Archaic Sandals

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

I don't exactly remember how i decided to make my first try on sandals but i think it was inspired by a medium sized veg tanned leather piece that was not big enough for a pelta.

While in the 5th and 4th century the most common sandal worn by warriors and travellers in the type with the many laces tied on the top of the foot with crossing cords (it is the type i developed with DSC) the typical archaic sandal has a completely different form. It is frequently represented in art,especially vases, but for a long time its exact form and construction has been a mystery to me. Its variants are worn by both men and women, in every day or war scenes. So we have to asume it was a generic shoe of the 6th century bc.
Recently i discovered a couple of beautiful aryvaloi with the form of sandaled feet. I had seen a much cruder one once, in Athens and these gave me a very good idea of what the vases show. Once again, in their simplicity, vase painters were painting every detail accurately, if you knew what you are looking at.

Achilles is wearing them in the famous vase with patroclus, so they are fit for war.
[attachment=3269]bk-achilles-patroclus.jpg[/attachment]
There were different methods of attachment like we can see in these aryvaloi
First one from Rhodes:
[attachment=3270]ARhodianLateArchaicTerracottaAryballosintheFormofaSandaledRightFoot.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=3271]2356548064_dc1c5ea557_b.jpg[/attachment]
From Kerameikos museum in Athens
[attachment=3272]DSC03365.JPG[/attachment]
This must be hellenistic, but it is basicly the same type of sandal
[attachment=3273]ImageBronzefootinsandallateHellenisticperiod.jpg[/attachment]