Lace fastened low cut shoe with deep pointed instep vent - 4. quarter 13th century till 1. quarter 14th century

Finds

Chillon Castle (CH)1, about 1275
Konstanz (DE)2
Schleswig (DE)3, after 1280

Description

A characteristic feature of this low cut shoe is the deep pointed instep vent. It is closed via two attached straps above the instep.

The vamp is cut in one piece with possible inserts at the side for larger sizes with a forward tilted closing seam on the medial side of the shoe. The straps for closing the shoe are not sewn to the vamp but are attached to the upper as one piece. Therefore this type of shoe consumes a lot of material. The heel is often raised a little bit. The top band is attached on the whole opening and ends in the first third of the strap. Some examples show stitches at the heel which come from reinforcements pieces sewn to the upper. All finds are adult sized shoes.

On similar finds dated to the middle of the 14th century you can find a single split strap which is pulled through cuts in the vamp. Some finds can be found in Konstanz 4 and London 5.

Chillon Castle
Two examples made of goat leather for the upper. Top band attached to the top opening. Size is about EU 40, which could belong to a male person.
Konstanz
Only a small fragment found. Similar shoetypes from Kosntanz are made mostly from Caprinae leather (84%) and only some are made of Bovinae leather (16%)6. There are stitching holes from an attached heel stiffener.
Schleswig
All finds from Schleswig show inserts at the medial side of the shoe next to the closing seam7. Most finds (44%) had an attached heel stiffener (only stitching holes remain). Uppers are made in equal parts from Caprinae- and Bovinae leather.

  1. [Volken.2010] S. 112, Abb. 136 ↩︎

  2. [Schnack.1994] Taf. 18 Nr. 4444 ↩︎

  3. [Schnack.1992] Taf. 47 Nr. 1, Taf. 48 Nr. 1 ↩︎

  4. [Schnack.1994] Taf. 19 ↩︎

  5. [Grew.2001] S. 70 Abb. 104 ↩︎

  6. [Schnack.1994] S. 28 ↩︎

  7. [Schnack.1992] S. 94 ↩︎