fighting shoes

Thorstenn · Post by **Thorstenn** » Tue Dec 16, 2003 11:18 pm

Hi,
I am in the SCA. My persona is a tenth century norse man, the topic is about fighting in covered shoes,period shoes, or sneakers. I see pictures of fighters in great looking riggs using sneakers? even knights in them. How do you feel about footwear for fighters. Just a thought.

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Thorstenn,
Do or do not their is no try!

Murdock · Post by **Murdock** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 1:52 am

No reason to wear sneakers espically guys that have been around forever.

i've got a pair of Alistair's shoes, leather soles. Wore them all through a couple pensics, almost every event since Pensic 30. I don't wear them at practice or when the weather is real bad just to try and make them last longer.

turnshoes are around $75 sometimes less. i see people in $200 motorcycle boots or Cav boots and the usual excuse is either price or ankle support. Price is lower and support is better in my boots than in either of the other 2. Ankle braces aren't expensive and fut under the boot just fine anyway.

[This message has been edited by Murdock (edited 12-17-2003).]

ironmongermisc · Post by **ironmongermisc** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 8:48 am

Steel toe lineman's boots,, saved my toes several times from 300# guys stepping on them.

Snaebjorn Hakonarson · Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:46 am

I know several knights who wear workboots to fight in. Including Sir Haakon. But he came up with a really good way to cover them so you can't tell they aren't just leather boots.

There is some evidence of splinted leather greaves being worn with a piece of chainmail at the bottom to cover the foot. This allows him to wear boots that look nothing like period foot wear but not be an eyesore for those people who don't like seeing blatantly non period clothing on the field.

I personally picked up some boots from wal mart for $20 that look period. Very simple and the design is basically the same as the few examples of late 10th century laced shoes.

Bjorn Swiftaxe

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Snaebjorn Haakonsson, called Swiftaxe. Son of Haakon Thorvaldsson, called Oaktall. Son of Thorvald Jarlsson, called Greybeard.

Boy I have a long name.

rampentboar · Post by **rampentboar** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:14 am

I prefer to be in period shoes if at all possible. I bought some Jorvik style boots this year at Pennsic with rubber soles. I get a bit more traction if the ground is wet with them. For large battles like Pennsic I will wear steel toed ankle boots. I would rather not have my war ended because of broken toes.

Murdock · Post by **Murdock** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 12:37 am

Wal Mart? Your kidding.

I'd love to see a pic. $20 _is_ cheap

Snaebjorn Hakonarson · Thu Dec 18, 2003 12:43 am

If I could get a pic up I would. Unfortunately I don't even have a camera. *LOL*

But yeah. I picked them up for 20 bucks at the local Wal Mart. (Wife insisted I get something besides my black velcro sneakers that I get a new set of every year for 10 bucks!) So we looked around and found a set of decent looking ankle boots. Looked kinda like a pair I seen in a research book so I said what the hell. Cover them with the ankle cuffs of my trews and they look fine. *L*

Bjorn Swiftaxe

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Snaebjorn Haakonsson, called Swiftaxe. Son of Haakon Thorvaldsson, called Oaktall. Son of Thorvald Jarlsson, called Greybeard.

Boy I have a long name.

Alcyoneus · Post by **Alcyoneus** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 4:13 am

There are currently several styles of shoes at Walmart that are close to period styles (c1500 for sure). For me, there are only a few problems with some of them. 1. They are women's shoes, and don't come in something as large as men's 11 1/2 EE. @. They are suede. 3. They may be decent slippers, but have fluffy faux fleece peeking out (and are suede). If they have the right shape, I'll get the suede ones, I picked up a couple sandles that had suede instead of leather.

DrTuba · Post by **DrTuba** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 9:20 am

I know the boots Bjorn is talking about. They are suede and look like a hybrid ankle boot/sketcher, not the slippers Alcyoneus is speaking of. They actually look pretty good. I have a pair myself that I wear and they look alright with my cheap-ass garb, since I can't afford/don't have the skill to obtain a good pair of boots yet. (But I am trying).

As for combat though, I wouldn't trust the "Wal-Mart medievals", but would rather go with a steel toe with spatz over them. Period boots would be grand if I could afford them, and if large men like myself could actually wear them without one foot or the other constantly seeking to slide out from under us and force us into the splits. When you get a heap O' weight pushing down on that smooth leather sole, bad things happen. I learned this wearing moccasins on grass.

Yeah, it'll disqualify me from most Living History groups, but I blew the medial ligament in my left knee last time a foot went out from under me because of slippage.

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Obsessive dilletante.

Turn on, tune in, Toob out!
The Toob

Snaebjorn Hakonarson · Thu Dec 18, 2003 9:00 pm

I have the supreme benefit of having a mistress of the laurel for a mother in law. She's currently making me a pair of really gorgeous elk hide boots with rubber soles. And as for steel toes for fighting I'm wary of that. I had a 400+ pound man hit his knees on top of my steel toed boots one day. He bent the steel just enough I could feel it start to touch my toes. Another hit like that and I would have lost them. So I just learned how to back away quick when I hit the leg.

Bjorn Swiftaxe

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Snaebjorn Haakonsson, called Swiftaxe. Son of Haakon Thorvaldsson, called Oaktall. Son of Thorvald Jarlsson, called Greybeard.

Boy I have a long name.

Owen · Post by **Owen** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 9:25 pm

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Owen
"Death is but a doorway-
Here, let me hold that for you"

Ned Chaney · Post by **Ned Chaney** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 9:58 pm

Chadwick's has both a knee high and an ankle high women's boot for right at 20 bux each. They go up to 11 or 12 which would fit up to a men's 9 I believe.

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Quid Curone

EricvonWald · Post by **EricvonWald** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 1:44 am

Owen,

Great boots!