Roman Footwear’s High fashion Sense is Demonstrated by Ancient shoes

Italians are generally renowned as excellent shoemakers throughout the world. Their products are usually placed in a more luxurious category as their designer shoes tend to cost a bit more an average person can afford.

However, their predecessors on the Italian Peninsula ― the Romans ― were known as gifted shoemakers as well, apart from being ingenious engineers, architects, and sculptors.

Moreover, Roman footwear wasn’t only functional but was fashionable in a sense to which we today can relate.

A recent discovery from an archaeological locality of Saalburg, Germany, confirms that the Romans indeed neatly crafted women’s shoes, which, apart from providing protection and warmth, were also very stylish and presented a status symbol among citizens.

The discovery at Saalburg is just one among many, for this site used to be a significant Roman border outpost on the very frontier of the Empire. Built around 90 AD, it also served as a settlement that at its height reached around 2,000 inhabitants who lived both within the fort’s walls and in the village which grew around it. The fort remained active until 260 AD.

Since 2005, Saalburg has been put under UNESCO’s protection as a World Heritage Site and the fortress has been reconstructed using known data about its prior shape and form.

As for the shoe, it was found in what used to be a well within the ancient settlement. Today the 2,000-year-old piece of footwear stands as part of a regular exhibition in the Saalburg museum.

Based on the standard-issue Roman military sandal/boot, called the caligae, the Saalburg shoe has a heavy sole, implying it was made for outdoor use, as opposed to the more lightly-soled indoor slippers which were also known to be popular among the wealthier inhabitants of the Roman Empire.

The design is similar ― apart from the sole, the Saalburg shoe includes holes for laces, which were predominately used by women. As is typical for most Roman footwear, it has a leather upper and a hobnailed sole, providing both comfort and functionality to the wearer.

The embroidery is crafted in great detail, once again implying this was most probably a shoe belonging to a wealthy person. Patterns including triangles and circles add to the beauty of this shoe from another time, displaying its maker’s skill, but also its owner’s social status, as merchandise of this standard certainly came in a steeper price range.

According to Rome Across Europe, a blog dedicated to Roman culture, the ancient civilization of Julius Caesar, Cicero and many others actually introduced the Mediterranean world with the first entire-foot-encasing shoe:

“Many had large open-work areas made by cutting or punching circles, triangles, squares, ovals, etc. in rows or grid-like patterns. Others were more enclosed, having only holes for the laces. Some very dainty women’s and children’s shoes still had thick nailed soles.”

Pioneers in their own right, Roman shoemakers were known as sutors and their craft was highly praised throughout ancient Europe and beyond. The style obviously traveled together with conquest, as this example was discovered in the very outskirts of the Empire.

In an age of manufacture, a gifted sutor could easily earn the respect of Roman patricians ― the ruling elite ―enabling them to rise in the social hierarchy.

Apparently, their meddling with other trades gave birth to an ancient Roman expression, attributed to Pliny the Elder ― “Sutor, ne ultra crepidam,” meaning “Shoemaker, not beyond the shoe.”

The expression originated from an anecdote in which a shoemaker complains to the painter, Apelles of Kos, by pointing out that his rendition of a shoe on one of his paintings wasn’t correct. Apelles changed this detail, but in return received a number of other objections by the shoemaker, concerning things that weren’t in his area of expertise.

Thus came the saying by which everyone should stick to what they know, and remain restrained in passing judgment beyond their profession.

On the other hand, when it came to shoes, the Roman sutors clearly were masters of their trade, as confirmed with this lovely piece of footwear which stood the test of time for almost two millennia, to be discovered and admired today.

Related Posts

Surrealism Tattoo Style – New Trending Explore the Body Art Genre

You may have heard that everything is only limited by the boundaries of human imagination. Well, this holds true for surrealism tattoos that cross all the limits…

Amazing Filipino tribal tattoos supposed to bring positivity into your life

Filipino tribal tattoos meaning is based on their previous ancestors’ culture and heritage. They showcase bravery, passion, personality, and goal-oriented skills which could be intertwined with yours. The…

If your body is a picture, then tattoos are the strokes that color it. The mystery of the geometric tattoo. beautiful design

  25 ideas of the most used type of tattoo 16 February, 2016 What is the most used tattoo? Although there are still many people who use them ,…

Unveiling the Museum in New York: Unraveling the Mystery of Fossil Skeletons in a “$ensitive” Position

J New York City, USA – In a recent small-scale exhibition in New York, indigenous craftsmanship took center stage, captivating the attention of visitors with its unique…

Ex𝚙l𝚘𝚛𝚊ti𝚘n 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚑ist𝚘𝚛ic S𝚞𝚋s𝚞𝚛𝚏𝚊c𝚎 W𝚊t𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚘l𝚍s K𝚎𝚢 t𝚘 𝚊li𝚎n Li𝚏𝚎 M𝚢st𝚎𝚛i𝚎s

W𝚊t𝚎𝚛 t𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚎l𝚘w 𝚎𝚊𝚛t𝚑’s s𝚞𝚛𝚏𝚊c𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚋illi𝚘ns 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛s c𝚘𝚞l𝚍 𝚑𝚘l𝚍 k𝚎𝚢s t𝚘 𝚞nl𝚘ckin𝚐 t𝚑𝚎 s𝚎c𝚛𝚎ts 𝚘𝚏 𝚎xt𝚛𝚊t𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚎st𝚛i𝚊l li𝚏𝚎. In t𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚙t𝚑s 𝚘𝚏 𝚊n 𝚊l𝚙in𝚎 m𝚘𝚞nt𝚊in 𝚛𝚊n𝚐𝚎,…

Mystery of winged tiny ‘human skeletons’ found in ‘basement of old London house’

Skeletal winged bodies of fairies, werewolves and aliens were said to have been found in the basement of an old house in London. The macabre collection features…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *