How to Improve Grip of Caligae on Wooden Floor?

[rszebras]

Here is the situation that I need suggestions about. I'm giving a presentation at a college in their gymnasium. It has varnished wooden floors because it's a basketball court. I've previously given presentations at schools in their gyms but they always covered the floor in a thick rubber mat. (See the attached photo.) Thus I was able to wear my hobnailed caligae. Not this time. I thought ahead to the possiblity of this scenario so last year I ordered a second pair of caligae with no hobnails.

Here's the problem. Leather on varnished wooden floors is like ice skating. I could wear the hobnailed caligae and have a good grip on the wooden floor, but I wouldn't be invited back after damaging their property. What can I do to get a better grip? I thought about taking some sandpaper to the bottom of the caligae and scuffing up the smooth leather surface in hopes that would provide better traction.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, particularly anyone who has had to address the same problem and knows what works!

Randy Sampson

[Neuraleanus]

Have them put down some carpeting or floor rugs? It would cost the school more if you fell and broke a bone. There really is no good solution here. Roman displays are best performed outside. Out of doors you can setup a proper roman camp with tents, do drills, and so on without having to worry about falling.

[Magnus]

What about some kind of silicon or rubber that you can glue onto the bottoms of your caligae?

[rszebras]

Thanks for the suggestion about using silicon or rubber on the bottom. I'm going to look into that further. I won't be setting up a Roman camp or doing drills, as I'd be the only one there. But the suggestion about carpet or rugs made me think to call the school and ask them if they can put down a rubber protective mat like at other schools. I have to think that the college would have this to protect their floor. They just don't put it down for these types of events for some reason. Maybe if I ask they could make the arrangements.

Because there is no guarantee that this will happen, if anyone else has advice please offer it.

Randy Sampson

[M. Demetrius]

On stage in theatre, we just put duck tape on the soles. The back side is sort of grippy, and the tape sticks to the leather just fine. (OK, in theatre we use something called gaff tape, but it's basically low-tack duck tape). It will leave some sticky goo on the leather, but just walk around in the dirt later and it gets ok again. Shouldn't leave anything on the floor of the gym.

Safety first, for yourself and for the floor.

(edited to remove suggestion posted while I was writing...inner tube and contact cement)

[Dan Howard]

If you want authenticity then you should be slipping over There is more than one mention of a legionary slipping over on cobblestones because of his hobnails.

[M. Demetrius]

Well, right you are, Dan. Broken elbows and sprained wrists are certainly authentic, as are thousands of nearly irreparable cleat dents on a wooden (basketball court) floor. But are they really desired? hock:

Heh. Not by this old, fat reenactor, anyway. I'll stick with the tape. :lol: :lol: :roll:

IIRC, Romans took off their hobnailed shoes at the door of a house (except in battle invasion, of course) and put on smoother shoes for walking inside, and even softer, cloth shoes when entering the triclinium--reversing the process when leaving the house.

[size=85:12rkpuqo] ("Stick with the tape," indeed. I actually wrote that in public? Some days I amaze even myself. Shameless punner.)[/size]

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

No pun intended of course..... :wink:

[Buggnkat]

you can use a double sided carpet tape you find at any carpet store. It isnt permenant and it will come off rather easily and give you decent traction without making you feel like a fly to flypaper!

Greg

[tDub248]

If you do double sided tape, I would think you'd want to throw some powder or dust on there so that it has some grip, but doesn't make a distracting noise while you're walking. But I second the Gaff tape or duck tape (black is preferable). Hope it goes well!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Hell, just glue a layer of rubber to the bottom!

[rszebras]

On stage in theatre, we just put duck tape on the soles. The back side is sort of grippy, and the tape sticks to the leather just fine. (OK, in theatre we use something called gaff tape, but it's basically low-tack duck tape). It will leave some sticky goo on the leather, but just walk around in the dirt later and it gets ok again. Shouldn't leave anything on the floor of the gym.

Safety first, for yourself and for the floor.

(edited to remove suggestion posted while I was writing...inner tube and contact cement)

Thanks so much for the suggestion. This is much easier than using silicon or rubber. I was already conjuring up buying some thin, flexible rubber membrane material at Home Depot and gluing it permanently to the soles. Now, when you use this in the theatre, do you use your hobnailed caligae and use the tape just to protect the floor? Or do you use caligae without hobnails and use the tape for traction? I gather from your suggestion it is the latter.

Second, do you simply apply the sticky part of the tape to the sole and then the non-sticky part is then in contact with the floor? Or do you wrap the tape around itself so it becomes like a two-sided sticky tape? There was the one suggestion of using a two-sided carpet tape. My concern there is that the tape might end up sticking more to the floor than the leather and then the tape would pull off. Unless I put some powder or dust on it, as suggested, to lessen the adhesive properties on the side that will contact the floor.

So, tomorrow I'm off to Guitar Center (or some such place) to buy some black gaffers tape and give it a try -- or duct tape, or two-sided carpet tape.

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. My wife is amazed that so many of you would take time to offer assistance to someone you don't even know. But I have found this forum to be so beneficial just reading the posts already here, and even more so by everyone's willingness to offer assistance when I have posted specific questions.

Randy Sampson

[M. Demetrius]

Second, do you simply apply the sticky part of the tape to the sole and then the non-sticky part is then in contact with the floor?

Yes, sir.

Or do you wrap the tape around itself so it becomes like a two-sided sticky tape?

Nope, never. You can't be sure which part will stick the better, and if it comes off your shoe, you're not only right back where you started, you make everyone uncomfortable..."Momma! Look, that man's shoe is falling apart...do you think we should tell him? Oh, look he fell right on his premise!" hock:

I also thought, damp leather would provide traction, too. You could do nothing more complex than stand on a wet towel for a little bit, and your soles should be grippy enough just like that, and for nearly free.

There. I've saved your sole. Send your tithes and offerings right over here!

[PhilusEstilius]

Where you mention that you have another pair of boots without studs might I suggest what I did for some one some years ago, it was the leader of the Legio Secvnda Avgvsta who was worried about slipping on the Marble footpaths in Tarragona. I made him some boots that had no studs however I made a cut out tread on the bottom of the soles, just a few recessed grooves that pointed to the rear just like a Tractor tread that grips even on dry grass for that matter.

[P. Clodius Secundus]

Our Legion does shows at least once a month at Higgins Armory. The Auditorium is carpeted so it's easy to walk on, but throughout the rest of the building there are numerous stone and linoluem and floors and marble steps that are like walking on ice in hobnailed caligae. Traffic-worn manhole covers on parades are deadly as well. We reccommend that our miles use either the "Duct Tape" solution, or that they wrap leather lacing around the soles. It acts like clip-on ice cleats. They wear out eventually, but they retain that period correct look. If you use a bunch of strips side to side, when one breaks you can just tug it out from under your foot. This is also good where thay worry about scratching the floors.