How art thy feet shod?

Footwear in Elizabethan times were constucted pretty much in the same manner as today, except now we have machines to do the sewing. The styles are the hard things to reproduce today. There ARE companies that sell period footwear now, and even footwear patterns, but we are focused on things you can get a hold of quickly. Not just any shoe will do either. As a rule of thumb, I look for slip on shoes rather than lace-ups, with rounded toes, but not moccassins. Canvas shoes, like boat shoes, are unacceptable, though. Tennis shoes, Doc Martens (tm) hiking boots, work boots, etc, are out of the question. And even though it seems strange, earth shoes are also a no-no. Add thong sandals, aka flip-flops, and huaraches to the discard pile. Consider cowboy boots the same as sneakers, though exceptions to this are found below.

Now all this is just a side point when it comes to being a patron of a fair. Paying customers can, and do, wear just about whatever they want. But let's try to get as close as possible to authenticity in these suggestions.

For women, any round-toed, flat slipper will do, like suede or low-gloss, black leather espadrilles. Tai-chi slippers, which you can buy from the advertisers in martial arts magazines or on-line, are also very good. Remember, your will be walking on dirt and sometimes in the mud at these events, so any kind of heels that will just dig into the ground are not good choices. It IS true that pointy-toed shoes were worn during the medieval and Renaissance periods. They were easier to make, actually. But the points were centered on the shoe, and stuck out a great deal farther than the toes. Modern shoes tend to have their points centered on the big toe and bind all the toes tightly.

For men, the general rule about round toes and flat soles also applies. For an upper class costume, a slip-on dress shoe in suede or low-gloss, black or brown leather will work same the same as with women. Penny loafers or anything with a moccassin cut should be avoided, though. And, for both men and women, bedroom slippers are NOT what I mean. But, above and beyond all others, boots are men's favorite choice. English riding boots, while having a round toe, have zippers to close them, and that just isn't right for this kind of costume. IF you have or can buy some that do NOT zipper, then you are set. For a lower class costume, there IS a kind of moccassin that will work. They are called Apache boots, or moccassin boots. They do not have the usual moccasin top, but look like European, knee-high boots, that lace up the front and have a fringe that hangs down. Get the kind that have soles, and cut off the fringe. It's not perfect, but it will do.

I have mentioned above that cowboy boots are wrong, but the round toed boots, with the square tops are okay. The problem is they only reach part-way up the calf, and we want them over the calf at best. Well there IS a solution - English half-chaps.

Half-chaps are not American Western chaps. Half chaps fit over a shoe or low-top boot, with a strap that fits under the arch, and they reach up to the knee. They are squared off at the knee, but it does not take much effort to sew on a bit more leather at the top and let it fold down. You can BUY half-chaps, or you can make them. Here is how I make them.

First: the shoe. I actually LIKE "Beetle Boots" for this, the ankle boot with zippers on the insides. The half chaps will cover those zippers, and the boots have enough arch to allow the strap to pass under without interfering with your step. The half-chaps should be of the same material and texture as the boots. So if you get vinyl boots, get vinyl to match. If you have leather boots, get leather to match. Of course, you have to work with what is available to you. This guide will assume you could only get vinyl, in a low gloss black with a pebbly texture (brown just looks TOO fake.)

Measure your leg around the points indicated in the illustration. Make sure you are wearing your breeches so you have enough room to tuck them in. Draw the shape shown in the next illustration, fitting your measurements at the appropriate places. Notice the shape is very slightly curved out at the bottom. Resist the tempation to make these perfectly close to the ankle. Long boots like these had extra room at the ankles to allow your heel to poke out a bit as you fit your foot into the boot. Without it, you would never get your foot back out later. So these half-chaps will simulate that extra room.

Snip the seam allowance at the spot where the top will fold down to give the half-chaps that swashbuckling style. And that brings me to another point. You need to line the chaps with another material to hide the back of the vinyl when you fold the top of the boot down. I like to use suede-cloth, which is a knitted cloth material that looks like suede. It's also called doe skin. The chaps do not need to be fully lined. You only need to line enough to hide the vinyl at the tops, and to slip down inside a bit. When I made mine, I sewed the outer edges and trimmed off the excess seam allowance, folded everything right sides out, then folded the top down and glued the lining in place on the inside edge.

Sew the buckle onto the short side of the ankle. Then sew the strap onto the opposit ankle, long enought o reach under the sole and up the otherside, through the buckle. Punch holes in it every half inch to fasten on the buckle.An alternative is to sew wide, heavy duty, black elastic to fit under the arch. Just make sure it has enough tension to hold the chaps in place around the boot without any gaps. When wearing the chaps, have the buckle on the oustide of ankle, not the inside. That just gets in the way when you walk. You could literally trip over your own feet, and that is just NOT suave and swashbuckling.

Now sew up the back seam. As best as you can, flatten the seam allowance down and glue it in place. This will reinforce the whole length of the chaps so they do not sag too much when you wear them. When the glue has set, the half-chaps are finished. To put them on, slip your unshod foot into the half chaps, then put on your socks and boots. Lastly, pull the buckle under the arch and fasten it in place. IF there is not enough room between the heel of your boot and the strap, just cut away a little of the chaps, above the heel, until it fits without binding up.

As you walk around the fair, the dust you kick up will cover the boots and the chaps evenly until they both look like one piece.