Rollo's Shoes: What Do I Wear On My Feet?

 Shoes can make AND break a historical reenactor. Decorum, cost, use, comfort, health... all will play a factor in your shoes. When it comes to new people completing their basic kit shoes is where the most turmoil will play out. Many factors play into this:

1) Modern perception of what "viking shoes" look like.
2) Finding a suitable pair fitting within high standards for high-fidelity decorum.
3) Cost.
4) Use in a modern world.
5) Health and comfort.

There are more considerations, I am sure, but I will stick with these points as they were my own considerations.

I own three pairs of shoes. Each pair has a "job" and all three fit within the standards of Vikings North America - they are veg-tanned leather, turn shoes, natural colored, based off existing finds and documentable research.

First - my two main sources are the book Stepping through Time by Olaf Goubitz and photos I have sourced from museums depicting shoe finds.

My first pair of shoes I bought in 2016 from Boots by Bohemond (US). I got the "Haithabu Shoe" style, and it seemed a good general shoe. This pair is based off the archeological finds of Type 10 thong fastening from Stepping Through Time. True turn shoes. The price was right at the time, $90. (today it's $85).

Note the turn-shoe construction - these shoes are sewn together inside out and, when done, turned right side out and you get the "hidden seam".

My philosophy of use was for it to be my general shoe for demos, demo combat, "viking hiking", ... in essence my main everyday shoe. Soon after I got the shoe my first educational demonstration was spent on a concrete floor and the lack of a sole, this shoe just having leather, really hurt my feet and legs. This was an unforseen problem - In the modern world we wear modern shoes for a reason. We stand and walk on hard, unforgiving, surfaces most of the time. At least those that live in the city like me. 

I found that I need support for my feet as I am almost always on a modern surface that has no give. I never noticed this as I had only minor foot problems, common issues, before. One 8 hour demo on a concrete floor in historically accurate turn shoes wrecked my body from the lower back down to my heels. So I added heel support insoles to these shoes and those helped.

What really helped, I started doing this in 2019 (and I am not recommending others to do this as my only experience is mine), is I started to "barefoot walk". Let me stray from the focus of this blog post a bit as it was quite a journey that does parallel historical viking shoes.

Barefoot Walking or "minimalist shoe hiking". Boiled down it is the act of letting your foot do it's own thing as it was designed to do.  My own journey had a lot of twists and turns - my weight, existing damage to my feet, etc. - culminating to my current ability to stand on concrete floors for hours with no pain out side of what is normal and walk miles in, effectively, leather socks. I have a narrow heel and wide toes. I grew up in an Asian household so being inside barefoot is normal to me. 

Keys to this was to learn  to walk toe-forward and lessen my heel strike. Second I need to understand my terrain, I walk differently on a dirt trail than a concrete sidewalk. I began to recognize signals from my soles regarding the terrain I am on. I do exercises that stretch and strengthen my ankles. I slowed it down and started paying attention. I also replace most of my modern shoes with "minimalist"modern shoes for work and sports. Wide toe boxed, zero rise, thin soled shoes. My office shoes do have some padding as I wear them in an office and downtown on concrete.

I now do not need the heel pad insoles in these Haithabu style shoes. I have also not had plantar fasciitis since summer 2020. I've hiked 5k at a time in these shoes on both natural terrain and asphalt. I have spent enough time in these shoes and with my modifications of walking habits that fighting in these shoes I do not need extra traction, my feet can do that well enough on grass or dirt. That said I would not play soccer in these shoes.

My second pair of viking shoes are these Vlaardingen style shoes also from Boots By Bohemond. Aesthetically I wanted a higher status shoe, my assumption for this style being higher status is speculative. 

These are based off finds in both Netherlands (Vlaardingen) as well as Poland. No finds in Denmark I know of but similiar styles exist there and Denmark is in between Poland and Netherlands, amirite?? Please, do not do as I do! I'm going with a plausible to justify my likes. These are also turnshoes and please note in the pictures the pretty common detail of many shoe finds from the era and area - the heel part of the sole leather coming up the back of the heel of the shoe. This provides, from my experience, some structure and sturdiness to the shoe. I'm sure there are other reasons for this I am not aware of. This is not found on all shoes but is found on many. All of my shoes have it.

They are $65 and I tend to wear them with hose (see title pic) as opposed to nalbinding socks. I can wear them with thinner socks though. I like to call them my dancing shoes... though I do not dance. They are very light and the instep is quite open, secured by the long thongs at the top. I tie them over the front of my ankle. I have found that these do evoke a "cute" or feminine look. Shoes from the Scandinavian historical era are not gendered. That said I think they do, indeed, look cute on me and I like them.

My third, and newest, pair of shoes are a venture in craft. I got a shoe kit from Foxes and Ravens (etsy) for $75 and sewed these together myself... 4 times for the practice! That said I did do some damage to them while sewing them together 3 times and taking them back apart. The socks inside are nalbinding, a thinner wool than the ones I picture above, and based off the Jorvik (York) find and rather low at the ankle.

These are based off the Hedeby type 15 crosswise fastening (Stepping Through Time).

Lower right shoe.

Other than crafting and wearing in a few photos I have not really had a chance to wear these in an activity, demo, or camp. The fit a bit loose, I can wear them  with very thick socks and even winningas wrapped around my instep.

In a modern perspective it is said one can be judged by one's shoes. I kind of believe this in the sense if you are evoking a specific look your shoes will be noticed first. Working, fancy, poor, warrior... whatever the look, your shoes can start the look or be the capstone for the look.

One of the mantras I use in Timberhaven is "comfort and safety first" as in if you have issues with your feet then there is no need to to be in pain and compromised. We need members of Timberhaven to be healthy and happy and that comes first before historical accuracy. As long as it can be explained to the public members wear what they need to wear. That said we do need a level of decorum for film and photo shoots, getting inspected for awards and rank within our club structure, and for "spotlight events" like a fashion show.

There is a lot to think about when it comes to historical reenactor shoes and the above are the considerations I had to make. I hope I was able to stir some insight and questions to ask yourself in your own journey. As usual, do some research and reading (not on the site that sells the shoes), understand and consider your needs, concieve your usage needs and goals, and put some money away as your budget allows. Shoes will get expensive.

EDIT: I decided to add more pictures, if there are discussion details I will add them in caption.

Ribe

Ribe

Ribe

Museum display, not sure of museum. All the "tall" boots are of later period, tall boots being rare in ealry medieval Scandinavian context.

Me sewing up my crosswise type 15.

York (Jorvik)