In Greek mythology, Hermes’s winged footwear was called the Talaria.
The Talaria were magical winged sandals that allowed Hermes to travel rapidly between the realms of gods, mortals, and the dead. Hermes was the Olympian messenger and also a god of travel, trade, boundaries, luck, language, and cunning. Speed and movement were therefore central to his traditional imagery.
The sandals are often shown with wings attached near the ankles. Ancient and later artists also depicted Hermes wearing a winged hat called a petasos. These objects are sometimes mixed up with the caduceus, the staff associated with Hermes, but the caduceus was not his footwear.
Hermes’s Roman counterpart was Mercury. The name Talaria comes from a Greek term connected with the ankle, reflecting the location of the wings. Modern images of winged shoes and messenger symbols often draw on this classical description.