Early medieval shoes. Historical view.
Finds from the Viking era have been preserved in good condition and there are quite a lot of them. The most famous are the finds from Hedeby, the largest Viking city in Denmark, and from Birka. Equally known and important are popular early medieval shoes fastened with straps and buttons from York and Viborg shoes from Denmark. We also know Borgund shoes from Norway, shoes from Dorestad, a medieval port at the mouth of the Rhine in the Netherlands, and shoes from Lund in Sweden.
An even larger number of early medieval shoes were found in the lands of the Slavs. Finds from Viperrow, Opole, Gdańsk, Wolin, and further east Novgorod and Staraya Ladoga. They indicate that in the Viking Age we also had a division into east and west.
The shoes from Opole deserve attention. Very richly embroidered. Several large fragments of uppers and hundreds of smaller pieces of leather were found in various settlement layers. High shoes from Novgorod are also very characteristic. They are dated to the 11th century, although tables in publications date them from the 11th to the 13th century.
Making early medieval shoes. Once.
How were shoes made in the early Middle Ages? We have at our disposal a huge number of artifacts from shoemakers’ workshops of that time. Iron needles were used to sew shoes. The use of extremely hard boar hair for sewing shoes was also known.
The shoes were sewn with twisted linen thread, the so-called twine. Beeswax was used to make sewing easier and to seal the seams, which was very popular in the Middle Ages, not only for skin care.
What kind of skins were used? Generally, goat, horse and cattle skins as well as skins of game animals such as deer were used. Skins of other animal species were also occasionally used. The thickness of the leather depended on the use of the leather.
Goatskin, thin and strong, probably used for more refined use. And the soles were certainly made from horse leather. A shoemaker in a shoemaker’s workshop at that time used cutting knives and awls to prepare holes. I don’t know of any finds of patterns, but I guess that every respectable shoemaker’s workshop had patterns. Possibly wooden or leather, made of stiffly tanned leather. After selecting the leather, the shoemaker could start making the shoes.
Wooden hooves dating back to the 10th century were found. It is also believed that before the 10th century, shoes were made universally, which means that there was no distinction between left and right shoes. Today we cannot imagine it. But that was the reality. The sewing itself was done with a straight or tunnel seam, depending on the place of sewing. The shoe was sewn on the wrong side and after sewing it was turned out, hence the name turned shoes.
Making early medieval shoes. Today.
I have over 20 years of experience in making medieval footwear. Hundreds of shoes made prove the popularity of my products and the quality of the shoes.
I make shoes using medieval methods, I use cowhide leather up to 3-3.5 mm thick, which guarantees long durability. I use the highest quality, full-grain, natural leather. This means that the face of the leather is not covered with any paint or retouched. Natural discolorations and irregularities only add an authentic look to the finished products.
I make quite small holes in the leather, which makes sewing very difficult. However, this is undoubtedly an advantage for the customer when he uses the shoes on rainy days because it makes them relatively waterproof.
I achieve extraordinary durability of my shoes because I don’t cut corners. I work hard to ensure that the shoes serve you for a long time. I don’t care about the philosophy of programmable quality :). For durability, after the shoes are turned over, I add a thick and stiff sole, which gives you an 8 mm thick layer of leather that isolates your foot from the ground.
I create shoe patterns from experience. I have been participating in historical events for over 20 years. Contact with customers is used to constantly improve shoes for you, modern Vikings, Slavs, or lovers of the Middle Ages, LARP and COSPLAY.
How to care for early medieval shoes? Use and durability of WOJMIRA shoes.
The way they are made, care for durability and, above all, the preservation of medieval sewing techniques mean that newly made shoes may be less comfortable at the beginning of use than the shoes you wear every day. To minimize this feeling, I add felt inserts to each pair of shoes purchased, which ensures full comfort of use.
However, it is certain that once the shoes are used, they will quickly become very comfortable. They are often used even after historical events by slightly more extravagant reenactors.
What should you do after purchasing shoes? The answer is: put it on, go to a historical event and have fun! Remember, however… During a rainy party, when you are soaked and want to dry quickly, DO NOT PUT YOUR SHOES INTO THE FIRE. The skin does not like quick drying. The impregnation “burns off” a