Re: More queries

[Matthew Allen Newsome <mnewsome@warren-wilson.edu>]

In regards to your query for period shoes, I can reccommend no better 
sourcebook than :
Grew, Francis and Margrethe de Neergaard.  _Medieval Finds From 
Excavations in London: 2, SHOES AND PATTENS.  London;, HMS, 1994 (orig. 
1988).  ISBN 0 11 290443 2
And I could reccomend no better teacher (my teacher, by the way) than 
Lord Gawain Kilgore
<gregsta@microsoft.com>
<kilgore@vnet.com>

This book (and this teacher), will help you in the production of a simple 
(or extravegant, depending on how daring you are) leather medieval 
turnshoe, common for the periods 1100-1400.  If you want something cheap, 
simple, disposable, and entirely period, however, read below.
The footwear of the common Gael (in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands) 
changes little between the pre-Roman days untill the Rennasaince.  
Basically, they wore what were called cruarans (or brogs).  These simple 
shoes were made from a single peice of hide (usually deer or cow, because 
it was cheap and available-- I use rabbit fur because it is cheap and 
available, although it doesn't last as long).  The peice was cut out so 
that it when the foot was placed in the center of it, it was able to be 
pulled up around the foot.  Holes were punched around the perimeter of 
the hide.  The holes on the heel part should be spaced a few inches 
apart, with the holes around the rest of the hide being closer together.  
Take a single strap of leather thong, and lace the close together holes 
like you would a tenns shoe.  Putr your foot in  Then run the rest of the 
lace through the heel holes and tie it around youe ankle.  Viola!  
Shoeage.  The fur side was always worn out, and sometimes holes were also 
punched in the bottom of the shoe so that water could run out easily 
(they apparantly didn't take them off when they crossed streams).  An 
alternate way of lacing is just to run the lace around through all the 
holes and pulling it tight around youe foot (without the back-and-forth 
lacing as done before).  Of course, the Scots and Irish went barefooted 
most of the year, unless the weather grew too cold. 
I hope these instructions weren't too complicated, but so far, this is 
the simplest form of period shoe I know (aside from going barefoot).  If 
you need clarification, feel free to contact me via email.
Aye,
Eogan
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