Mainz Calceus Reconstruction

[Martin Moser]

Am I looking at this right, you're putting the upper on the last right-side out, stitching on the in-sole. I've seen some descriptions of lasted shoe making where the upper was put on the last inside-out.

Yes, of course right-side out, since this is not a turnshoe, which the description you mention seems to be about. The technique of making roman lasted shoes seems to have been basically the same as for modern ones.

Also the preferred upper material for calcei is goat skin, not cow leather.

Hm, I don't know if we can actually conclude that that was the preferred material, but it reportedly was the material that was used with the finds from Mainz, flesh side out in all (or all but one? - don't remember at the moment) cases. Also, the majority of the complete pieces was unnailed.

[LVCIVS VVLPES]

Beautiful craftsmanship Martin, Laudes

Cheers

Luc

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Yes, I can see myself in a pair of those boots......both!!
Awesome stuff Martin!

[Martin Moser]

Thanks for your favourable comments, gents! :-) )

Thinking about it, maybe for sake of completeness I should add here the link to the later, improved (in terms of both structural and external details) version I also did - also, with regard to how these shoes are made, please read this thread as an add-on to the methods described here.

[Neuraleanus]

flesh side out in all (or all but one? - don't remember at the moment)

I will need to check my references tonight. That is counter-intuitive. Florentius appears to have the grain side out on his calcei:
www.florentius.com/calcei-main.htm
Different boots, different construction methods? There was a boot similar to the Mainz example found in Africa. Was it flesh side out?

Also another question, did you make your lasts, and if so, how?

[Martin Moser]

flesh side out in all (or all but one? - don't remember at the moment)

I will need to check my references tonight. That is counter-intuitive.

Check: Göpfrich, Jutta: Römische Lederfunde aus Mainz. ;-) )

Also another question, did you make your lasts, and if so, how?

For those I am using modern lasts, which I worked over to do away with the raised heel that is the norm for modern lasts, i.e. I altered them to have a flat underside now. (I'm at the office at the moment, but if you wish I can post a picture to show the difference later today)

[Neuraleanus]

For those I am using modern lasts, which I worked over to do away with the raised heel that is the norm for modern lasts, i.e. I altered them to have a flat underside now.

For I would think that the S curve of modern shoes would make a conversion to a flat sole impossible.

[Martin Moser]

Here are 2 shots from one of my modified lasts, in this case the one I used for the 3rd cent. AD eyelet shoes (added the pointed toe here as well)





As you can see the sole is almost completely flat. Depending on what type of shoe you are making you might have to build up the last on top again a bit after the "operation".

[Neuraleanus]

Time to get in the heel stiffener:

The photo isn't clear. Where do the heel stiffeners go?

[Martin Moser]

Hi Lee,

The photo isn't clear. Where do the heel stiffeners go?

At the heel ;-) )
At the pic you are referring to you look at the inside of the shoe. To the left you can make out the seam that closes the upper and is located at the inside of the foot when the shoe is done. The stiffener goes around the heel area from there. It has a length of about 15-16cm. Hope this makes it clearer :-) )

[Neuraleanus]

At the heel

Ok, but are there two stiffeners, on the inside sides of the boot? It looks like the stiffeners are horizontal. Or, is there just one stiffener going around the back of the heel? I would think that the objective would be to stiffen the vertical sides. What evidence is there for the existance of the stiffeners? Reference in the Mainz book? Sorry, but I do not read german.

[Martin Moser]

Hi Lee,

Ok, but are there two stiffeners, on the inside sides of the boot? It looks like the stiffeners are horizontal.

? - I'm afraid I can't quite follow your thinking here. Where did you get the impression that 2 would be used? I thought this pic (see also above) would be clear enough:

Or, is there just one stiffener going around the back of the heel?

yes, exactly, just as the pic above shows. If you compare it carefully with the other pics above, it should be clear where exactly it is placed, I think.

I would think that the objective would be to stiffen the vertical sides.

... in the heel area, quite right.

What evidence is there for the existance of the stiffeners?

Dozens of finds, on their own or still in place.

Reference in the Mainz book? Sorry, but I do not read german.

I'm at work at the moment and therefore don't have the book at hand, but simply look for drawings of pieces looking like this:



and for the word Fersenversteifung or Fersenverstärkung. dict.leo.org et al. will help you with most other keywords. I'm not sure but it could also be that there are finds of soles (only) from Mainz with the stiffener still in place.

Hope that answers your questions somewhat. What kind of shoe are you planning to make, the Mainz calceus or something else? :-) )

[Neuraleanus]

What kind of shoe are you planning to make, the Mainz calceus or something else?

I'm currently gathering the required tools and materials and most importantly, I'm looking for a pair of wooden lasts that I can modify. Finding the lasts, in an American size 9, may prove to be the most difficult part.

In the mean time, I need to understand the construction. The problem that I am having with the top photo is that I am not sure what I am looking at. Is that the inside back or the bottom? There is a drawing in the back of the Mainz book showing the parts of the Mainz calceus. Can you point out which part is the stiffener?

[Martin Moser]

The problem that I am having with the top photo is that I am not sure what I am looking at. Is that the inside back or the bottom?

Ah, ok - you are looking at the inside back or inside heel area. I thought the singular seam would make that clear. The lower edge of the leather is the bit that actually gets sandwiched between insole and outer sole in the end.

[Neuraleanus]

Ah, ok - you are looking at the inside back or inside heel area. I thought the singular seam would make that clear. The lower edge of the leather is the bit that actually gets sandwiched between insole and outer sole in the end.

Ah, I think that I now see. I'm looking towards the inside back up from the sole, not down into the shoe. Now the picture makes sense. The other piece of leather that I am seeing is the tongue.