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08-19-2004, 03:36 AM

I recently receieved the Dura-Europos book and I've discovered that I like the footwear illustrated, the calceus, or "shoeboot", as illustrated on page 59. Does anyone have an appropriate pattern for making a pair of these? I've seen the patterns on Matt Amt's site, but their more shoes than boots. There's also a nice photo on page 39 in "Roman Military Clothing".

08-19-2004, 05:37 PM

I was looking all over for a pattern to, and I finaly found one! 
www.shoes-1st.com/sandals...ndals.html 
it's the "Roman Sandals" link. This gives you instructions and everything. Goodluck!

08-19-2004, 07:26 PM

The pattern on the page the you refer to are for caligae, not calcei. The calceus is a completely closed boot along the foot and has an open lattice work along the ankle. 
 
Here's a picture of a pair of caligae that I recently made: 
 
66.66.131.145/roman/caligae.jpg 
 
In contrast, the calceus is completely closed along the length of the foot. 
 
There's a picture of a similar reproduction boot on the legio VI page: 
 
www.legionsix.org/Uniform.htm 
 
The form of calcei that I want to make are sewn across the top front. I can't tell from that photo if these are made that way or not. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=neuralmancer>Neuralmancer</A> at: 8/20/04 3:13 am

08-20-2004, 02:38 AM

and so I reveal myself as a newb to Rome (lol). My deepest apologise, but I will soon learn! 
 
Nice shoes Neuralmancer, a lot better then mine!

08-20-2004, 12:15 PM

I like Newbies. We need more.

08-20-2004, 03:30 PM

Awww, thanks. I think I'll be a newb for awhile, and I can probably get the rest of my legion on too.

Nathan Ross · 08-20-2004, 08:32 PM

Here's a pattern for a calceus boot, from the legion XX website - it doesn't have those neat integral laces, which is a shame : 
 
[url=http://www.larp.com/legioxx/calceus.gif" target="top]Legio XX Calceus Pattern[/url] 
 
Here's a picture of a completed version by Sarah Juniper: 
 
<img src="http://www.sarahjuniper.co.uk/images/roman/roman6.jpg" style="border:0;"/> 
 
and there's a few variants (and some other nifty footwear) on her page here: 
 
[url=http://www.sarahjuniper.co.uk/roman.html" target="top]Sarah Juniper Shoes[/url] 
 
Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=nathanross@romanarmytalk>Nathan Ross</A> at: 8/20/04 10:34 pm

08-20-2004, 09:16 PM

Oh, so that's what that long strip of leather, as shown on the drawing in the Dura book, is for. I have the legio XX pattern, maybe it could be adapted, but I'm having trouble reconciling the legio XX pattern with the drawings in the Dura book. The layed-flat drawing in the Dura book, on page 59, looks distorted.

08-25-2004, 04:58 PM

Ave, 
 
I guess I really need to get this Dura book, if it has shoe pics and info. Is the laid out pic a pattern that appears usable? 
 
Q Florentius

08-25-2004, 06:13 PM

of the identical drawing. I had that book all this time, but up till now I never got far in it to see the drawing. The "shoeboot" drawing in the Dura and Roman Military Equipment books appears to be very distorted. I'll have to make a paper cutout to see whether it really makes a boot. The drawing looks nothing like what is shown on the legio XX site.

aitor iriarte · 08-25-2004, 06:28 PM

Simon James' book on Dura is extremely interesting for a lot of items but it is almost useless for shoes (Just because it only deals tangentially with them) 
If you want a lot of good information on Roman shoes and lots of diagrams, then you need Carol van Driel's chapter. 'Footwear in the North-Western Provinces of the Roman Empire' in GOUBITZ, van DRIEL-MURRAY, GROENMAN-van WAATERINGE: 'Stepping through Time' ISBN 90-801044-6-9 Zwolle (Netherlands) 2001, pages 337-376 
 
Aitor

08-25-2004, 07:27 PM

Thanks for the reference. I've ordered a copy from David Brown.

aitor iriarte · 08-26-2004, 05:18 AM

Glad that you've been able to trace the book! 
I was writing in a hurry tonight and I'd just like to add that the (by far) longest section in the book is devoted to mediaeval, modern and even contemporary shoes recovered from archaeological contexts, very well explained and with lots of diagrams. Then, there are two shorter chapters, one dealing with Roman footwear and the other, with 'Prehistoric' footwear. 
I'd have loved if the chapter by Carol would have been longer. She classifies the Roman shoes by types and periods, and there is an accent on military footwear. You can find three or four examples of the eyelet-boot you need and a explanation of its constructive method. Surely enough to make a good replica. 
 
Aitor

Lucius Aurelius Metellus · 08-27-2004, 02:46 PM

If someone comes up with a decent pattern for these boots, could you please share with me? I am looking for a pattern in which the toe of the boot is stitched up the top of the foot. I have made a pair of calcei, but I had no pattern to use, only photographs, and I constructed them similar to examples found at Vindolanda, where the toe is stitched onto the upper as a seperate piece. I would like a pattern that was all one piece, though, and stitched up the top of the toe. Lucius Aurelius Metellus, miles gregarius, Secunda Brittanica

aitor iriarte · 08-27-2004, 03:26 PM

Lucius, 
That kind of boot is mainly third century in date ad its last evolutive stages perhaps reached the beginning of the fourth century. 
 
Aitor

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