Customer Reviews

Shoes and Patterns (Medieval Finds from Excavations in London)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The tower of London Press has never dissapointed me, and this book is no exception. Having done quite a bit of research on clothing artifacts, I can tell you that this book is excellent. The book contains quality pictures of shoes spanning the periods for anyone into such groups as the SCA, Renfaires, IFGS, and many other historical recreation groups. One of the best features of this text is that there are generally three views of each shoe. The first is the photograph of the actual item. The second is a drawing of the item, with any parts that time may have removed added back in. The third, and most unique that I've come across, is a picture of the pieces of the shoe flattened. This flattened view lets you make your own truly medieval shoes with a few simple measurements and pretty basic tools. Some knowledge of leatherwork is helpful. I also found it useful to understand how to utilise a sock-pattern for making a shoe. This book is an excellent reference for the shoe enthusiast from the level of the beginner all the way up to the seasoned expert.

The correct title of this book is 'Shoes and Pattens' and it's available at Amazon. A patten is a wooden base worn with a shoe to protect the shoe from mud and yuck. The book 'Shoes and Pattens' does contain patterns.