An archaeological find that indicates the Chinese people had invented durable leather shoes as early as 2000 years ago has been made in the north of the country.

Comprising a batch of shoes, the find was made by archaeologists digging at the Xuanquanzhi Ruins in Dunhuang, Gangsu Province, a communication hub between Dunhuang City and An'xi County. Speaking to the national news agency Xinhua, the archaeologists reported that the footwear dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.220).

The shoes are said to look slightly different from their modern counterparts, being elliptically shaped without any buckle or lace and no difference between the right and left. They are entirely made from pigskin or sheepskin, including the sole, and were likely to have been much more durable and warm than their straw or linen-based contemporaries.

Men’s, women’s and children’s sizes were all found, indicating that leather shoes were quite commonplace in the Dunhuang area at that time.