shoes4combat-msg - 1/20/15

Footwear suggestions for SCA combat.

NOTE: See also the files: shoes-msg, boots-msg, shoes-lnks, p-shoes-msg, shoemaking-msg, leather-msg lea-tanning-msg, leather-dyeing-msg, 2Shod-a-Shire-art, Caligae-Boots-art.

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NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period Foot/Combat Wear
Date: 1 Nov 1993 20:03:21 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley

mutant <fraggle at hydra.unm.edu> wrote:
>I try to be as period as possible in all things.... This has led to a
footwear problem. I am extremely flat-footed, and anything short of full
engineering or combat boots doesn't prevent me from pain or sprained ankles,
especially in armor.
>
>Byzantine would be preferable, but anything would work.

Is it any comfort to tell you that you problem is 100% period?

Shoes in period were just not very good for the foot.  Gale Owen-Crocker,
in her excellent book on Anglo-Saxon clothing, mentions a study of old
English burials that showed many more skeletons with evidence of broken
ankles than you would find in a comparable modern group.

I suggest that you adopt the practice of Margaret of Shaftesbury's
Master Petrog, who pursued authenticity up to the point beyond which
lay illness and serious injury.  I would take that pair of well-engineered
engineer boots and make a sort of leather spat that would fit over the
boot, secured by a strap under the instep, and make it LOOK like an
early period shoe.

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin		Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West				UC Berkeley
Argent, a cross forme'e sable		djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: kreyling at lds.loral.com (Ed Kreyling 6966)
Subject: Re: Period Foot/Combat Wear
Organization: Loral Data Systems
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 14:38:48 GMT

djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt) writes:
> mutant <fraggle at hydra.unm.edu> wrote:
>>
>>I try to be as period as possible in all things.... This has led to a
>footwear problem. 
>Is it any comfort to tell you that you problem is 100% period?
>
>Shoes in period were just not very good for the foot. 
>lay illness and serious injury.  I would take that pair of well-engineered
>engineer boots and make a sort of leather spat that would fit over the
>boot, secured by a strap under the instep, and make it LOOK like an
>early period shoe.

A Count in Trimaris, who is period to the point of period underwear (I thought
that was a joke, until I saw him in his underwear!) fights in tennis shoes
covered in knee high leather boots. He uses some sort of strap or elastic to
make the "spat". You cannot tell unless you are very close and looking. My
assumption is this is done for foot support and/or traction. As a nurse and
chiururgeon, I fully agree with the period unless it causes illness or injury
idea, then thoroughly disguise the nonperiod item.

Brigit
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pam Kreyling			 | 
kreyling at world.lds.loral.com	| Sarasota, Fl., USA 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


From: James Crouchet <james at crouchet.com>
Date: November 11, 2010 2:40:02 PM CST
To: Barony of Bryn Gwlad <bryn-gwlad at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Bryn-gwlad] Bulk Order of Shoes from Westland Crafts - Round 2

I realize I am just shouting in the wilderness, but I will point out that if you fight a period style -- or any style that involves a lot of pivoting -- soles that grip like a Vibram sole may be a bad idea. With a Vibram or modern running shoe the shoe grips the ground so as you pivot your body all that torque goes into your knee. It also creates a tiny hesitation in your pivot since you must move your foot more to get that sole to release. Tiny hesitations are bad in combat.

Even dancers benefit from a period sole for the same reasons. In fact, the only modern shoes I know of with a period sole are dancers' shoes. They have a SOFT compressed leather sole, unlike the HARD compressed leather sole you might find on a pair of ropers (but more solid than a moccasin sole which is just plain leather). Modern hard compressed leather is too slick for good footing, IMO.

I very much advocate the felted wool insoles. Very comfy.

Me? I am a 50 yr old White Scarf with no knee problems. Just sayin'.

Christian Doré
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On Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 1:05 PM, Hal Siegel ‪<therion at therionarms.com>‬ wrote:
On Wed, 10 Nov 2010, Stefan li Rous wrote:
<<< Is there an advantage to ordering turn shoes and then adding an additional sole to them?  As opposed to ordering the same shoes with a standard sole? >>>

Just a note that I don't recommend the optional "vibram" sole - mine wore away to nothing in just three days of Pennsic wear. Get the plain shoes/boots, and have a new sole put on locally.

              Hal Siegel - TherionArms
             http://www.therionarms.com
           http://facebook.com/TherionArms


To: scanewcomers at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Non-permanent shoe covers
Posted by: "Chris" chris_brock00 at yahoo.com chris_brock00
Date: Tue May 17, 2011 7:29 am ((PDT))

Okay I have been looking for a way to cover my Merrel shoes to wear during heavy fighting. I found this site and there is a great article for permanent fixture of leather on boots.
http://mattyds.com/index.php 

I am looking to make a "spat" type cover resembling a viking turn shoe and veer away from the more permanent "shoe goo" method". Any thoughts, ideas,patterns and advice is much appreciated.


To: scanewcomers at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Non-permanent shoe covers
Posted by: "Theanswerlady1" theanswerlady1 at aol.com 
Date: Tue May 17, 2011 2:08 pm ((PDT))

Get steel toe boots at Wally world and protect your toes. More important than making your Merrels look Viking. - sorry if that's not the answer you're looking for but you'll want to consider what it will feel like getting stepped on by a bunch of others in armor.


To: scanewcomers at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Non-permanent shoe covers
Posted by: "Justinos Tekton called Justin" justin at 4th.com
Date: Tue May 17, 2011 3:24 pm ((PDT))

On Tue, 2011-05-17 at 17:39 -0400, christopher chastain wrote:
<<< I agree with this statement, remember there are some BIG boys on the
field. Corn feed line backer size wearing heavy armor and alot of
them, its not just the idea of one stepping on your foot but think of
a pile of bodies all piled up on each other. Thats alot of weight,
leave your pretty shoes for when your not in armor and get some strong
steel toed boots for when in armor. >>>

I'm a Chirurgeon, which is SCA-speak for "first aid provider." I'm also
a warranted Marshal in the Midrealm. Much as I love authenticity, I will
say for the record that from the perspective of either my Marshal hat or
my Chirurgeon hat, I would much rather see you be safe than authentic
when it comes to fighting.

Wear a good sturdy pair of modern boots. If you can find a way to cover
them with thin leather to make them look period, great. If not, don't
sweat it.

There *are* heavy-duty period boots. I know because I own a pair. I do
not wear them fighting because they cost me $300 ten years ago. I wear
them when I'm in real garb, including at camping events, but when I
fight I wear a pair of dark brown modern hiking boots. They aren't
period, but with the dark brown color they aren't jarringly modern. At
demos where modern folk are watching, they are so captivated by armor
that I doubt many of them ever even glance at footgear.

Justin
-- 
()xxxx[]::::::::::::::::::>                  <::::::::::::::::::[]xxxx()
Maistor Justinos Tekton called Justin (Scott Courtney)
Gules, on a bezant a fleam sable and on a chief dovetailed Or two keys
fesswise reversed sable.


To: gleannabhann at yahoogroups.com
Subject: fencing footwear
Posted by: "Catherine Koehler" hccartck at yahoo.com hccartck
Date: Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:16 pm ((PST))

I follow another medieval group called ARMA and this was a post on their site.  Thought it was interesting and wanted to pass it along.

http://www.thearma.org/essays/historical-footwear.html

Aine

<the end>

Edited by Mark S. Harris	shoes4combat-msg	4 of 4