Late Medieval Pattens

[Ian]

Just finished up a pair of late medieval pattens.  They're a wooden overshoe that you wear strapped to your turnshoes when walking through things unsuitable for just the leather of your shoes.  This particular design was inspired by one of the examples in Olaf Goubitz's Stepping Through Time.  James Barker helped me with the woodwork.

The photos roughly show the steps of making one if you want to try it.  The wooden portion is from a board of poplar.  It was planed and then roughed out on a bandsaw.  The shaping was finished with a belt-sander, and eventually by hand sanding.

The wood is then finished with boiled linseed oil.

A pattern was drawn on to blue painter's tape with a sharpie with my turnshoe on there and a dummy foot so I could make it fit properly.  Then the pattern was laid flat on some freezer paper and traced as individual parts so I could save the pattern for future use and apply it to the leather.

The patterns are then traced on to the leather (6-7 oz veg tan cow) and then cut out and dyed.

Pilot holes are drilled in to the pattens to avoid splitting and steel cut nails (closest modernly available 'medieval' nails short of forging them) are nailed in place to secure the leathers. (These nails are affordable and readily available for your medieval woodworking projects here: #CW2M, the first listed box will get you about 200 nails for $19)

The strap is punched with holes and secured by another nail driven through both leathers, and is adjustable.






















and the inspiration from Stepping Through Time:

[Thorsteinn]

 

[Sir William]

You'll be the belle of the ball in those heels, Sir Ian. 

[Ian]

You'll be the belle of the ball in those heels, Sir Ian. 

lol, I imagine they take just as much getting used to while walking in them.

[Sir James A]

That nail through the strap thing is interesting. I wonder why they did that instead of a common buckle?

Fantastic work, Sir Ian!

[Sir Patrick]

Nice job!

[Sir Edward]

Awesome, very cool!

[Lord Dane]

Nice work Ian. But we expect nothing less of your skill.
What were the wooden platforms worn for by the way?? I have seen them before in period text. What would be common occasion for their use?

[Ian]

Nice work Ian. But we expect nothing less of your skill.
What were the wooden platforms worn for by the way?? I have seen them before in period text. What would be common occasion for their use?

Lord Dane, thank you.  As for their use they would normally be used for walking on surfaces unsuitable for just your leather turnshoes like mud, snow or any wet surface really.   They come in just about as many different styles as shoes do as well.  Some had a makeshift hinge (two pieces of wood hinged by a nailed in piece of double thick leather), some had heel straps, the shapes vary wildly as well.  But basically they save your shoes. 

[Sir Edward]

Pattens tend to be overlooked a lot in most circles these days. We were really impressed one night at Pennsic, when we saw a couple that went over to the dance tent, in very detailed and accurate 14th century garb, including pattens. It's not something you see a lot at Pennsic, so it really stood out.

[Sir William]

I've never seen them being worn, have only seen them in pics- so I look forward to seeing them in-person at some point.  They are rarely referred to in medieval fiction, almost like they never existed and people just trudged thru inclement weather with sodden feet.  I imagine they take some getting used to, much like high heels.  I was just giving Sir Ian a hard time, but these look really swift.

[Paulus von Zurich]

Fantastic! You had the best teacher available. If James knows one thing, it is craftsmanship and how to make a man look good in heels...wait, that's two things he knows.

[Sir Wolf]

lol james barker can't "quit" anyone lol

[Don Jorge]

Lol...those are wonderful!