How to make medieval(-ish) boots... ... or something like this Before you start, you should know I am not a proffesional shoemaker. I have made just one pair and then I did this tutorial for Kushami-Aru who asked me for some tips and advices. Also, those boots are combination of two historic patterns so they coul be used as "medieval" as well as "fantasy". I have there rubber soles which are not medieval but they work:). If you want medieval soles, you need leather ones and those are very slippy:)
What you need Leather for your shoes Leather for bottom - stronger one (I had 5mm piggskin) Rubber for soles Shoemaker's thread (wery strong and waxed) Two strong needles Stitching awl Small tongs Shoemaker's glue Sharp knife for cutting the leather and scissors Hole punch for holes for shoelaces, or some buckles or buttons... Paper, pencil, ruler or inch-tape (for taylors), some cloth
Before you start I used 3mm strong cow leather so my boots are quite soft but usually a stronger leather is used. However, before you start cutting the leather, think twice. It is a rare and prescious materieal (and expensive too) - you know, some animal had to die so you could have your new shoes. So when you take your measures, apply them to a cloth first (any kind - you can use an old bed sheet if your mother/ wife agrees or the cheapest cloth from shop). You will make a cloth prototype of your shoe (one is usually enough) and try if it fits you and adjust the measures if it is too small or big. The prototype should be tight because the leather shoe will adapt to your feet a little.
Taking measures First, we need your feet, so put it on a paper and draw a line close around it (it is the black line). Then you need to draw a shape of bottom leather around it - the red line and cut this out. It will be the red A part. You can use it for both your feet, you just turn it around for the other one.
Now put your feet again on A part and start taking all those blue measures you see on left (a, b, c, x, y, z, 1, 2, 3). Where your blue a-line touches the red A part, make a mark on the both sides of the A part. The a-line should go on the highest part of your feet (where it bends). The x-line wil be the height of your shoe. The z-line is the obvod of your leg in thw highest point of your shoe. The y-line is a lenght of the flap; it should go to the top and cover a part of the 1-line (look on the other pictures). The green g-line is just for help around your feet in the height where a-line and 1-line meet. And now take the A part again and look where you have the mark you did in the previous step. Take the d-line and e-line measures around it. You can see that the e-line covers a little bit of the d-line - you will need there about 0,5cm for seaming.
Applying the measures Here comes the advanced geometry:) Actually, it is not difficult, just don't forget to add about 0,5cm for seaming on the edges when you put the paper template on the cloth and leather. (I put there my measures so you could make a picture about it - those green numbers.) You already have applied measures on the red A part, now we will make the blue B part which will be the top front part of the shoe. It looks nice round on this picture but it might look a little bit different and more "pointy" in the real. Just try to make the d-line one curve. There is a cut in the middle of the side with a measure - you will need it to be able to get your feet in the shoe - the bigger cut, the easier getting your feet in:) Sometimes, the cut is in the shape of "v". The holes for laces are there just so you know where to put them later, don't make them yet.
The yellow C part is the back part of your shoe. The best way is to have a regular rectangle with the sides of the leght of x-line and z-line and then from the midle of one "z-side" measure take the size of the e-line. And then make a quarter of a circle on each side which will have a half of the a-measure. It sounds crazy complicated but is pretty simple, just look at the picture. You will later attach the blue B part to those quarters of circles. If you have the green g-line, it could be shorter than the z-line so you could have the sides narrowing - as shows the dotted green line on the right. In that case, you will need to get the 1/2 a-line to the point where the dotted line touches the part of the circle. If you want to bend the top of the boot down like I have, add something to the top - I added 7cm. Now you can make the flap - the pink D part. Actually, you can choose all the measures there:). I had the bottom h-measure 3cm and tom k-measure 8cm. The y-measure should be the lenght of the cut on your blue B part + lenght of the side of your yellow C part from the partf of the circle to the top (without the added lenght for bended top) + 1cm for stitches. Or it was enough for me because I have it attached to the shoe only on down where the h-line is. It works and misbihaves only a little. If you want to attach it to the shoe on the sides too, it might need to be a little wider (and from a little softer leather). Actually, you don't really need it, but is better to have there something against the small rocks and other mess that would like to get into your shoe. You will also need this little E part, that goes to the yellou C part where is the dotted shape. It should make the heel of your shoe stronger and keep it "vertival". In the tutorial I have it sais it should be inside but I have it on the outer side (because I forgot it:). It should be as high as your heel.
Putting it all togehter and working with leather Now you have all the patterns for your shoe, so you can make the cloth prototype, perhaps adjust some meausers and start to make the leather shoes... And don't forget to make two of them:). Also, it is better, when the shoes are tihg because it will adapt to your feet... But it is nice to have there some space for warm socks too:)
Before you start cutting the leather, put it in the water a while. When it gets wet, it also gets softer and it is easier to cut it. I did only first guiding cut with a knife and then cut the shape out from the big piece of leather with scissors. Of course, be carefull while cutting, you know the drill... Sewing the leather isn't easy, so use the stitching awl to make holes first. And even then you might need to use thongs to pull the needle throught the hole. You should use a cobbler's stitching on the picture on the right; use twoo needles and take the two ends of the same thread throught one hole - each from one side. Be sure to tigthen the stitches; you will need your shoes to withstood running in woods and other lovely places. And if you tighten the stitches well, they will not let water pour in and last longer. I started with attaching the blue B part to the red A part. The you should attach the black E part to the yellow C part and you can also attach the pink D flap to the blue B part (however, I put it there in the end). Then attach the yellow C part to the red A part and blue B part. And do it again with the other shoe:). On the left picture there are two ways how to attach the top of the shoe to the red A Part. The second one is prettier but more diffficult, so I used the first one. When you are done with stitching, you will need add some shoelaces or something. Here are some historical examples:
No laces? You can do thatbut you would need to adjust the pattern and it will be more difficult to get in and out of the shoe.
Shoelaces The simplest way. I have there 10(x2) holes for laces and the distance between two of the is more or less 3cm. I needed a two stripes of leather 160cm long.
Buckles This is also possible but I think too expensive and demanding
Buttons I think buttons could be used to show how rich the owner is:) (some big golden bunntons) I have no experience with them, I am just mentioning them:)
Shoe soles As I said, I have soles from rubber... Actually, it is the same rubber I have on my outdoor sandals (which are normal bought shoes). You can again cut them with a sharp knife and glue them to your shoes with some strong shoemaker's glue. (I used chemopren extrem and it works well.) Just be carefut about the "texture" of the rubber. You will need it to be orientated in the direction of walk - forwards backwards, not in the sides, otherwise you would have troubles to stop when running:). At the end, you shoud clean the edges with a knife or a sand paper (so the rubber or leather doesn't stick out).
Finishing touches Now, when your shoes are stitched together and have the soles, put them again in water and then put them on (your feet) and wear them untill they are dry. It sounds morbid but the wet and soft leather will adjust to your feet and when it gets dry and harden and remember the shape of your feet... I did it with my shoes and see no difference but if you are using a stronger leather you really need to do this. I was told to treat the shoes with some alcohol so they would harden more (which I didn't) and also with some grease so they wouldn't crack (which I also didn't). You might also thing about some impregnation but it is up to you... In the end, you could have something like this or maybe something much more beautiful if you are skillfull. You have seen the picture on the top of this tutorial but I have added there some colours so you can see where is there wich part I was describing (except for the E which is "behind").
As a bonus, I give you over some patterns from the (Czech) tutorial I got. They are from book by Roman Vaverka, I hope it is OK to put them here. As you can se, I combined paterns 4 and 3.