Medieval footwear

A contemporary approach to medieval turned shoes

You will need

• An old sock (it will get cut up in the making of the pattern - Doesn't need to be YOUR sock. In fact, a bigger one than your own would be good as it will contract less when cut off)
• Gaffer tape (for making the pattern).
• An awl (available from craft shops or a saddlery/leather shop)
• A good, sharp stanley or craft knife, to cut the leather with.
• Sturdy scissors/shears (for cutting the thread and pattern and/or leather)
• A piece of scrap wood (for backing when you push the awl through the leather)
• The type of socks you intend to wear with the shoes
• An idea of the style (culture & period) of shoe you would prefer (so the basic shape can be cut and shaped appropriately to the period/culture style)
• Insoles if you intend to wear them (highly recommended, as one layer of leather is not much between the sole of your foot and a gravel footpath!)
• A marking wheel (not essential, but a great help to ensure even stitching)
• 2 needles for sewing the leather (Saddlery needles or equivalent)
• Waxed thread
• Leather - as thick as possible for the soles, flexible for the upper.
• A small pair of pliers (to help pull needles through the leather) is also highly recommended

Pattern making process:

1. Put on the old sock. If you intend to wear an insole in your shoe and/or socks under your shoe, put these on UNDER the old sock to ensure the pattern will allow space for these within the completed shoe.
2. Cover the old sock with gaffer tape, going up the ankle to the height you want the shoe to reach.
3. Cut through the old sock and gaffer tape along the lines that will be the seam lines of your shoes, being VERY careful not to cut the foot beneath (or the other socks and insole if using these).

You now have a "pattern" somewhat curved and crumpled, but closely aligned to the size and shape appropriate for the pieces you will cut to make your shoes.

Next, flatten and spread the pattern pieces onto the leather and draw around each piece. Ensure you flatten all wrinkles in the gaffer tape to ensure the cut sock hasn't contracted (which would result in too small a pattern). If necessary, adjust the drawn shape if your cutting of the pieces was a little "wonky". Test the sole shape by standing on it and adjusting the drawn lines as necessary before you cut.

Allow a small amount of "seam allowance" on each cut edge. The sole only needs 2-3mm extra all round, while the upper needs 3-5mm on each cut edge that will be stitched (ie around the edge where the upper has been cut from the sole, allow 3-5mm and at any vertical cut from ankle to sole allow 3-5mm extra at each cut edge.)

Flip each piece of the pattern over and repeat for the other foot. (You don't want to end up with 2 left feet!)

Now cut along the drawn lines with a sharp craft knife, Stanley knife or sturdy scissors/shears.

You now have 4 (or more depending on the period and culture you chose) pieces cut and ready to mark.

With the marking wheel, mark the edges that will be stitched. These nifty little wheels indent the leather with evenly spaced marks which enable you to pierce stitching holes at evenly distributed intervals, resulting in a very professional looking stitching line.

Since you now have beautifully even markings showing you where your stitches should go (every second dot should be sufficient for a hole) it is time to make the holes. This "pre-drilling" will make the sewing considerably easier than trying to pierce the leather with a threaded needle. The holes do tend to "self heal" and you may need to re-pierce using the awl during the stitching process if the holes have contracted too much and this is making stitching difficult.

Using the awl, push through the leather into the scrap timber to pierce the stitching holes.

In the uppers, just pierce straight down through the leather.

In the thicker material of the sole, pierce the holes at an angle diagonally from the "suede" side of the leather outwards to the cut edge.

Once all the holes are punched in all pieces, the stitching can begin. Conventional wisdom suggests starting stitching in the centre of the toe of one foot, but it can be a good idea to mark the corresponding starting point on the other shoe pieces too, to get the best chance of matching shoe shapes once you finish. Matching these points once one shoe has been stitched is considerably more difficult than matching them while both are still "flat".

You will need to thread one length of waxed thread into the 2 needles (one needle on each end). Line up the upper with the sole, "suede" sides out and smooth leather sides together, aligning pierced holes, and push one needle through both layers of leather. As near as possible, centre the thread in the first hole so you have equal lengths of thread on each needle on each side of the leather.

From this starting point, one needle goes through the double layer of leather from top to bottom, and the other needle then comes through the SAME holes through the double layer of leather from bottom to top. Pull this stitch tight (not too tight or you may tear the flesh of the diagonal holes through the sole leather, but as firm as you can without tearing) then make the next stitch in the same way, continuing round the shoe until you reach the cut end of the upper or run out of thread.

Stitching the leather is hard on the hands. You may find a thimble helpful or getting some extra leverage on the needle by pressing the end of the needle against the scrap of wood as you push through the leather. A pair of pliers can help pull the needle through the leather and save your hands.

When tying off the thread, pass it back through a couple of stitches for neatness & strength. Then with a new piece of thread, return to your starting point and sew from the toe towards the other cut end of the upper. If you intend to lace along the cut ends of the upper, the 2 cut ends should just meet. If you intend to lace along the top of the foot, overlap the cut ends slightly so you can sew a flat seam from the sole up to the opening.

Don't stitch all of the opening - you will need to leave at least part of it open to allow you to turn the shoe the right way in. You will now turn the shoe so the stitching is on the inside. In order to do this, you may need to soak the shoe in water to soften the hard sole and make it flexible enough to turn.

There's more than one way to turn a shoe …

Now your shoe is turned, finish stitching the upper and insert your insole if you're using one. Punch holes for any lacing, add leather thong laces and there you have it - Footwear fit for a Viking! (or a Norman…)

Some of members found that their completed shoes were a bit tight, but soaking in water and wearing round the house resulted in stretching making for a reasonably comfy fit.

Some useful sources of information and patterns based on archaeological finds:

• Footwear of the Middle Ages by I. Marc Carlson 1995.
• The art and mystery of a cordwainer or, an essay on the principles and practice of boot and shoe-making with illustrative copper plates, by John F Rees, 1813
• Shoe from Parliament Street, York
• Fragment of a medieval shoe from Newcastle upon Tyne, & recreated shoe based on the fragment
• Norse accessories - includes photos of goatskin shoes found in Coppergate, York

Last Updated Saturday, February 24 2007 @ 05:53 PM