportunity. He wanted to bring all the trading nations on the field of athletics. This became a good commercial privilege for suppliers to manufacture athletics footwear and clothing. Just very recently, the athletic sandals made reappearances in a wide range of guises. One of these guises was the invention of the present-day Roman sandals. A type of Roman sandals became very popular during the nineteen sixties and the early seventies. It never became clear if the shoe "exercised" the foot in its intrinsic shape or if it was simply the ideal footwear to exercise in. It was shaped like the sole of the foot and seemingly combined the properties of a simple sandal with a clog.

These days, Roman sandals are not only worn as an athletic footwear. It has also become a very popular fashion piece. Men and women alike, athletes and non-athletes love to put on their Roman sandals for its durable function and over-the-edge style.