Medieval boots were wild! - MEDIEVAL MISCONCEPTIONS

[@Giddog40]

“Medieval footwear is a more interesting topic than you might assume” Me who already clicked on the video immediately and was very interested: go on

[@barelyasurvivor1257]

Me too.

[@Necroscat]

I always thought footwear looked vastly different from footwear today just due to quality of materials & tools back then, but I never thought too much about how that might influence styles & the vast number of them there would be. Also probably has a lot to due with what towns you lived in & what type of people wearing what type of styles came through your town.

[@anderporascu5026]

When it came to fashion, once they mastered it they couldn't stop from coming up with fun, wild and even bizarre styles.

[@ianbillmorris]

Modern History TV did a good video on Medieval footwear last week kzbin.info/www/bejne/gp63iZyMm8ambbMsi=i29ePBR7xVLmIg6B

[@PeregrinTintenfish]

People neglect footwear too much.

[@robertjensen1438]

So an Army Ranger wants himself a pair of Gator Boots... But this being an Army Ranger, he's not just going to *buy* himself a pair of boots. No, he's gonna make his own. So he heads down to Louisiana and makes his way to the bayou. He finds a nice little bait shop, buys himself a nice knife, and asks the shop owner where he can find himself a decent size gator. The shop owner gives him directions and a map and says "Oh and when you're out there, keep an eye out for two Marines I sent out about a week ago. They wanted some Gator boots, too, but haven't come back yet. So the Army Ranger heads out following the shop owner's directions and gets way out into the Bayou. Sure enough, there's two Marines standing waist deep in water with like twenty dead gators stacked up behind them on the muddy shoreline. The Ranger waits to see their strategy, and when another gator approaches, one of the Marines jumps on it's back and brutally kills it with his combat knife. He drags it up onto the shoreline, turns it over, looks at its feet and turns to his Marine buddy, and says, "Dammit! This one doesn't have any boots either!"

[@tvrkm6897]

Before I revealed the rest, I thought the punchline was going to be about accidentally making some Crocs.

[@barelyasurvivor1257]

You made me laugh. Have a virtual cookie.

[@WarblesOnALot]

G'day, Never ye F'rget... The foundational root of the term "Infantry" Is, always was, and remains..., INFANT....(!). The object of Infantry Training Being Clearly contrived so as to Infantalise the Trainees to the point whereinat they ALL Compete to be The very Most Unthinkingly, unblinkingly, unquestioningly, unhesitatingly OBEDIENT, of all the Platoon, Instantly Executing the Whims of the Sacrosanct CHAIN(S) OF COMMAND.... Whereas, meanwhile, running in apparently Simultaneously Coincidental Serendipity...; "Warrior..." Is but WORRIER, Merely "Spell-ed" By some Incompetent Sorcerer's 'Prentice...(?) ; Apparently. Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !

[@Twosocks42]

I've seen a dumb blonde joke variation. Also, a fun one (the blonde went to buy boots, but they were too expensive, so she borrowed a shotgun and went out to acquire her own. The shop owner later sees her in the water, staring down a massive gator. He thought she was a goner, but she put a bullet right between its eyes. She then checks it, sighs, and says, "This one doesn't have boots either!" and then drags it to a pile of dead alligators).

[@SGTvolcan]

8:45 As a man who has had to work with hay and brush for a living. Those are most likely leg gaiters to keep the the hay/straw from going into the shoe and causing irritation.

[@unclebounce1495]

I was thinking maybe aristocrats who had higher quality leggings might be using them to protect the pants while riding/traveling? but your reasoning seems better

[@Robsta42]

@@unclebounce1495 Much the opposite I would suspect. In the early 19th century British military, gaiters were used to give ankle-high boots something of the look and functionality of taller boots at a much cheaper price point.

[@JuniorManwe]

I totally agree with both of you. These are gaiters (guêtre in french) in this case it's low quality fabric wrapped around the lower leg used, when doing field work, to protect dirt and other stuff to enter the shoe that are around ankle length and also the lower part of the hose (? tights ? I'm french so my vocabulary may be lacking) But gaiters are also used while riding to protect the clothes from dust and horsehair when not wearing long riding boots.

[@prpunk187]

Yeah I was thinking the same old military used to do something similar so things wouldn't actually get into the boot and cause problems

[@8bvg300]

As someone who regularly gets straw and hay in their shoes, id deffo ware some to keep it out.

[@zaqzilla1]

I have a theory about the pointed toe boots. Pointed toes make it easier to get your foot into stirrups when on horseback. Since the knights were cavalry, and the cool guys, everyone started copying them. Even if they didn't have a horse.

[@NemoConsequentae]

And the curled up tip makes it easier to walk if the sole is stiff, and for a swordsman perhaps less likely for them to trip on uneven ground?

[@Aethuviel]

Nah. 99% of fashion is just that - fashion. Pointed toes are very bad for our foot shape, foot health, normal walking and balance - yet we still wear them after 800+ years.

[@Ranstone]

@@Aethuviel Very true, but all fashion has an origin. (or most). Shiny black boots came from military waterproofing, and peeps imitated it, much like how American work boots became tan after operation desert storm, when they realized tan leather boots are harder to stain in a work environment. Jeans were once a rare, expensive piece of armor (YES ARMOR) for mine workers. They were so expensive and rare, workers were issued them, and when your shift was over, you'd hand them to the next shift worker. They became a status symbol for the rich working class, as they cost anywhere from 1000-3000$ in modern buying power. Now, they're a 20$ classic. Or like how blue became the new color on all flags in 1600-1800, with the advent of a cheaper way to make blue dye, leading to everyone considering blue "modern". (Old Glory could have been red white and green had it been made 100 years earlier.) Crazy!

[@benthomason3307]

I assumed it was a "look at how rich I am that I can get away with wearing something so impractical" sort of thing.

[@Titanic_Tuna]

​@@Ranstone A great selection of examples, very informative. Thank you. 👌

[@ampethosguy]

Conversation aside, I just love how seriously shad is engaging with the conversation and every few moments *Clink* *Clank* 🤣🤣

[@williamblaker2628]

The calf wrapping above the shoe is the medieval version of what some people still wear today. They're gaiters. When you want added protection above the height of the shoes or boots, when you're not wearing thigh-high boots, you wear gaiters. These days, we wear them to protect against snake bites when walking or working in high grass; or when walking or working in rough brush. I suppose in a medieval context, thigh-high boots were an expensive fashion item, but a peasant would wear much cheaper gaiters when work conditions required protection of the legs.

[@zaqzilla1]

8:38 In WWI and early WWII soldiers wore wraps like that to keep water out of their boots. It could be a similar thing there.

[@jacobahn9998]

Yes. Gaiters basically. Ones in WW1 were a specific type called puttees that were an economic alternative to tall boots that exacerbated material shortages. Because these wrapped tight, they provided ankle support as well as protection for the calf & prevented ingress of debris into the footwear. The drawback being it took a while to take on & off. Thru hikers these days like using side zip gaiters instead of tall boots to save weight knowing that this type offers no ankle support.

[@matthewlong9369]

There are also riding gaiters to keep branches and other things you may ride by from scratching you.

[@24darush]

Not only in the world wars! Today soldiers use gaiters, sometimes gore-tex, some simple cordura to keep dirt, mud, water, insects, snow and other ugly things away from legs and boots. And trust me, it makes cleaning the boots much easier...

[@Señor-Donjusticia]

What do you mean “they loved color?” Hollywood has shown me that the medieval period was universally sludge-grey.

[@Surkk2960]

When the Dark Ages weren't as dark as Hollywood claims ;3

[@Aethuviel]

According to Shad at 18:35, it's the renaissance that was grey! (it's a joke)

[@24darush]

Revenge of the medivial colour-filter! The last roman about 500 switched off the lights, and 1000 years later, the early new-times switched them on again... 🤣🤣🤣

[@ConsuetudoGames]

They really love making it look as miserable as possible

[@matthewneuendorf5763]

My understanding of tall boots is that military riding boots which reached above the knee and could be folded down can date to the Late Antique period at the latest. You fold them down for walking, but keep them up for extra protection while on horseback in battle. It's interesting to note the differences in shoe design before and after the introduction of stirrups.

[@markfergerson2145]

That kind of makes sense and kind of doesn’t. When walking through brush and brambles thigh high boots would give better protection when fully extended than when folded down.

[@matthewneuendorf5763]

@@markfergerson2145 My impression is that, in order to be sufficiently protective, they must be stiff, which would make walking difficult.

[@southpawskutatoi]

There is a pair of high boots found from Ammorium dated to the 7th century. These seem to be cavalry boots, as the soles are only a few millimeters thick. They’re more like leather socks than what we modern people would consider boots. A common misconception is that boots are like modern boots. Thick soles, robust footwear, when, in reality, because of them being turnshoes, they needed to be quite thin.

[@BayWa4eva]

​@@markfergerson2145 why would they walk through brush and brambles though?

[@olegcheckan1792]

Not for battle. For horse riding. Protect inner thigh from rubbing, outer - from tree branches, bushes and tall grass

[@barelyasurvivor1257]

Only Shad can talk about Pointed Toe shoes, and make it interesting enough to me to watch all 19+ minutes of it. And enjoy it all and learn too. TY.

[@garrettadams6158]

Medieval misconceptions! How I missed you!!!

[@James35142]

I missed this series.

[@Hybris51129]

I am so glad to see a new sit down informational video. Your other stuff is good but these deeper dives into stuff are where you truly shine.

[@jackmcslay]

8:40 looks like shin guards to me. It looks like a rough, thick material and the guy is working at a farm, where you'd expect people to wear shin guards to protect from debris, scrapes and such. Medieval japanese illustrations shows farmers wearing similar protectors as well.

[@rianfelis3156]

Gaiters are still sold today, for some people. Helps keep that and water out of your shoe, with a much cheaper material than if you tried to get a boot that high.

[@irishijo1]

You are right, footware really is fascinating. You would think pointed boots/shoes would get caught on everything, in doorways, on stairs, caught in wheels, but they were really wide spread. More interesting still is the spurs, I had always assumed spurs were a more modern invention, but seeing them back in mid-late Medieval period is really cool. And the multipal colors on the boots too, really fascinating

[@richard_n]

These are some of my favorite videos. I love learning about lesser explored areas of history.

[@realBSP3]

The covers are called gaiters. They exist to provide the protection that full-height boots provide when wearing normal height shoes or boots. In the past, they were also a stabilizing factor. A tertiary benefit is trouser containment. Overall, it's about protection.

[@Jaeler9]

Hey Shad, the cloth wrapping in the farm scene 8:36 are most likely an early form of gaiters. Most outerwear is designed with the idea to be harder wearing and easier to clean than the inner layers that keep you warm and your body clean. So farmers, either not having the money for higher boots or didn’t like them for other reasons for instance leather is harder to keep soft and clean in wet conditions, would have very naturally and practically stumbled across using something like the detachable sleeves used by butchers and wives the world over for centuries to keep their long tight fitting sleeves clean. Hose and braes and trousers would require more effort and expense to clean than two large tubes of fabric that you tie around your leg and can be washed easily. The sleeves are still in use by the way. Mainly in food service now but some outside the industry.

[@scottybreuer]

Shad spent a higher percentage of this medieval footwear video discussing the codpiece than I was prepared for. Admittedly, I should have prepared better.

[@Grandwigg]

Makes sense, it was a major part of medieval fashion, as I understand it. At Leary it wasn't as absurd as some full armor I've seen museum photos of.

[@RagPlaysGames]

@8:40 They're called gaiters. They're to stop stuff going in over the top of the shoes. People still use them with hiking boots in deep snow to stop it from getting in. Since these are farmers, you can use your imagination of what type of "stuff" they'd be wading into that they'd want to keep out of their shoes. In a pigsty for instance.

[@EpicRandomness555]

The color differentiation on the cuffs is so interesting. Usually when I draw those styles of boots, I make the cuff a lighter version of the main leather/material of the boot. But I never would have thought to do a completely different color.

[@rubyslippers1935]

I’m so excited! I often turn to your channel for research when I’m brainstorming a story. Footwear can be very important in a story!

[@benwoyvodich8676]

Imagine the medieval shouting at his tailer, "more points! I must have the pointiest boots in all the land, honor demands it! And cuffs to the cod piece in at least three colors!"

[@FaceEatingOwl]

The long boots make sense for horse riding. If these videos are easier for you to make we would love more of them. Like other comments suggest, I hadn't realised how much I missed this style of video. Thank you, Shad and crew. I would love to learn about medieval gardening. How did they do it? Were any decorative? What sorts of crops did they grow, and what was just foraged? What kinds of tools did they use? Cheers.

[@Hassohappa]

5:06 I can just see someone saying this is a depiction of a black man offering an Asian woman a gift thus proving that the medieval period was very multicultural!

[@tiggytheimpaler5483]

I'm fighting the urge to write the ballad of Sir Tyrone of Comptonshire and the fair Lady Chi Ling set in rural France. Truly a lost chapter of Roma de la Rose

[@HighKingForrest]

We’re so back.

[@BeastofCaerBannog]

I've really missed this kind of uber detailed history content. The pop culture sword stuff is fun but it's not what I came to the channel for.

[@gbosman5874]

Hear.hear​@@BeastofCaerBannog

[@crusadernikolai1996]

We were back when he went to the UK and did castle vids bh

[@shrootskyi815]

I've also missed these history focused edutainment videos, but I can see why they don't really make them any more. It just doesn't seem viable. This has been by far the worst performing video uploaded to the channel in months. It's a great video (IMO), but I guess the current YT algorithm and audience don't like this kind of video now.

[@MagosJCDentonus451]

@@shrootskyi815 I think the thumbnail did hurt this video a lot. Clicking here I didn't know should I expect historical analysis or... whatever this thumbnail suggests

[@Raptor091288]

Shad: Makes a whole video talking about footwear, their purpose and design Me: haha funny shoes, i click

[@Velkanredgrave]

Glad to see another sit down historical discussion video. The sword experiments and pop culture is fun occasionally but i kinda missed these kind of videos. The ones that put the "iversity" in Shadiversity. Also looking forward to your next writing project. Always entertaining and educational. Thank you for your videos!

[@KnightsWithoutATable]

Now this is the content that we watch your channel for.

[@BelleRose11000]

Thank you for making this! I love it the most when you cover history and anything to do with a day in the medieval life.❤

[@hubertrozalski7070]

Those extremely pointed boots (called "ciżmy" in Polish) originated in Cracow, then the capital city of Poland, and were a form of a phallic joke, like "Look, my boots look like benis!", but later became fashionable in Germany.

[@jackmcslay]

More men should wear long boots, and I mean IRL and unironically. It's such an ellegant look that should never have been left behind.

[@doopdoopdopdop7424]

We need to get our feet back in the door. We’re only allowed to wear that kind of boot these days if we ride motorcycles, horses, or other men.

[@spartanhawk7637]

The main issue with the style stateside at least is you need to be a bit on the thinner side to pull it off.

[@jackmcslay]

@@doopdoopdopdop7424 I don't do any of those and when I go out with a nice pair of biker or goth style boots the response I usually get is that my boots are awesome

[@doopdoopdopdop7424]

Oh nice.

[@Riley_Mundt]

Those "medieval leg warmers" as you call them look like leg gaiters. They're typically made of heavy cloth or leather and worn to protect the ankle and lower calf when walking through dense brush or tall grasses. From thorn branches to snakebites, they were once an essential form of armor for the common man or the marching soldier.

[@Antonio-mn5pq]

The high legged boots are pointed because those are for wet season. The point part was usually filled with straw, to keep the toes dry and warm from the cold rain or snow.

[@Crossbro25]

I think a video about medival hairstyles would be interresting to.

[@lordaniolist]

Having gone up and down stairs in boots that were oversized, I wonder how flexible and how annoying those long-tipped shoes were to use, especially the REALLY long ones

[@ConsuetudoGames]

Seems like a massive health hazard, I can't imagine how they managed it

[@lordaniolist]

@@ConsuetudoGames ikr Even if there were no steps involved, I'd think just walking would be an issue after a while

[@case384]

​@@lordaniolistThe things people will do for fashion. I suppose high heals are similar in a way.

[@lordaniolist]

@@case384 That's true, at least those are a vertical boost though 😆 I would love to see these medieval shoes, the really long ones is actual use, imagine people stepping on them all the time lol

[@ConsuetudoGames]

@@lordaniolist Seems like they would get stuck under horses, or carts or other people. Get covered in mud. I noticed lots of medieval structures, castles and walls have no safety railings either. One misstep or caught pointy shoe and you're done for.

[@Surkk2960]

Everyone be looking like Waluigi in these medieval images with them shoes and thin legs :)

[@Grandwigg]

Wahaugh!

[@TheZapan99]

These boots just make me want to sing this olde banger: Filez la laine, filez la laine De mes moutons dondaine. Cousez mitaines, cousez mitaines Por de bels capitaines. Dévidez quenouilles et quenouillettes Allumez chandelettes Bistaillez freloques et bandelettes Biscotez amourettes.

[@samphillips4925]

I love how Shad takes on all different kinds of topics

[@EpicRandomness555]

Boots! Love the boots! Bad at drawing modern shoes, love the boots!

[@outandabout259]

There's one thing I'm curious about: when did shoes get proper soles? All those medieval shoes look like leather socks with the bottom made from the same material as the rest of the boots. Wouldn't they be slippery? Did they have thicker bottoms for durability?

[@ConsuetudoGames]

I'm also curious, you'd think they must have something similar to a Roman sandal, but I have no idea

[@jasonj8740]

I always was under the impression that Jesters only wore the ridiculous pointed footwear

[@shopdog831]

Lef puttees there used to protect your legs when your clearing weeds.

[@ChadislavBigbullbus]

This is the type of content I love watching, just you in front of the camera talking about cool and interesting stuff about medieval history/fantasy. Nothing against videos you make with Tyranth, they are fine, but this kind of videos are the reason I subscribed and I hope we will be getting more of them. Cheers!

[@davidbrennan660]

Shad’s comfort home armour is cool. A Master swordsman would wear footwear he could fight in.

[@Linxen]

i love this kind of content, just like old shad videos!

[@Kenneth_854]

I think that types of fantasy boots will be easier to go on with!❤🇬🇧⚔🛡

[@Kanudelgruber]

Next video: "How effective is a pointy boot as a weapon?"

[@FoxValleyIntergalactic]

His name is Miscellaneous Task

[@ConsuetudoGames]

They'll never expect the toe stab

[@redbeard5939]

It's nice to know that historic taste in fashion is equally as inscrutable as the modern.

[@ninja5708]

As someone who lives in a farm with animals as well as having done professional landscaping for a few years, I can say that both the higher cuffed boots as well as the cloth calf wrappings are very important for keeping your legs safe and clean. Farmers and ranchers would likely wear them to protect their legs from their animals, from getting micro cuts from grass and other plants, as well as small bugs like mites or spiders and ants. For travel, it would help keep your pants and legs from getting dirty and cuts from rocks as well as preserve the longevity of your pant legs. It would also protect your legs from the sun if you didn't have actual pants either, but instead had something shorter. 8:40

[@duckymomo6472]

So much of the weaponry and armor comes down to functionality, but what function do those long floppy toes serve? They seem more like a hindrance than anything else.

[@angelwings1979]

I love these types of videos. Busting myths and learning about everyday life. These are my favorite and Shad is amazing at presenting them.

[@Zebulization]

The ancients had a poor understanding of several topics, but their footwear was on point

[@rustythefoxcoon5143]

Damn it I an stealing that one.

[@kevlarandchrome]

These have always been some of my favorite videos from this channel. Just simple discussion and fishing around in old imagery and documents to attempt to suss out the smaller details of history.

[@jessehinman8340]

As someone who had to make their own footwear for a Renaissance Faire last year this video is fascinating. The boots I bought were back ordered and I didn't get notice of it until last moment. I did a lot research into "Medieval Foorware" and found that it was going to be quite the project. I had the most difficult time finding videos and information on this subject. Most footwear through that time frame was just whatever you could find around you be it leather, wood, or plant fiber.

[@chaoskitty123]

usually when they have pointed boots, they use a nearly invisible string to attach it to the top of the footwear so they don't trip over the point. They did this so they can adjust the size of the boots according to foot size

[@Tikuros]

I can suggest contacting Bernadette Banner, dress historian and KZbin content creator. Maybe she can provide you some insight to some period accurate footwear

[@kangirigungi]

Yay, another old style informative video from shad! These are my favorites.

[@Atheismo9760]

I'm very glad to see you do these kinds of videos again.

[@ianjohnson182]

In the modern day, the cloth wraps around your shins, below the knee, and over the boot is called a gator, or gators. They are great for walking through brush. Used to be standard issue for soldiers.

[@Hot_Dice]

Informative and fun as always Shad!

[@jierdareisa4313]

I love ALL Shadiversity videos!!!! ❤

[@gbosman5874]

First Shadiversity i watched in a long time. Finally some good old informative content again

[@PhilBagels]

In the context of combat and adventuring, I can't help but think there could be some serious disadvantages to those long pointed toes on the boots. Someone gets in close and steps on the point of your boot and now you can't move that foot.

[@BridgeBum]

As someone else mentioned, it could be an advantage for mounted combat, being able to get in stirrups faster/easier and possibly even help stay mounted. So could easily make sense in a knight.

[@Robobagpiper]

Later than the middle ages, but in the Scottish Highlands (18thc & earlier), people did sometimes wear basically calf warmers or gaiters called "moggans" - footless woolen hose, presumably secured with tied ribbons as garters, for warmth because the ordinary sort didn't often wear shoes.

[@adamburgess4618]

My take on the leg wraps is that they served a similar purpose to gaiters/leggings of 18th century soldiers or American GIs from WWII. Simply keep dirt and rocks out of the shoe while providing additional protection from low brush.

[@zacharyboardwell7265]

so, I do not know the name, but the "leg warmers" as you called them were badsically a way to make a shoe function as a boot, it would tie at the ankle and knee and sometimes be tied underneath, they were used for riding and working to protect the clothes on your leg from the dirt and to offer some protection in more dangerous jobs

[@andreasschone5383]

Blue was the most one of the more expensive colors in medieval times, because you needed a clear and sunny, full! day to make blue. It was so prominent in germany, that a saying even started to appear: "Making blue" aka skipping school/work.

[@paulblase3955]

How the heck could anyone walk with some of those toes!

[@reeyees50]

They walked on the heels of their feet instead of on the point. Sorta like speed walkers in the olympics stride

[@Searly255]

Since the guy with the ankle warmers was a farmer they could have been improvised wraps to protect against ticks or other bitey insects while working in the fields or just improvised waterproofing. WW2 boots could have a similar wrap attached to make ankle boots into knee length ones

[@RyanCFoster]

I love how you still always keep doing the content that made me fall in love with you. Well done, Shad.

[@anthonywestbrook2155]

I think my biggest takeaway is that these were probably moccasin-like thigh-highs. The only way you’re getting that baggy, rumpled look is if it’s soft, pliable leather. But the thigh-highs always having spurs tells me that those are riding thigh-high moccasins, and those without horses wouldn’t have worn them that high up.

[@lordaniolist]

Very interesting, when i was making the model of my profile picture in 3D, I had no idea what shoes he'd be wearing or how much support the shoes had because some look kinda like socks so I wasn't sure how much support the bottoms had. I definitely would like to develop a full under outfit that makes sense with the armor when I do a redesign soon. Good to keep in mind about these kinds of things, love Medieval stuff

[@scottwyatt2614]

8:40 - The shoe coverings are called either gaiters or leggings. I use a form of that when hiking, as they keep rocks out of your shoes (and dust/ash from blowing up your trouser legs). If you look at WWII pictures/films you are likely to see soldiers wearing gaiters over their boots.

[@Ora_]

I've missed these kind of short classic Shadiversity videos. Keep them coming whenever you found something interesting like this to talk about.

[@hashkangaroo]

This is the kind of video I like from you. Would definitely like to see more of this kind of stuff in the future. After all, the medieval era wasn't just about swords and castles.

[@WillStopka]

Those pauldrons though 💪

[@atrior7290]

Those "leg warmers" are leg wraps, verry common in the early middle ages, comes in many forms : long wool bands you wrap around your lower leg, knee high stockings, or those wrapped rectangles. They are used to protect the lower legs from various thorny bushes, mud, and many other stuff, they fill the role of the height on a boot. Boots are what replaced them. Btw leg bindings also compress the calf like football compression socks, helping with physical effort from my reenactment experience.

[@Ruskaga]

With so many of us wearing blue jeans and white sneakers, medieval people would probably think we're dull and bland by comparison 😆 To me, these illustrations say a lot about the materials used in medieval footwear. They weren't made of leather like modern boots and shoes; I imagine they were more like wool stockings, perhaps with some leather sewn on the bottom to act as a sole. The fact that some even required straps to hold them up shouts that the materials weren't stiff enough for them to hold their shape like modern footwear.

[@naxmorvigatore4168]

Something I love about human history is that the bare minimum standard for footwear has always been leather for the past dozen thousand years, with the only changes being _how_ that leather is worked with and cobbled together into a shoe. Where in the most ancient times it was all function over form, cavemen had hide wrappings, and bronze empires had proper leather sandals and soles with adjustable strings. But then in the medieval era we really started to care about expressing ourselves with not just color but in form as well, and not just for the rich either, this was a time when even the average peasant could afford color and style to express themselves, even in shoe form. Alot of people think clothes back then looked rediculous according to all these artworks depicting them, but we gotta remember the medieval era was a time of constant warfare. Literally what Game Of Thrones as well as what other similar stories were inspired by. Life was depressing and entertaining media like plays in theaters was scarce and expensive, so there was no such thing as anything too "silly" for clothing. There was only degrees of charisma and flamboyancy that you carried yourself with as you greeted your neighbors who were just as flashy and colorful and eager to show off their good looks as you were. When you have nothing you make the happiest of what you do have, and what people had back then were the clothes on their backs and feet, lol.

[@jlan7844]

The funny thing is, the long toed pointy shoes are STILL in style for some people. Heck I live in the Deep South in the US and I've come across old men wearing gator hide or snakeskin shoes (I've even seen ostrich leather versions for sale) that look like they came straight out of one of those medieval paintings. Dyed to match the colors of their fancy silk three piece suits and hats whenever possible of course.

[@mccooltrades]

8:34 Its protection for the scrapes and scratches involved in farming, allowing the farmer to wear light clothing in hot weather while still protecting their legs. If you've tried clearing bracken, imagine doing that in shorts, then imagine there's no cure for infection.

[@pi4t651]

Another interesting question is how long medieval footwear lasted. According to the Ars Magica sourcebooks, which are usually reasonably well-researched, typical shoes were made of soft leather and would only last for a month or so, and people would often buy several pairs at once. Which might also explain the people wearing shoes of different colours - it's easy to mix and match if you're buying multiple pairs anyway.

[@dallinadams9422]

Very helpful, one of the medieval cultures I am writing about have a big emphasis on boots, it is always nice to have some more sources of inspiration for what would be most practical for them.

[@Armored_Muskrat]

Thank you, sir, this is excellent and my favorite type of your content. I like in-depth looks at medieval matters even more than the testing and review videos (which are also good, don't get me wrong).

[@Roland3ld]

Here is the usual full support for channel growth.

[@czechmateyoulost1755]

Yaay, medieval misconceptions are back! wooo

[@Doomwolf82002]

Now this is the content I subscribed for!😊

[@JRMshadow260a]

I didn't see a heel, if I'm not mistaken, there wasn't a heel on them boots.. Well until the Henry the VIII's time.. But I could be wrong also..

[@secondamendment1927]

I know the apache had basically a roll down boot, provided leg protection while riding but roll down for heat while walking. Not sure when exactly they came up with it. But, it only makes sense for all cultures with horse riding to come to the same conclusion of "stuff hit leg, leg hurt"

[@wakeful1710]

could you link us to the images you've compiled?

[@Vienticus]

I've been looking a lot into etymology so I could use older words in my story. It's a fun bit of exploration.

[@SilverSidedSquirrel]

Shadiversity pointy boots when?

[@Nameless-ck3hd]

After some thought, I think pointed shoes likely started as a practical reality for the lower classes. It seems like one efficient way to create shoes, as quickly as possible, would be to cut material and just sow the different pieces to a point rather than trying to create additional structure to round the toe area of the shoe. In addition to this pointed shoes would have some extra utility as you could stuff them up with straw or other materials during the winter to keep your toes warm. It’s possible that at some point someone from a wealthier class adopted the style. Then it became about competing with peers. So the length of the pointed goes became longer and longer. To try to one up others within the wealthy class. I also suspect this is where the joke about shoe size and phallic size came from.

[@defaultytuser]

Shad sitting on the chair doing “deep dives”. I MISSED THIS, getting that coffee ready :)

[@barnbwt]

Those Mexican dancing boots with the foot-plus long pointed toes come to mind. Ankle/shin coverings that wrap on over the top of ankle-height shoes as a separate piece are 'gaiters.' I honestly surprised to not see more footwrap/puttee type foot coverings in that era; must have been unfashionable and associated with lower classes, I guess, since they're really far more practical than most of the higher boots shown.

[@jeffbennington4847]

In regards to the cloth covering on the lower leg over the shoe, the Japanese had something similar called kyahan. They could be tied around the pant leg to keep them from dragging the ground or keep mud from splashing onto the pants. Also as padding under shin armor for those that wore armor. So it could be something similar

[@josephradley3160]

A classic Shad style video. I've missed these.

[@you1027]

If a 'master swordsman' is defined by never getting hit, would his footwear of choice not be Nikes? So he could run away the best. Martial arts masters' highest wisdom, and all that.

[@balintkovacs4089]

"This footwear surprised me." But not the flying hat :D (1st picture) As for the "leg warmers", that's what we later call half-chaps. It's not a leg warmer specifically - athough since winter variants could be made of fur or thick wool, that is also a beneficial side effect - but their function is to close up the shoes and pants at the foot/ankle section, thus preventing dirt, mud, water, etc. from getting inside the footwear. With tall boots, this wasn't an issue as much but with ankle boots and shoes, working people and soldiers needed this type of insulation. The pointed boots/shoes originally became a thing to not "waste the material" since fabric and leather were very expensive, after a time though it just became fashion. To prevent from it tripping people up, the toes of the footwear were laced to the calf or ankle. Higher boots are a result of cultural exchange in the medieval times, with the arrival of nomadic people from the steppes of Central Asia and Asia Minor. These people were wearing riding boots but those were made from a separate foot part and leg part, laced together. Western shoemakers figured out how to make it from a single part. Also something to keep in mind that footwear was not always made of leather or hide. Textile boots and shoes were also very much a thing. Hence when you see that reenactor's shoes being de facto "boots", the foot part is made of leather while the "pipe" of the boot is made of textile, which would slide down during movement as the half muscles expand. So he tied them up with a stripe of fabric. The very tall boots for riding is what essentially became the chaps later on since they were aa pain to put on and take off. People often just folded them down to their desired height.