The Armour Archive

I am looking for information on dyeing shoes. Did they do this at all? I see most of the time it is left natural but I am looking for some thing a bit different. Thanks for looking.

There is certainly no shortage of footwear (as well as belts) in every color in art, manuscript miniatures, etc. Without being a leather expert, I'd say they almost certainly did dye leather. If I were looking for particulars, my first source to check is usually Theophilus, but some of the leather peeps may have better sources.

Thanks for the info.

IIRC no shoes from Them Museum off London book showed any signs of being dyed.

Primvs Pavlvs wrote:IIRC no shoes from Them Museum off London book showed any signs of being dyed.

That is what I was thinking, but I ordered a set of red ones and now I am thinking that may not have been the best move.

FWIW, there's a bunch of medieval/renaissance formulas for leather dyes at http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/i ... catid=1258

Karen Larsdatter wrote:FWIW, there's a bunch of medieval/renaissance formulas for leather dyes at http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/i ... catid=1258

WOW you are help all over the place! Thanks.

Primvs Pavlvs wrote:IIRC no shoes from Them Museum off London book showed any signs of being dyed.

Almost correct. Leather was dyed by tanners or their curriers. Cordwainers in England were stuck once the Moors had been expelled from England - no more reddish goat hides that were a staple in fine footwear. English tanners and curriers responded by dyeing calf to replace it. (pg 46 of the book you mention Pavel)

Also, organic dyestuffs don't survive well in the ground. It would be very difficult to tell if a given artifact had been dyed or not after centuries in wet soil. The artistic record is a better guide to follow to select colours in recreating fashion articles of the Middle Ages.

Kel Rekuta wrote:

Primvs Pavlvs wrote:IIRC no shoes from Them Museum off London book showed any signs of being dyed.

Almost correct. Leather was dyed by tanners or their curriers. Cordwainers in England were stuck once the Moors had been expelled from England - no more reddish goat hides that were a staple in fine footwear. English tanners and curriers responded by dyeing calf to replace it. (pg 46 of the book you mention Pavel)

Also, organic dyestuffs don't survive well in the ground. It would be very difficult to tell if a given artifact had been dyed or not after centuries in wet soil. The artistic record is a better guide to follow to select colours in recreating fashion articles of the Middle Ages.

Thank you kel

Swiss_pike wrote:

Karen Larsdatter wrote:...

WOW you are help all over the place!

Yes, she is. Karen is, IMHO, one of the main reasons for the Armour Archive existing.

I can see that