During the winter term, I wanted to make a pair of Medieval shoes that could accommodate modern orthotic insoles as part of an exploration of shifting values of production in the global West. After researching extant whole shoes and fragments, illustrations, and historical and modern artisanal shoemaking techniques, I finalized my design based on mid to late 14th century Germanic turnshoes and went with an ankle cut style with medial side laces.
The soles, uppers, and laces are made with veg tanned cow leather and I used linen thread for sewing. I made my own leather conditioner with beeswax and natural oils.
Being my first experiment in shoemaking, it was definitely a lesson in perseverance and resourcefulness and gave me a much greater understanding of and appreciation for the patience and skill of Medieval shoemakers.
