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Proper Medieval Footwear

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Ian:
As for spur straps, a proper supple sole allows the spur strap to naturally go in to the arch of your foot and you wouldn't be walking on it like you describe.

Sir Douglas:
Heh, I started with those MRL boots with the soft sole, too. I actually found them rather comfortable, probably because I do spend a lot of time walking barefoot (Or in socks if it's cold. I go through socks like crazy...).

I settled for the Viking Leather shoes because...well...I'm cheap. And for my purposes, they're good enough for now. I had originally planned to make my own, but was kind of iffy about making shoes. Some places say correct shaping of the vamps is important, others say it doesn't really matter that much and that there often wasn't even a proper "left" and "right" in medieval shoes. I was basically worried that I'd end up hobbling myself because I messed up something.

I'm curious, though, as to what they did in snow. Pattens would work for a few inches but what about really deep snow? Bigger pattens? Stay indoors? It just doesn't seem like turnshoes would be very protective in the snow.

Ian:
A rand in between the vamps and the sole will help make the shoe more watertight, but it's definitely an issue.  Christian Cameron recently wore his harness in the snow with authentic turnshoes and said they held up quite well.  I've never done it myself.

If you're interested in making your own Doug, these two books are probably some of the best resources to get your started on proper construction and technique:
Shoes and Pattens
or
Stepping Through Time

Sir Douglas:
I wonder if they also could have had some kind of oil mixture to help weatherproof it. I'm sure they had some kind of clever solution for snow that we don't know about. Then again, if Mr. Cameron wore his without issue, then it may not have been that big of a problem to them in the first place. Who knows?



--- Quote from: Ian on 2014-02-04, 22:31:20 ---If you're interested in making your own Doug, these two books are probably some of the best resources to get your started on proper construction and technique:
Shoes and Pattens
or
Stepping Through Time

--- End quote ---
See, this is why I like you; you always know where to find awesome stuff for Do-It-Yourselfers. But at the same time, I also hate you for that very same reason. Just when I think I have everything I need some other goodie comes along. ;)

Ian:
Oil mixed with beeswax was a practice for finishing leather.  But long-term water exposure would still be tough to fight I think.

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