was patented in 1926 by Jesse S. Harding. As retail space became increasingly expensive it became necessary to display shoes and other clothing items in a more space efficient way. The first modern shoe hanger was filed by the Japanese Tsuneji Matsubara in 1970 and consisted of a base with an element for placing a pair of shoes adjacent to each other. Various improvements were made over the next few decades to accommodate the storage and display of different types of shoes, as seen in the wing, hook, and clip designs. See also Clothes hanger Shoe rack References Shoes Domestic implements