Caligae Construction

[Martin Moser]

Does one need much training to build a pair of caligae if material and basic tools are provided?

Yes and no. It depends on how much you want to follow the original techniques and how much you want the result to look like any of the surviving originals. It also depends on how much talent you have building stuff, some people learn lightning fast, others never it seems. At any rate, it certainly takes a couple of pairs until one's able to produce caligae that are reasonable close to the style and techniques the originals show. The best way to learn is to try. And try. Accompanied by research.

Does it require much skill to repair them?

Not necessarily, looking at original repairs. These are often quite crudely done, so probably either by the owner himself or quickly and cheaply if they were paid for.