Galoshes (from ), also known as
gumshoes,
dickersons, or
overshoes, are a type of
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
bootA boot is a type of footwear that covers the foot and the ankle and extends up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece. Traditionally made of leather or rubber,...
that is slipped over
shoeA shoe is an item of footwear evolved at first to protect the human foot and later, additionally, as an item of decoration in itself. The foot contains more bones than any other single part of the body, and has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years in relation to vastly varied terrain and...
s to keep them from getting muddy or wet. The word Galoshes might be used interchangeably with
bootA boot is a type of footwear that covers the foot and the ankle and extends up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece. Traditionally made of leather or rubber,...
, especially a rubberized boot. Properly speaking, however, galoshes are synonymous with rain boots often reaching heights just below the knee.
The term may trace back to the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
, from the Gaulish
shoeA shoe is an item of footwear evolved at first to protect the human foot and later, additionally, as an item of decoration in itself. The foot contains more bones than any other single part of the body, and has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years in relation to vastly varied terrain and...
or gallicae.
Galoshes (from ), also known as
gumshoes,
dickersons, or
overshoes, are a type of
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
bootA boot is a type of footwear that covers the foot and the ankle and extends up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece. Traditionally made of leather or rubber,...
that is slipped over
shoeA shoe is an item of footwear evolved at first to protect the human foot and later, additionally, as an item of decoration in itself. The foot contains more bones than any other single part of the body, and has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years in relation to vastly varied terrain and...
s to keep them from getting muddy or wet. The word Galoshes might be used interchangeably with
bootA boot is a type of footwear that covers the foot and the ankle and extends up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece. Traditionally made of leather or rubber,...
, especially a rubberized boot. Properly speaking, however, galoshes are synonymous with rain boots often reaching heights just below the knee.
History
The term may trace back to the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
, from the Gaulish
shoeA shoe is an item of footwear evolved at first to protect the human foot and later, additionally, as an item of decoration in itself. The foot contains more bones than any other single part of the body, and has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years in relation to vastly varied terrain and...
or gallicae. This shoe had a leather upper and a
soleSole may refer to:* Sole , the bottom of the foot* Sole , the bottom supporting member of the shoe-In business:* Sole proprietorship, a business which legally has no separate existence from its owner...
carved of wood. When the
RomansAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
conquered
GaulGaul is a historical name used in the context of the Roman Empire in references to the region of Western Europe approximating present day France and Belgium, but also sometimes including the Po Valley, western Switzerland, and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the River...
(
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
), they borrowed the Gaulish boot style. Nobles would wear a red leather boot with ornately carved wooden soles to display their station.
The term originally referred to wooden shoes or patten, or merely a wooden
soleSole may refer to:* Sole , the bottom of the foot* Sole , the bottom supporting member of the shoe-In business:* Sole proprietorship, a business which legally has no separate existence from its owner...
fastened to the foot by a strap or cord. Pattens were overshoes with tall, shaped wooden bases and mules or slippers into which one could slip their indoor shoes. In this respect, they could be considered similar to galoshes.
"Goloshes" appears to be the older spelling of
Galoshes used previously in Great Britain. The spelling perhaps changed around 1920 to the present day spelling. A discussion took place in November 2007 on the Victoria Web Discussion group.
Today
In modern usage, it is an outer shoe worn in inclement weather to protect the inner one, and keep the feet dry. Galoshes are now almost universally made of rubber, and in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
they are often known as "rubbers." In the bootmakers' trade, a "galosh" is the piece of
leatherLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
, of a make stronger than, or different from that of the "uppers", which runs around the bottom part of a boot or shoe, just above the sole.
A more modern term for galoshes is overshoes. Overshoes have evolved in the past decades and now are being made with more advanced features such as high traction outsoles that are found on NEOS Overshoes.
The transition from a traditional wooden sole to one of vulcanized rubber may be attributed to
Charles GoodyearCharles Goodyear was the first American to vulcanize rubber, a process which he discovered in 1839 and patented on June 15, 1844...
and
Leverett CandeeLeverett Candee was an industrialist, businessman, and pioneer rubber manufacturer.-Life:Candee went to New Haven at the age of fifteen after receiving a minimal education at the local school in Oxford, Connecticut. There he obtained employment first with a Gad Peck who was a merchant in foreign...
. The qualities of
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
, though fascinating to
GoodyearCharles Goodyear was the first American to vulcanize rubber, a process which he discovered in 1839 and patented on June 15, 1844...
, were highly dependent on temperature, tacky when hot, brittle when cold.
VulcanizationVulcanization or vulcanisation refers to a specific curing process of rubber involving high heat and the addition of sulfur or other equivalent curatives. It is a chemical process in which polymer molecules are linked to other polymer molecules by atomic bridges composed of sulfur atoms or carbon...
of rubber tempered its properties so that it was easily molded, durable, and tough. A rubberized elastic webbing made Goodyear's galoshes (circa 1890) easy to pull on and off.
An unconfirmed legend states that an Englishman named
RadleyRadley is a village and civil parish about northwest of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Lower Radley on the River Thames. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire.-Parish church:...
invented galoshes. He suffered from
rheumatismRheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
and wanted to keep his feet dry. While reading De Bello Gallico by
Julius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar , , was a Roman military and political leader. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
he noticed a description of protective cloth overshoes "gallicae" and decided to capitalize on the idea. He patented cloth overshoes reinforced with
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
to keep the feet dry.
There are also records of a black inventor by the name of Alvin Longo Rickman, who received a patent for an overshoe in 1898.
There are two basic types. One is like an oversize shoe or low boot, made of thick rubber with a heavy
soleSole may refer to:* Sole , the bottom of the foot* Sole , the bottom supporting member of the shoe-In business:* Sole proprietorship, a business which legally has no separate existence from its owner...
and instep, designed for heavy-duty use. The other is of much thinner, more flexible material, more like a rubber
slipperA slipper or houseshoe is an semi-closed type of indoor footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by a a strap running over the toes or instep...
, designed solely for protection against the wet rather than for extensive walking.
In
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, galoshes have been an indispensable attribute of
valenkiValenki are traditional Russian winter footwear, essentially felt boots. Its very name, valenki literally means, "made by felting". Valenki are made of wool felt. They are not water-resistant, therefore they are often worn with galoshes to protect the felt. Galoshes also protect the valenki soles...
.
In the upper U.S. Midwest, school children know the black rubber, over-the-shoe boot as "four-buckle arctics".
Galoshes in media
- Russia
Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n FMIn most of the world, the FM broadcast band, used for broadcasting FM radio stations, goes from 87.5 to 108.0 MHz. In Japan the FM broadcast band is 76–90 MHz, unlike any other country in the world. The OIRT band in Eastern Europe is 65.8–74 MHz....
radio stationRadio broadcasting is an audio broadcasting service, broadcast through the air as radio waves from a transmitter to an antenna and a thus to a receiving device. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast common programming, either in syndication or simulcast or both...
Silver Rain RadioSilver Rain Radio is a Russian FM radio station since July 4, 1995. Radio frequency in Russia - 100,1 FM. Initiator of the Silver Galosh Award for the most dubious achievements in show business every year. This prise awarded at the congress-hall of Radisson-Slavyanskaya hotel. Is know to be the...
has presented a "Silver Galosh Award" for the most dubious achievements in show businessShow business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element...
every year since 1996. This references the Russian idiomAn idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has figurative meaning — its implication comprehended only through common use; whereas the literal definition of the idiom, itself, does not communicate its meaning as a figurative usage.In linguistics, idioms are usually presumed to be figures of...
"to sit into a galosh", which means "to get into a mess".
- Gummo Marx
Milton "Gummo" Marx was the fourth-born of the Marx Brothers. Born in New York City, he worked with his brothers on the vaudeville circuit, but left acting when he was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War I, years before his four brothers began their legendary film career...
, the fifth of the Marx brothersThe Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
, who quit the act during the family's vaudeville days and thus never appeared in a Marx brothers film, was nicknamed by Art Fisher based on his habit of always wearing gumshoes. While all the other performers wore street shoes, and thus made a loud noise when they walked on a hardwood stage, Milton (Gummo) was known for startling people by appearing suddenly from out of nowhere, because the gumshoes on his feet gave him a nearly soundless footfall.
- Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", "The Snow Queen", "The Little Mermaid", "Thumbelina", "The Little Match Girl", and the "The Ugly Duckling".During his lifetime he was acclaimed for having delighted...
wrote a fairy tale The Goloshes of Fortune about magic galoshes which made every wish of their bearers true, but this often didn't bring them real fortune or happiness. There are children's movies based on this tale, The Magic Galoshes (CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
| AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
| GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, 1986) and RussianRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Galoshi schastya .
- Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notably known for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots, and also for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver. After a five-year hiatus, the STP reunion tour kicked off at the Rock on the...
's new solo is titled "Happy In Galoshes", which was released November 25th
- The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
refer to them as a joke in the 'Strange Tale of The Crack Fox' episode, series 3.