The Shoes

   There are little or no examples of Early Shoes in the archaeological record, although many words remain in the Linguistic record. We can only assume that all remains have disappeared indicating that shoes were stitched and made of degradeable materials.
   As the later shoes are made in quite a sophisticated way, I would assume that early shoes would be of rather clumsy construction.

 

Pampooties
   Pampooties worn from ancient times in Scotland and Ireland are illustrated here, as the type of shoe the Pagan Anglo-Saxons may have worn. To make these shoes you will need some soft leather, 2 leather thongs 85-100 cm long and 5-8mm thick, 1 leather thong 30cm long and 2-5mm thick, and a craft knife or sharp scissors.
  • Measure your feet. The width at the heel should be sufficient to come halfway up your ankle. The length should be to go from your heal the length of your foot and fold over to halfway up your big toe.
  • On a piece of paper, draw a rectangle using these measurements.
  • Adjust the rectangle in the following way. (The black marks are positions of threading holes for a fastening.)
  •    Lay your pattern piece on the flesh side of your leather, draw round and cut out with a craft knife or sharp scissors. Repeat for the other shoe.
  • Mark the slits for the for the thong as shown above; 2 in the central tag; 1 in each side tag and 6 at the heel. Down each side mark slits about 1 inch/2.5 cm apart then mark again from the heel end about 5mm after each previously marked slit.
  • Slits at the toe and heel should be about 2-3mm wide; slits on the sides should be about 6-10mm wide.
  • Tie a knot in the short, narrow thong and thread it through the holes at the heel. Pull it tight to gather the leather and tie a second knot to hold it in place. Cut off any excess.
  • Cut a slit in the end of the remaining short, narrow thong and thread the other end through, cutting off a small length so that about 5mm is left stuck through the long piece.
  • With this thread lace up the toe in the following way:
    • from the flesh side down through 1, 2 and 3 and then up through 4, 5 and 6.
  • Pull the thong tight so that the toe folds up.
  • Cut a slit in the end of the thong and thread a small piece through to lock the toe in position. Cut off any excess.
  • Now take the long thong and cut a slit in the end.
  • Thread this thong from the flesh to grain side through the end slits on either side of the toe end so that they overlap.
  • Thread from flesh to grain side through the next slit on one side, then through the slit in the end of the thong.
  • Pull tight and continue threading up and down through the slits in the sides until you reach the back (the thong should end up inside the shoe at the back).
  • Repeat for the other side of the shoe.
  • Take the left thong from the back and thread it through a slit about halfway along the right side of the shoe.
  • Take the right thong from the back and thread it through a slit about halfway along the left side of the shoe.
  • To wear the shoes, pull the thongs open to opposite sides and put your foot in the miidle of the them.
  • Then pull the thongs tight and tie over the top of your foot or around your heel.

Shoes shown tied around the heel.

Sources:
The Vanaheim Guide to Gear Making compiled by Jennifer Bray

© Rosie Wilkin 2003
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