Why are tiger-headed shoes made by traditional folk handicrafts circulated among the people in the north?

Tiger shoes, a kind of children's shoes made by traditional folk crafts in China, are called tiger shoes because their toes look like the heads of tigers.

"If you can walk, wear a cat's head first." The cat head here is also called tiger head shoes.

Why do northerners call them "cat-headed" shoes? Because the tiger is a cat and looks like a cat, the shoes made from the tiger's head are very similar to the cat's head. It is easier to have a teasing feeling for children and easier for children to accept. I remember when I was a child, whenever I cried, my parents would always coax me and scare me. Don't cry, and then the cat comes. The "cat" here should also mean tiger.

The tiger is a symbol of prestige, courage and dignity. These characteristics of tigers greatly cater to people's good wishes of borrowing things to pray. People believe that tigers can protect the life and safety of babies. Tiger shoes not only have practical value, but also have ornamental value. At the same time, it is a kind of mascot, which is endowed with the function of exorcising ghosts and evil spirits.

The time for children to wear tiger-headed shoes is after 100 days. People think that the tiger is the king of beasts, which means good luck and good luck. Children wearing tiger-headed shoes will have bright eyes and good ears in the future and will be popular when they grow up.

The spacious interior space and wide sole of tiger-headed shoes are beneficial to the growth and development of children's feet, and can also keep warm and cold; It can not only meet the safety protection of children's feet, but also make shoes touch the ground in a large area to help children walk down-to-earth and steadily.

Tiger-headed shoes with bright colors and vivid and exaggerated shapes satisfy people's aesthetic taste and convey love and blessings through the image of a tiger.

There are many styles, different colors and obvious regional characteristics of folk tiger-headed shoes in Henan. But the colors are basically bright and bright, and the styles are mostly rough and exaggerated. Big face, big eyes, big mouth and many ornaments are the most remarkable features. Folk tiger-headed shoes in Henan are generally complicated in workmanship, decorated and relatively cumbersome. In addition to the basic characteristics of tiger head, materials such as colored thread, lace, cloth, wool, fur, metal sheet, beads, buttons, ribbons, etc. Often used in a complicated way, and with thick stitches, the rough and heavy atmosphere is more intense. It contains the thick folk customs and unrestrained humanistic characteristics of the Central Plains.

Don't underestimate a pair of small tiger-headed shoes, from playing tricks to receiving soles, from making uppers to embroidering, which embodies the wisdom and sweat of relatives. The sewing of tiger-headed shoes generally starts with paper-cut patterns, and according to the patterns summarized in advance, three patterns of toe, upper and sole are cut out. Then stick them on the cloth, cut them according to the pattern, and then stick the fabric on the cut cloth. Fabric is usually silk, satin or cotton, and the choice of color is generally different according to local customs, such as red, yellow and blue. The fabric is bonded to the fabric and dried.

Besides mastering various techniques such as tailoring, sewing and embroidery, it also needs certain artistic imagination and creativity to sew unique tiger-head shoes.

"Master" can skillfully process those common colored lines into tiger whiskers, tiger eyebrows or tiger skins, and those colorful cloth heads, after patchwork and mastery, suddenly become tiger eyes, tiger mouths, tiger ears and tiger tails. Some also use beads, buttons and other things to directly replace the tiger's eyes and nose; Some use fur to edge tiger ears, tiger eyes and shoes. , increased the decorative. When children are walking or playing, shiny metal pieces and furry fur complement the bright and dazzling word "Wang" on the tiger's head.

The craft has been passed down from generation to generation, and with the development of the times, some innovations and improvements have been made on the basis of tradition. This seemingly ordinary communication and improvement has injected a steady stream of nutrients and fresh blood into the huge body of folk crafts that have been passed down for thousands of years.

In a word, Tiger-headed shoes have pinned the good wishes of the old people for their children and conveyed people's deep love and good expectations for their children!

Did you wear it when you were a child?