Hwa are a type of traditional Korean boot, which, along with yi (이), is a subdivision of Korean shoes. The yi refers to all kind of shoes that do not go up to ankle. Hwa are usually made of leather, and artisans who make the shoes are called hwajang (화장). It was originally worn by northern kingdoms of Korea. The horse-riding cultures of the North appear to have typically worn leather boots (hwa), while the farmers of the South wore shoes of leather or straw (hye). Different types of boots were worn by military and civil officials.
