MikeW Report post Posted January 22, 2009 A pair of piked turnshoes (for me), late 15th century. Still laced on the inside at this point since it was also popular to build leather soles directly to hose. This way the shoes will look like they blend into the hose and be fashionable. Edward IV had put in place sumptuary laws to prevent exceedingly long toes, so I didn't have to attempt poulaines. (my story and I'm stickin' to it!) Just for grins, I tossed in a sailor's breastplate knot to keep the lacing properly centered. Vinegaroon dyed with an overnight bath in baking soda water and touched up with eco-flow coal black. These were time consuming but I think it was worth it. Any comments or ideas for future ones would be appreciated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrooperChuck Report post Posted January 22, 2009 They look great! I wonder what it was like walking around with those long pointy toes? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeW Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Walking isn't all that bad. Just have to kick your heels up a little. Stairs are kinda tough. Now, adding pattens, that may be an experiment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Raven Report post Posted January 22, 2009 I think you need a medal just for turning those! They are amazing, beat my attempts at turnshoes hands down. Fantastic work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daggrim Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Nice shoes. I agree, turning them must've been hard. What weight is the leather? Also, what did the vinegaroon do? I've skimmed the posts on it, but didn't read closely. I'll go back for more details, so no need to repeat all that info...just curious. Didn't the fashion extremists of the day tie their shoe toe up to their shins because the shoes were so long? Dag Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeW Report post Posted January 22, 2009 It was 7-8 oz leather (~3mm). They weren't very hard to turn - I use a wine bottle to do the big stuff and then a wooden dowel from a toilet plunger to do the last inch on the tip. The dowel is rounded so it doesn't damage the leather. You do have to slam it down pretty hard and trust your stitching. Soaking for 15 mins in cold water helps a lot. Also there's a trick - if you can't move it any further, pull it off the bottle and looking down at the toe, open it out and try and get it to lay neatly again like an inside-out sleeve on a shirt. The vinegaroon is vinegar and rust that turns vegetan leather black. It did a very good job on the soles but the uppers had some sun damage and it wouldn't quite do it completely. The hardest part is coming up with anything rusty around here. Ok, the super long toes tied to the knees myth was started by an author who must have thought they MUST HAVE done something with those long toes! It's very unlikely. Especially since there's not one painting depicting this. Shoes & Patten book text link Thanks for the complements! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottishshoemaker Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Really nice work glad to see another shoemakers craft. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
