Making Medieval Leather Shoes by Hand | Anglo-Saxon Early Medieval Turn Shoes

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The Anglo-Saxons wore simple leather shoes, known as turnshoes due to their inside out construction. Many shoes have been found in excavations of archaeological sites such as Coppergate, at York.

These shoes consist of a sole of cowhide, roughly 3mm thick and an upper of goatskin, roughly 1-2mm thick. The Anglo-Saxons used bark-tanned, alum-tawed, or rawhide leather, but tanned leather was most likely used for shoes.

The sole is based on the outline of my foot, with extra room around the toes for a nice barefoot feel. The pattern for the uppers can be worked out by taking the circumference of the sole, along with measurements around the foot at various points. I used an upper from my previous pair of shoes as a pattern, making sure to give myself extra allowance on the upper and back sides to allow for 'tailoring' the fit at the end.

The holes for sewing were pierced with an awl. The first three stitches of the upper seam are sewn first, to join the two upper pieces together at the the toe. The shoes are sewn with linen thread waxed with beeswax. Linen was relatively common in the Anglo-Saxon period, but leather thong or sinew may also have been used.

The uppers are then sewn onto the sole with a saddle stitch. The shoe is sewn together 'inside out' and is later turned to leave the seam on the inside. This protects the seam and gives the name 'turn-shoe'. The two sides of the upper are each sewn onto the sole from toe to heel. This means that any mismatches in hole spacing can be sorted out at the heel where any puckering is less obvious.

Saddle stitch uses two needles on the end of one piece of thread. When the thread runs out or frays, instead of tying off, the seam is backstitched with three knotted stitches, and a new thread started a little way back in the seam, to give a strong and neat finish, with no lumpy knots.

One the uppers are sewn to the sole all the way round, the back seam is stitched up, again with a saddle-stitch. The shoes can now be turned the right way round; soaking them in water helps to turn them without too much trouble.

Once turned right side out, the uppers can be 'tailored' to sit snugly on the foot, by placing the foot inside and pulling the uppers together at a point which feels right. This is then marked as the seam, any excess can be trimmed off and the upper seam at the front of the foot can be sewn up.

Finally holes for lacing and any decoration can be punched. The Anglo-Saxons used various lacing and fastening styles, along with punched and embroidered decoration. These shoes are not based on any particular archaeological example, although they are similar to the second pair of shoes found at Sutton Hoo, with some Late Roman influence in the lacing and punched decoration. The pattern is mostly a product of my own experiments with shoe making to produce a pattern that is easy to sew, turn inside out, and can be cut oversized, then adjusted to fit my foot once the upper and sole are sewn together. I prefer this more organic approach to the more complicated process of taking exact measurements and producing a set pattern.

Leather turn-shoes are comfortable and, provided they are given enough space at the toe, very similar to modern 'barefoot' shoes in terms of foot ergonomics. Being made of very thin, bark-tanned leather, they are not water-proof in anything more than damp grass. Your feet very quickly get soaked in wet conditions. The soles offer almost no grip, and a just little protection against thorns and stones. As is often seen in pictorial evidence, it may be the case that Medieval people often went barefoot, particularly when working in the fields and during the summer.

With thanks to:
Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife.

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Self Reliance is increasingly Important to me. Thanks for sharing.

PhilAlumb
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It's incredible what one can learn from Anglo-Saxon Cobbler Monthly. My grandfather always joked that I, as a teenager, had the amazing talent of finding enjoyment in watching others work. Now, fifty years later, in retirement, I must say he had the right of it: I could watch you create a pair of shoes for hours - it's truly enjoyably relaxing. Well done, you. And just in time to add these shoes to the Gesipas Gewissa winter collection! What all the fashionable Anglo-Saxon warriors are wearing! Thanks for all that you do (and endure) for this community. Yours in one of the finest channels on YouTube, and always a joy to watch.

Mark
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my favourite re-enactment channel ive seen!

Arclyr
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Your history lessons videos are OUTSTANDING & AMAZING😊

I wish your single hut would grow to a little village with more people like you, in the near future 😊😊

surfinoperator
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How that pheasant call at dusk flows into that ambient ending music is just magic.

arnebaert
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A welcome escape from modern plastic life

cherellegrant
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Even the little things in this channel are fascinating, like the idea of a parsnip and apple stew! The idea of apples in a stew still seems out there to me but clearly, we ate them that way for a long time. Thank you for your continuing efforts!

garvinanders
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Wonderful video. I do really appreciate the craftmanship as well as all the explanations you provide in the video as well as when you answer questions in the comments. I, of course, had the same question about the thickness of the sole, but saw that you answered that question with historical facts as well as your personal experience in the comments. Thanks for sharing.

campidor
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As always, Beautiful. Telling a story, no words, just much work that enables you to do that.

davidsauls
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It still boggles my mind how much work had to be done just for shoes, but even from here I can just feel the satisfaction that comes from working well and hard for for something. I'm also again surprised at the high quality and intricacy of the stitching. It's just kind of hard not to picture medieval sewing being really primitive with few stitches, but no, it was good quality.

And those shots with the fire going inside the house just peacefully sewing away while there's a hearty Anglo-Saxon meal lightly bubbling away are some of the coziest shots yet! I was wishing the video showed all of your sewing there so I could enjoy the atmosphere longer. It was just so relaxing to watch

fallonfireblade
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New caftan, new shoes. You're very handy, man!

I'm catching up on your vids after a few months, and it's still a pleasure to watch you

wulfhardoftoxandria
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My favorite part of each video is ALWAYS seeing the cute house in the intro. Though this was very relaxing. Love the crow sounds in the background.

raarnt
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You Sir, are an absolute craftsman.
A joy to be able to watch you working, and sharing your achievements. And they look smart. But how practical would they be?
Anyway, a joy to share some quiet time with you in this troubled world, again.

Tomtomscot
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I watched this a couple of days ago but I could not write a comment then. As always informative but delivered in such a beautiful and contemplative way. It is always refreshing to hear the sounds of water, leaves in the wind, birdsong as well as the distinctive sounds created by your particular actions that day. There is not just a landscape but a soundscape. The skill set of the Gewisse must have been remarkable and it is a reminder how many skills we have lost over the last three generations of our own time.

ianbrowne
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All of your videos fascinate me. Thank you for sharing all of the hard work you do.

Dan_TheMedievalGuild
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Amazing step by step guide! I love these videos, so clear and also very serene 🙏

Pax_Luca
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Truly amazing craftsmanship. I want these beautiful shoes.

aligabrielkarrar
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9:10 is that a beehive? This is one of the coolest channels – thank you for what you do and for sharing.

Alpemomi
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Excellent work! I have made several pairs of leather shoes, but your stitches are so precisely done! Skal!

erikhoff
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The real-time footage helps to put in perspective the amount of labor every item and task took. You can also realize how a person became a master of their craft over time. I just found this channel and am looking forward to more videos! It really helps me visualize the aesthetic of Anglo-Saxon life.

exploremusic