Roman Shoes by Crispianus

[Crispianus]

It's a Late Roman source, mentioned (somewhere, I don't know where) in the Theodosian code, and the Justinianic code, but specifically by Lydus in his De Mag. 2.4. Such shoes were called Tzaggia. It's clear he means Tyrian purple but decorated red-purple boots sort of spanned a range of colors, so it's likely it was technically illegal for the range of color but also technically a law widely broken since they weren't necessarily dyed with Tyrian Purple.

I was referring to the Alledale Calcei, they look kind of like the Cothurni on the Argos Museum mosaic.

Tyrian purple, I thought that for clothing generally? purple has been found on the southfleet shoes and its a very good purple too...... clearly from a wealthy person though...

this may interest it includes various reds/purples :  http://www.che.uc.edu/jensen/W.%20B.%20J...Papyri.pdf

The Allendale Calcei dont appear in the archaeological record after the early 2nd century or so, I dont think I've ever seen them represented in the art record at all, though I think some earlier hellenistic shoes often copied on roman sculpture could possibly at a glance be mistaken for them.. perhaps that is the source of the mosaic shoes...