1st century Calceus

[Martin Moser]

After having done a sort of prototype earlier this year, I got around to make a pair for myself that is following the originals more closely in constructional details as described by Goepfrich in Lederfunde athan the first pair did.

First I added an inner lining. The originals do not preserve the lining itself, only the stitching holes indicating there was one. Since the leather is pretty well preserved otherwise I chose linnen for this. The tying loops are reinforced on the inside. The edges are reinforced with stitching.





The thin upper leather (I used goat skin, ca. 0,7mm thick) is reinforced as with the original by a leather "frame", basically a long strip of leather, sewn to the inner sole and layed double.



Frame and upper are glued to each other and the inner sole. The outer sole is then sewn on through all those layers.

[Martin Moser]

And a few pics of the finished pair:

[Robert]

I stand in wonder! Did the caligae go out off fashion in the late first century to be replaced by these or are they footwear for riders and officers?

[Mark Headlee]

Martin,

Oooooooooo....I can't wait for mine......again Martin you are one of the most skilled historical shoe makers I have ever had the honor of knowing and owning your works, hands down!

Oh, are these shoes dyed with the same iron dye you used on my Vindolanda shoes?

Regardless, laudes to you amigo!

[Martin Moser]

Hi Mark,

Oh, are these shoes dyed with the same iron dye you used on my Vindolanda shoes?

yes, although since in this case it is applied to the flesh side and since the leather is different, I find it comes out a tad more blackish from the start. I'm curious to see how good and long this lasts ...

[Peroni]

Very nice Martin!

When ever I have used an iron dye on veg-tan I never just painted on to the leather. I soak the leather in the dye-bath so that it penetrates through the entire piece. It never fades to brown or wears off!

It takes about a day or two to achieve the deepest grey colour before oiling.

[Martin Wallgren]

Ooooh!

Don´t do this. The agony of waiting!

[Publius Aelius Lucius]

hock: hock: hock:

excellent Martin! laudes to you

(und danke für deine tollen anleitungen und fotos)

[Mark Headlee]

Martin,

Did the soles of these shoes survive? If so (or if not) what or did they have a specific hobnail pattern? Just wondering....

[Martin Moser]

Did the soles of these shoes survive? If so (or if not) what or did they have a specific hobnail pattern? Just wondering....

It is modelled after no 69 in this pic:



This shoe actually wasn't nailed at all. There are however quite a few soles that are, normally with not much of a pattern to it, though, just rows of nails.

[Nerva]

Take a look here for another design

http://www.rigorevali.co.uk/prod03 [VFB1].htm

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I am quite impressed with the look of those boots! I feel a visit to Carlisle comming on! oops:

[Neuraleanus]

these shoes dyed with the same iron dye

What evidence do we have for dyed roman shoes? Again, I need to check my few references tonight, as I do not remember any mention of color. Is the evidence of color just for these boots or would the use of color, besides simply oiling, been more wide spread?

[Tarbicus]

Martin, I've got the Mainz leatherwork book as well, and I was wondering about #68. Not speaking German, am I right in saying it's early 1st century?

The one without laces, and the sewn on part on the inside towards the big toe. Was the sewn on part only on the inside and not also on the outside of the boot (by inside and outside, I mean to the right and left), do you also know?

[Martin Moser]

What evidence do we have for dyed roman shoes?

Again from the office, so w/o books, but Otto Lau in his dissertation (Lau, Otto: Schuster und Schusterhandwerk in der griechisch-römischen Literatur und Kunst. Bonn 1967) cites literary evidence for the colors black, white, red and green. The Southfleet shoe was dyed purple. Finds from Achmim Panopolis some of which may be as early as 2nd century AD show black and red color as well as gold leaf decoration.