Using glue in the Roman shoes reconstruction

[Maximus_Viridius]

Salvete!
I am a newcomer to the Roman reconstruction and just begin to study the subject. Especially I am interested in Roman shoes (not only military). Could you recommend me any books on Roman shoes (they may be in English or German) so that I can buy them via Internet?
And my another question is following: in which way were soles usually fastened to uppers: whether only nailed/sewn or could they also be glued? Are there any archeological or literature evidences for this?

Thanks in advance

[Neuraleanus]

One of the best references on roman footware is the second to last chapter of the book, "Stepping through Time".

As far as I know, the out-soles of roman shoes were never glued. Tunnel stitching with optional nails is the rule. Many reenactors glue their soles, but I have found that after use these glued soles tend to come apart.

[jvrjenivs]

I would recommend Stepping Through Time: Archaeological Footwear from Prehistoric Times until 1800 by Olaf Goubitz, Carol van Driel-Murray and Willy Groenman-van Waateringe
ISBN-13: 978-90-8932-002-5
ISBN-10: 90-8932-002-4

Also, use the search function on this forum to search for shoes, and martin Moser. He's an expert on the field of Roman shoes, and showed us a lot of nice shoes over the time, here on RAT.

(welcome to the board, anyway, and don't forget to put your name in your signature, it's a forum rule...)

[Maximus_Viridius]

Thanks for your link, say please who is the author of this book?
Is far as I understand, these kinds of fastening out-soles do not protect shoes from being leaky because it is very hard to make seams leaktight without glueing them

Maximus_Viridius
aka Maxim Moschenskiy

[jkaler48]

Maybe not historically 100% but I glued nailed AND sewed mine!
I wanted to make sure they stayed together!

[Neuraleanus]

Martin has also provided a bibliography for roman shoes:

[url:19q5h5l1]http://www.romanarmy.com/cms/content/view/136/113/1/9/[/url]

and here is my own little contribution on making caligae:

[url:19q5h5l1]http://www.geocities.com/legio_tricesima_cohors_tres/campusMartis/MakingCaligae/MakingAuthenticCaligae.html[/url]

[Maximus_Viridius]

Thank you, Neuraleanus

[jvrjenivs]

say please who is the author of this book?

Olaf Goubitz, Carol van Driel-Murray and Willy Groenman-van Waateringe

the book @ oxbow books

[Maximus_Viridius]

Gratia tibi multa, jvrjenivs!

[Bran ap Maclou]

In french,

Martine Leguilloux, le cuir et la pelleterie à l'époque romaine (leather and fur through roman time).

Shoes are about one quarter of the book. Best specific book in my opinion but unfortunately not in english.
Works by Carrol Van Driel-Murray are very useful for reenactors also.

Bye

[garrelt]

Why could glueing not be authentic?
It is known that shields were glued.
I have glued the soles of a pair of shoes with normal non waterproof wood glue.
Just for fixating the leather sole to the shoe, so that the sole stayed in place in the process of stitching.

As the glue being used in Roman and later times is organic in nature it will dissolve during the time that a shoe was/is buried in the ground.
If an attempt has being made by researchers to find traces of glue on archaeological shoes is not known to me, but it could be very interesting.

[Martin Moser]

A coulpe of authors (Jutta Göpfrich, e.g.) mention that glueing was used. I do not know of any published analyses of the glues used, however. It seems that glueing was not used on its own, but together with nailing and/or sewing.

Is far as I understand, these kinds of fastening out-soles do not protect shoes from being leaky because it is very hard to make seams leaktight without glueing them

When it is wet, you won't be able to keep your feet dry for too long anyhow. That aside, using properly pitched/waxed thread and the right sewing method, i.e. tunnel stitching rather than sewing through the whole thickness of the leather goes a long way to keep the seams from being a maor in-way for moisture.

Martine Leguilloux, le cuir et la pelleterie à l'époque romaine (leather and fur through roman time).

Thanks Greg for mentioning this. I don't know it yet and will try to find and check it out!

[Maximus_Viridius]

Martin, would it be historically true, if I wax calcei or other Roman shoes (I mean saturating with wax after heating both shoes and wax)?

As to the tunnel stitching, I have tried this method and failed (, so I have stopped at sewing the outsole through.

[Martin Moser]

Martin, would it be historically true, if I wax calcei or other Roman shoes (I mean saturating with wax after heating both shoes and wax)?

I haven't read anything in favor not against it so far in connection with shes, so I'm afraid I can't really help you there.

[Martin Moser]

Hi Greg,

Martine Leguilloux, le cuir et la pelleterie à l'époque romaine (leather and fur through roman time).

Got the book today and it really is the best all-in-one on the topic I have seen. Together with Stepping Through Time and "Römische Schuhe, Luxus an den Füßen" you will have lots of information and a almost complete bibliography on Roman shoes! Thanks for the tip again and laudes!