Need help deciding on what shoes to get

[NeeSayer]

I've been looking everywhere and I think i'm on the right path, but just need to double check.

I'm doing a mid 13th C hospitaller persona and trying to buy all the stuff for it while i'm overseas so when I get back it'll be good to go. From the research i've done i've found that they wore basically turnshoes but had to have toggles or just normal ties as buckles were not allowed (i'll have to find that resource again).

Problem i'm having trouble finding a shoe maker that makes the right shoe with a good rubber sole on it. I know there's alot of people that fight in the leather sole, but i'm not interested in that honestly. I found the jorvik shoe made by bohemond at http://www.nmia.com/~bohemond/Bootshop/ ... jorvic.htm

and it seems like it could work for the 10 ft rule but I don't want to ruin a good look with the wrong shoes. Any ideas or insights into all this?

[Karen Larsdatter]

Take a look at http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/i ... &catid=652 for information on turnshoes -- http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-ca ... OEHOME.HTM or http://larsdatter.com/shoes.htm may also help you.

I can't think of any 13th century shoes that definitely had buckles, but I'm not sure that's really a matter of "not allowed" so much as "I just can't think of any that were definitely 13th century and had buckles."

(There's some more shoe-sellers at http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/i ... &catid=346 -- several others offer vibram soles, too.)

[Oswyn_de_Wulferton]

http://www.nmia.com/~bohemond/Bootshop/ ... hedeby.htm

This to me is closer than the jorvick, in that most of the 12th/13th century shoes had ties running around the ankle-portion. Almost something like the Baltic (not quite as high) and with laces running the whole way around.

[James B.]

I am with Oswyn, that laced style is closer to a laced style from the 13th century than the toggle boots are to a boot of the 13th century. His toddle boots are distinctly Viking in origin while the lace boot is a little more diverse; there are a number of boots like that from the early 1200s.

[NeeSayer]

So maybe one of the baltics modified to have the wrap around lacing y'all are mentioning?

[James B.]

If you are going to ask for a modification just pick a 13th century she design and ask for that.

If you want one off the rack I would go with the Hedeby shoe as Oswyn posted

[Oswyn_de_Wulferton]

IIRC, the Baltic ( instead of coming up to mid-calf) lowered down to about quarter-calf, with lacing instead of buckles would fit a 12th-13th century impression. But, since it would be custom, you might want to see if there is something else you like better.